Definition: race (n) a human population considered distinct based on physical characteristics.
It is important to note that race is predominantly a social construct - in other words, scientists have discovered that only 2 percent of our genes are ultimately responsible for the visible differences such as skin color. Although it is not an exact science, social groups play a very important role in defining the rules of race. For example, in some cultures a light skin mulatto who is also upper class may be considered White, while in others, this same individual would classify as Black.
A lingering relic - depicting our history of legislating race - is the "one drop rule" which stipulated that a person with any amount of Black blood was to be classified as Black regardless of appearance. More recently, however, celebrities of mixed race backgrounds, such as Tiger Woods and Mariah Carey have challenged us to adopt less of a black or white approach to the concept of race.
Despite the ongoing challenges with racial classification, race nonetheless continues to hold significant social implications across the globe.
It is important to note that race is predominantly a social construct - in other words, scientists have discovered that only 2 percent of our genes are ultimately responsible for the visible differences such as skin color. Although it is not an exact science, social groups play a very important role in defining the rules of race. For example, in some cultures a light skin mulatto who is also upper class may be considered White, while in others, this same individual would classify as Black.
A lingering relic - depicting our history of legislating race - is the "one drop rule" which stipulated that a person with any amount of Black blood was to be classified as Black regardless of appearance. More recently, however, celebrities of mixed race backgrounds, such as Tiger Woods and Mariah Carey have challenged us to adopt less of a black or white approach to the concept of race.
Despite the ongoing challenges with racial classification, race nonetheless continues to hold significant social implications across the globe.
Also Known As: Compare this definition with the one for Ethnicity