Race and Ethnicity Part 1: Rethinking Race

If you watched our video on gender and sexuality, you know there are aspects of human experience that feel like sheer biology–but a deeper investigation reveals the influence of culture. Race has been framed as a physical fact, but it is actually a construct–arguably, as much a product of culture as ethnicity and ethnic identity.

In Part One: Rethinking Race we’ll explore the difference between race and ethnicity, consider which, if any aspects of race are biologically real, and dive into the troubled history of anthropology’s approach to race.

In Part Two: Contemporary Perspectives on Race and Ethnicity” we’ll look at experiences of celebration and oppression around race and ethnicity, delving into food, family, and more.

Watch the full episode:

Resources:

Understanding Race by the American Anthropologist Association

“Race and Ethnicity” Perspectives: An Open Introduction to Cultural Anthropology by Nina Brown, Thomas Mcllwaith, Laura Tubelle de González

Films:

Anthropology and the Question of Race by Wondrium

Race and Ethnicity: Crash Course Sociology #34 by CrashCourse

Race, Ethnicity and the Cultural Landscape: Crash Course Geology by CrashCourse

Is Race Genetic or Socially Constructed with Philip Kitcher by BigThink