What could been a boring discussion about word choice in a leksikonartikkel about racism, have flared up to become a very heated debate about menneskeraser.
In the course of the debate has several blamed me for lefle with pseudoscience and racism because I am in the lexicon pointed out that there are “biological differences between people who have lived separated for longer times”. Such is no fun, but my critics have good intentions. Dividing people into races has an ugly history.
There are good reasons to avoid the word “race”, but it does not mean that it have to be racism or pseudoscience to group people genetically. We find namely the genetic variation between people according to where our ancestors come from.
It is due to the fact that our ancestors lived. for over 40,000 years, giving evolution the time to make us different, although we, of course, is much more equal than we are different. One of our foremost biologists, Glenn-Peter Sætre, believes this shows that the menneskeraser are.
To call groups races is, however, problematic, something Sætre recognize. It is, of course, that the classification into races has an ugly history.
It can also create confusion since we have a variety of expectations as to what race should mean, that you belong to one and only one race. It does not match with the genetic research finds.
In addition, we have already an established rasebegrep who often refers to skin color. These categories are far from identical with genetikkens groupings, although there is considerable overlap.
We should therefore avoid using ‘race’ when we refer to biological classifications.
I write about this to refute the accusations of pseudoscience. More important is it to find out what we should and should not do with these findings.
One possibility is to stop such research, but we will then look away from discoveries that can save lives, by showing that certain groups are at greater risk for some diseases.
We must also prepare ourselves for the fact that the research may arrive at findings which will be able to reinforce prejudices. As Harvard geneticist David Reich points out in an article in the New York Times, we will probably find gruppeforskjeller in behavior and properties, since the genes are not evenly distributed between the groups. It can blow new life into debates about the differences in intelligence between groups.
the Phoenix rises from the ashes in black leather Comment
Not all agree with the Reich in it, but no matter, we meet any findings from such research the best way to maintain our value as persons does not depend on the identity or mental characteristics, and that ulikhetenes rise not is essential if we should do something with them.
Genetic differences do namely not need to get rid of the discrimination in our community less important. It is not who our ancestors are, but how we look and what we are called, that determines whether we receive rent the apartment or get the job.
sometimes the discrimination result of direct discrimination on the basis of skin color. the
however, It is not the only barrier people with a different skin color or cultures face in our society. Prejudice, sometimes unconscious, preferences for those who are similar to us, cultural differences, and uintenderte effects of the policy, is the other.
Such barriers must we get rid of. In sum, they may even have worse consequences than direct discrimination. However, I’m not sure if it is a good idea to call these the barriers for indirect or structural racism, as some do. the
It does, admittedly, that we get the help of a powerful word to put your finger on a problem. The downside is that, because of begrepets historical baggage, will be able to create more resistance and less understanding.
When I am called racist and incompetent, in any case, my immediate reaction would be to take distance from them that comes with such accusations. I don’t think I’m alone about it. The fight against racism and the barriers that stand in the way of that all persons shall have the opportunity to flourish, can collect a wide front. Then we should be careful with the use of both rasebegrepet and rasismebegrepet.
Why I began to believe in conspiracies?
