Homework Question on Social Construction Of Race
1.Using terms and ideas from the required reading in this module, Discuss how race is constructed in your community, family, or circle of friends.
- Articles: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2009/aug/26/katrina-racism-us-media
- http://www.ericfoner.com/reviews/092010harpers.html http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/derrida/
2.Meaning of Barack Obama: Here are some questions for discussion from Dr. Johnson’s article to get us started with this topic. Please keep in mind that this article was written before Obama’s election in November, 2008, and was published in Shambhala Sun in 2009 during the first 100 days of Obama’s presidency. A lot has happened since those first days of the Obama administration.
- How is ‘race’ said to be both political and ‘an enlightenment issue’ as well?
- According to Richard White, as cited in the article, “race” is ‘socially constructed
- What example does the author give? Johnson discusses Barack Obama’s background (mother from Kansas, father from Kenya, multi-cultural childhood)
- How does Johnson view terms such as ‘black’ and ‘white’?
- How is Obama like a ‘blank slate?
- In what ways are the Obama family (Barack and Michelle) avatars?
- How is the Obama phenomenon said to be ‘evolutionary’?
Homework Answer on Social Construction Of Race
Social construction of race has influenced how my community identifies races. Although they are only mere perceptions, my communities identify certain differences. My community’s construction of race is based on athleticism, intellectual ability, and socioeconomic status. These are some of the myths highlighted by Yolanda T. Moses (Moses 2). In my community, there are four main races, Caucasians, Africans, Asians and Hispanics.
However, others recognize two particular aspects of people, the minority and majority. The minority are Africans, Asians, and Hispanics,while the majorities are the Caucasians. The perceptions of race are not as steadfast as they were with some people constructing race on more subjective measures like political affiliation, economic needs and cultural practices (Moses 2). These are in turn exemplified by the cultural and social divisions in the area today.
The Meaning of Barrack Obama
The election of Barrack Obama nullified racial constructions in the USA. It is an enlightenment issue because it contradicts racial constructs that perceive white intellect and supremacy true, especially in the USA. Richard White in the article exemplifies the social constructs of race by offering an example of when Poles, Jews and the Irish were perceived as not white enough (Johnson 1). All these assertions were confirmed as scientifically wrong.