Sociology Assignment: An Exploration of Race as a Social Construct

This essay critically examines the extent to which race is a social construct, arguing that while often perceived as a biological trait, race is primarily a product of societal conventions, norms, and power dynamics. The essay explores the historical development of racial classifications, highlighting the arbitrary nature of these categories and their role in creating social inequalities. It discusses white privilege, racial discrimination, and the impact of race on individual opportunities and experiences. The essay references historical examples, such as the American Constitution and the "Black Lives Matter" campaign, to illustrate how racial constructs have shaped social structures and continue to influence contemporary society. It concludes that while biological differences exist, the concept of race is a social construct that has led to significant disparities and injustices, emphasizing the need for mutual respect and equality to dismantle racist behaviors and foster a society based on dignity and integrity.

Essay

Contents
Essay: - To what extent is race socially constructed....................................................................................3
REFERENCES............................................................................................................................................8
Books and Journal...................................................................................................................................8

Essay: - To what extent is race socially constructed
Race can be characterised as an expression that is utilised for classifying and
distinguishing the human species on the basis of their physical specifications and behaviour
characteristics. It can be defined as a cultural intervention that came into existence due to the
social conventions and constructs of society (Laus, 2020). It is a phrase that is usually taken into
consideration in order to demonstrate physical attributes such as the facial features, colour the
skin etc. of the individuals.
Race can be categorised as a term that is vague and unclear in nature because it has not
been created through scientific research or any kind of theoretical principles but simply based
upon the ideology of the people who believe in the existence of the same. It can broadly be
defined as the perceptions of the individuals and what they feel about different categories of
social classes existing in the society. It highlights upon the ways in which they perceive each
class and the privilege associated with the same as well. It can be stated that one person may
have different ideology of race and might consider race as a set of different characteristics.
Whereas the others can have different notions about the existence of race based upon their
perceptions and perspectives regarding the same (Klysing, 2020). The respective essay will
reflect upon the idea of to what extent is race a socially constructed variable.
There has always been a dilemma regarding race that whether it is a biological trait or a
social construct. Majority of society have always identified and considered race as a biological
aspect of an individual because they believe that the race of an individual depends upon the
colour and their physical characteristics which is a biological aspect. According to the
sociologists, it can be stated that if individuals classify the population according to their physical
features and similar traits, there ought to be major diversification even within a particular race.
For instance, American race is considered to be a popular race which enjoys a variety of different
facial colours ranging from pale white to a darker skin tones such as the white Americans posses
lighter shades of skin in comparison to the African American who are darker to the former. Thus,
it can be said that the ideology that race is biological concern is one of the most vague and
illogical concept that has come into the existence due to the blurred stigma of the society many

years ago (Díaz Calderón, 2021). Moreover, it has been examined that individuals belonging
from different races tend to have more genetically similar attributes and DNA as compared to the
ones belonging from their own race. The respective biological derivation is enough to state that
race cannot be considered as a result of biology or genetics.
In order to demonstrate a clear and in depth prospectus of what social construct means
and how it is related to the human race, it is necessary to acquire reliable insights about the
impact and the consequences caused by the same in the lives of millions across the globe. Social
construct is s teem reflects upon the fact that society as a whole has introduced some social
conventions and ideologies that divided the human race into various dimensions (Jardina, 2020).
The idea that every individual in the world is equal to the other is ignored by the society, led to
the emergence of the social construct.
It can be stated that in the current society, race is a factor that clearly impacts upon an
individual’s life opportunities as well as the choices of the same. The social construction of
human race is based upon the privileges amounting to the individuals belonging from different
races as well as parts of the world and the resource availability provided to the same. According
to the historical derivations, it can be analysed that the word race came into existence with the
fact that the white people always emphasised upon the skin and provided privileges related to the
same (Lee and Tapia, 2021). The perk or the advantage of being white were respect, dignifies
treatment, and better opportunities for growth and sustainability as compared to the other
sections of the society.
In the earlier times, the white privilege was rooted in the American Constitution,
according to which the white people were considered as our people and provide with additional
perks in comparison to other individuals and social classes in the America. This led to the class
and racial disparity wherein the whites were treated as superior and the black and browns were
not given the same benefits and attention as compared to the former. The rights of several
individuals were taken for granted and the majority of the other races prevailing in America were
provided with the human right to vote (Harris, 2020). This can considered to be the most
disgraceful act on behalf of the American Government. It has been examined that the slavery
class in America were dominated by the upper classes and no individual was granted the right to
represent their class in the front og the governmental officials. The respective treatment and

injustice in the political and social environment caused the diversion of two classes which were
stated as different from each other on the basis of social class as well as privilege.
According to the viewpoints of today’s sociologist, race is a term that reflects upon the
classification that divides individuals in to diverse sets of groups depending upon their physical
characteristics and social backgrounds. The present day racial conventions are very different
from the earlier period. The society in the back days had different ideology in context to the race
as well. It used to believe that the darker the colour, the unworthy and invaluable an individual
will tend to be. On the basis of the reflection drawn from the world history especially American
and Europeans, it can be assessed that the former promoted unequal treatment and racial
discrimination (Davenport, 2020). The respective led the creation of inferiority among the
society based on the colour can state the impact of the race upon the lives of the individuals and
the consequences associated with the same.
Race is still considered as an essential element in the social environment due to the fact
that is has always been given the unnecessary attention the majority of the countries across the
world. Despite the revelation that race has nothing to do with the biological considerations, race
prevails to be an important point of discussion in the present day argument as well. The recent
example can be drawn for the global campaign “Black lives Matter” which got the support of
millions of individuals across the world (Bakker, 2020). The fact that people belonging to the
particular race are still demanding for their rights and fighting for the same in the foreign
countries can be considered as an example of the fact that how race has been rooted in the
society and the implications associated with the same in the modern day era as well .
It can be justified that the construction of race is a social norm with a very basic yet
powerful fact that we always identify certain individuals performing certain kind of labours. The
reason behind the same can be demonstrated as the social construct that their ancestors have been
doing the same from the past era which defies that they ought to do the same in order to survive
and sustain in the social grounds of the society. It can be examined that the individuals tend to be
more favourable towards their races in the various dimensions and aspects of life in comparison
to other (Bolger, 2020). Even the respect and treatment of the individuals is dependent upon the
race he/she belongs to can be set as a reason behind the predominant existence of social stature
and its impact upon the human lives.

It can be said that racism is still as profound as it ought to be in the past. Racism still
prevails among the society. The majority of the individuals may not openly admit to the same but
it can be seen and examined from their behaviours and actions that are still trapped in the social
construct and conventions of the past. Although there have been various reforms and revolutions
brought in the social world in order to reduce and eliminate the racial differences and
discriminations pertaining to the same within the society. Several laws enforcements have also
been done in order to protect and preserve the rights against racism within the countries. But the
former actions does not take away from the fact that racism still exist as a significant issue in the
society that needs to be given the utmost attention and focus in order to reduce the adverse
impacts as well as implications related to the same.
Race is not a term that should be celebrated within the social culture. The phrase race
amounts for the disparity and inequality that has been exercised for hundreds of years upon
people who belonging to a certain section of the society(Murray, 2020). The respective phrase
has been an epitome of inequality and injustice to the inferior groups in the society. With the
changing times, the attributes and the meaning of the word may have manipulated to different
context but the ideology is persistent among certain parts of the society till date.
It can be said that the human construct of diversification in the social races has been
surpassed from generation to generation .The reason for the same can be termed as the need for
the people belonging to particular kind of race to determine their perks and benefits that come
with the lineage of the same. The boundaries that used to establish the ranking of an individual
has been blurred and diminished in the recent era. It means that only the deserving and talented
individuals will get to a prominent position in the society regardless of which class and race they
belong to (Abrica and Dorsten, 2020). The respective change has been possible due to several
leaders and campaigns that have questioned the patriarchal societies and their hidden agendas
behind the construction of vague concepts and norms that restricts the privilege of the
individuals.
The success of individuals belonging from the suppressed races and groups such as
Blacks and Browns at the global platform has enhanced the hopes of other people belonging to
the same. It has motivated that the individuals to stand up for themselves and emerge victories in
the vicious circle of societal norms and beliefs in order to prove their worth within the same.

Hence, from the above discussion, it can be summarised that race is societal component
that has been inculcate within the minds of the individuals from a long period of time. It can be
termed as an agenda led by so called superior groups so as to differentiate and separate the other
racial groups in the society. Race is an attribute introduced by the society that has ruined the
lives of millions and is still very active within the social circles across the globe. The society has
been very unfair to the inferior and underprivileged races in the past which led to the
discrimination of the same in terms of various social grounds and contexts.
Mutual respect and well being among the society is very necessary to be practised in
order to eliminate the social constructs. The concerned will create which is free from the racist
behaviours and full of dignity and integrity. The idea that every human being should be treatment
with the utmost respect and equality as any other in this society needs to be exercised and
regulated within the same in an appropriate manner. This will provide assistance in establishing
new perspectives and social perception that will promote respect and love for diverse races and
the cultures within the society in the future run.

REFERENCES
Books and Journal
Laus, V., 2020. Race and Filipina/o drug use: rethinking ethnicity among Filipina/o Americans
through drug consumption, racial profiling, and the social construction of ethnicity. Journal of
Ethnicity in Substance Abuse, pp.1-21.
Díaz Calderón, J.C., 2021. A decolonial narrative of sexuality and world politics when race is
everywhere and nowhere. Critical Studies on Security, pp.1-5.
Lee, T.L. and Tapia, M., 2021. Confronting race and other social identity erasures: The case for
critical industrial relations theory. ILR Review, p.0019793921992080.
Davenport, L., 2020. The fluidity of racial classifications. Annual Review of Political
Science, 23, pp.221-240.
Bolger, D., 2020. The racial politics of place in faith-based social service provision. Social
Problems.
Abrica, E.J. and Dorsten, A.K., 2020. How students think about race: Exploring racial
conceptions and their implications for student success among Latino male community college
students. New Directions for Community Colleges, 2020(190), pp.69-85.
Jardina, A., 2020. In-group love and out-group hate: White racial attitudes in contemporary US
elections. Political Behavior, pp.1-25.
Klysing, A., 2020. Exposure to scientific explanations for gender differences influences
individuals’ personal theories of gender and their evaluations of a discriminatory situation. Sex
Roles, 82(5), pp.253-265.
Harris, A.S., 2020. At the borders of identity: Identity construction and racial bloc
voting. Journal of Race, Ethnicity and Politics, 5(2), pp.326-355.
Murray, C., 2020. Human diversity: The biology of gender, race, and class. Twelve.
Bakker, J.M., 2020. Hidden presence: race and/in the history, construct, and study of western
esotericism. Religion, 50(4), pp.479-503.