Race

A race is a social grouping of people who have similar physical or social characteristics that are generally considered by society as forming a distinct group. In contemporary scholarship, four main concepts characterize race. First, race is socially constructed, in that humans use symbols to create meaning from their social environment. This means that race is not an intrinsic part of a human being or the environment but, rather, an identity created using symbols to establish meaning in a culture or society. Second, race is partially characterized by physical similarities such as skin color, facial features, or hair texture. Although physical characteristics constitute a portion of the concept of race, this is a social rather than biological distinction. That is, human beings create categories of race based on physical characteristics rather than the physical characteristics having intrinsic biological meaning. Third, race is partially characterized by general social similarities such as shared history, speech patterns, or traditions. For example, Black English vernacular is a complex and expressive language spoken by many African Americans, particularly in racially segregated areas of the United States. Although social similarities develop because of racial groupings, racial similarities are not exclusive to an entire race, nor does every member of a race share social similarities. Such artificial distinctions lead to the injurious practice of stereotyping. Fourth and finally, race is characterized by the formation of distinct racial groupings in society that self-identify as such. Race is not an inherent biological grouping, so racial categories emerge from historical processes and often gain legitimacy in society though political action.

Often, the formation or reformation of racial categories is accomplished by dominant racial groupings exerting authority over minority or subordinate racial groupings. For example, the U.S. Constitution required an enumeration or census, which fostered the development of racial classifications. By 1890, these racial classifications, formed largely by White men, included “White,” “Black,” “mulatto,” “quadroon,” and “octoroon” to describe the amount of known African ancestry of African Americans. The 1890 racial classification is indicative of the “one-drop rule,” whereby any African ancestry constituted exclusion from the dominant White racial grouping into a subordinate racial grouping; a hierarchy among races is a common theme throughout the history of race. This entry looks at the development of the concept of race and discusses related myths.