6:10 - Group-lead discussion
7:10 - Break
7:20 - Instructor-lead discussion
What is racial profiling and how does it work?
criticism of NYPD's "stop-and-frisk" policy.
How does it relate to "identity politics?"
Arabs in airports? Blacks in Milwaukee? Latinos in Arizona?
CJ system colorblind?
If "biological differences are real, important, and apparent to us all," then why has biology "abandoned" racial classification?
I don't want to delve too deeply into the hard science in this chapter, except just to point out that "it is not possible to define races biologically." (p.114)
According to biology's current taxonomy of life, every organism can be classified at 7 different levels:
- Kingdom: Animal
- Phylum: Chordate
- Class: Mammal
- Order: Primate
- Family: Hominid
- Genus: Homo
- Species: Sapiens
Each level contains organisms with similar characteristics. The kingdom is the largest group and very broad. Each successive group contains fewer organisms, but the organisms are more similar. Species is the lowest category. Organisms within a species are able to mate. There is no human subspecies.
In theory, a "race" would reflect shared genetic material, but instead what we think of as the races are based on shared phenotypical traits (salient physical characteristics) which don't correlate with genes. Plus, we have hundreds of such traits, so why focus on skin color?
Oversimplified, but politically expedient (p.112) to have 3 Great Races: Caucasoid, Negroid, Mongoloid.
Scientists began to question this after WWII. How to fit in outlier groups? Other problems?
Far more genetic variation exists within each of these traditional racial categories, than exists between their averages.
What about phenotypical variation?
Can it be culturally determined?
Brazilian swimmers?
African-American football and basketball players?
The Thomas Theorum...
SO - race is not a valid biological concept. BUT this does NOT mean it is not a valid social, cultural, and political concept... (p.121)
How can dominant groups "use racial ideology to justify, explain, and preserve their privileged social positions"?
What about when science does it?
The Bell Curve...
How do you measure "intelligence"?
What do test scores measure?
How can fairness and equal opportunity be combined with maintenance of student bodies that reflect national diversity?
Why did Justice O'Connor say that we still need affirmative action in America, (p.124) but that "we expect that 25 years from now, the use of racial preferences will no longer be necessary to further the interest approved today"? What was the "interest"?
PBS? RACE - THE POWER OF AN ILLUSION...
8:00 - Begin Crash? - note that it is rated R for language, some sexual content, and some violence
Please pay attention to the characters' motivations.
FOR NEXT TIME:
- Read Chapter 8: Race - Its Social Construction, and prepare your daily Top Ten List
- ONLY: Hannah,
Leslie, Maria,Jolene, Erika, Keva,Laura, Nathan - prepare to facilitate a discussion on Chapter 8
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