I know this question sounds incredibly ignorant but i have been trying to understand for some time. My main reason for asking is because if we have dna testing that can show someone’s ancestry is this much % Italian and this much % Korean, how is that a social construct if it’s in our dna?
Please understand I’m not saying race isn’t a social construct, I am just trying to understand how it is a social construct.
In: Biology
A lot of reasonable responses here, I just want throw in the apparent finding that people of Africa are the most genetically diverse set of populations on the planet (https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/30/AR2009043002485.html/). So, because they may share some set of phenotypic traits they are lumped together as a single race but this is an incredible oversimplification of the genetic diversity at play.
So if actual genetic variation is not considered (epigenetics can complicate this but that’s another story I’m totally unqualified to tell) for determining race that leaves cultural and societal factors to be responsible for racial distinctions.
Also, I’m glad people honestly inquire about sensitive topics. Many seem to choose political affiliation over seeking some approximation of truth.
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