Analysis of Climate Change, Racism, and Health in Anthropology (Essay)

This essay explores the contributions of anthropology to understanding and addressing climate change and its effects, including the importance of adaptation strategies for communities facing environmental disasters. It also examines the impact of race and racism on health outcomes, highlighting the biological consequences of social inequalities, such as higher infant mortality rates and lower life expectancies among affected populations. The essay emphasizes the role of anthropologists as social activists, advocating for optimal resettlement of coastal communities and promoting awareness of the negative implications of racism. The analysis draws on research and case studies to illustrate the complex interplay between environmental challenges, social structures, and human health, providing insights into the need for comprehensive solutions.

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Student’s Name
Instructor’s Name
Class Title
Date
Anthropology
Introduction
Over the years, Anthropologists have contributed to the struggle against the effects of climate
change. Climate change has played a significant role in diversity in human behavior. The
patterns studied by anthropologists help in giving predictions to future reactions to different
environments and primarily when a disaster arises. Race and racism have affected the lives of
people and especially their health. Research shows that people who have a higher infant
mortality rate and lower life expectancy.
Question 1
Major civilized countries, including indigenous societies, have either collapsed or risen
depending on the role played by climate change. Anthropology helps in clarifying the difficulty
encountered when resolving the climate change confined in material and social relations that
moderates interactions amongst people with their environment (Cassidy 24). The
Anthropological studies provide a diverse form of adaptive mechanisms which are useful in
predicting different responses to future climate change. For instance, during the Little Ice Age

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when Europe and North America experienced colder winters compared to the 20th Century, the
climate change generated a variety of adaptive forms (McIntosh et al. 14).
Isolated world populations face different disasters from the environment — for example;
drought, floods, earthquakes, disease outbreaks, and volcanic explosions. Anthropologists have
come up with some adaptive strategies that would help people living in such areas cope with the
environment (Weiss et al. 609). Anthropologists have used the material record to provide a long-
term understanding of the relationship between human beings and their environment.
Anthropologists can address the response of coastal and island communities to their economic
systems. The economic exchange of the people living in these communities and primarily
focusing on consumption, production, distribution, and allocation of the scarce resources could
be largely affected whenever disaster arises. Anthropologists could study the changes that
disaster brings and in turn, relate it to the mechanisms like sharing and morality. It is worth
stating that different communities react differently to the disasters they face, and this knowledge
offers a more optimal planned resettlement of coastal and island communities. Anthropologists
care about being social activists because it helps them develop a listening capacity. It helps them
become more involved with the task at stake, not only observing from a far distance (Weiss et al.
610).
Question 2
Race and racism ultimately become biology. The negative social ideas concerning
people's race are very harmful, and they have economic, political and mainly health
consequences on the individuals who are subject to this ("Race Becomes Biology, Inequality
Bioculturally Embodied"). The health consequences are considered biological. For instance, the

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black Americans, who face so much of the racism, have over the past years registered higher
infant mortality rates and a lower life expectancy. From a test taken, results show that people
who have suffered from racism have recorded low birth weights and diseases such as diabetes,
hypertension, and strokes. Most of them also record low IQ scores and low lead levels. Some of
them have also suffered from Vitamin D deficiency.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Anthropologists contributions are of great significance and especially
when dealing with the effects brought about by climate changes. Anthropologists work better
when they become social activists because it allows them to be involved in the work they do.
Lastly, race and racism have negative implications on human beings and therefore, should be
highly discouraged.

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Works cited
"Race Becomes Biology, Inequality Bioculturally Embodied." Living Anthropologically,
13 Apr. 2018, www.livinganthropologically.com/biological-anthropology/how-race-
becomes-biology/
Cassidy, Rebecca. "Lives with others: Climate change and human-animal relations." Annual
Review of Anthropology 41 (2012): 21-36.
McIntosh, Roderick J., Joseph A. Tainter, and Susan Keech McIntosh, eds. The way the wind
blows: climate, history, and human action. Columbia University Press, 2000.
Weiss, Harvey, and Raymond S. Bradley. "What drives societal collapse?." Science 291.5504
(2001): 609-610.