Social Construction of Race and How It Affects Society Essay

Humans define race by how they conceive and categorize different social realities. Thus, race is often referred to as a social construct. The differences in skin color and facial characteristics have led most of society to classify humans into groups instead of individuals. These constructs affect us all, and they often result in situations where majority racial groups cause undue suffering to those that are part of the minority. The understanding of race as a social construct is best illustrated by the examination of racial issues within our own culture, specifically those that have plagued the history of the United States. Although race as a physical condition has likely occurred in societies from the beginning of human existence, it†¦show more content†¦Although the Declaration of Independence stated that â€Å"All men are created equal,† the U.S Constitution denied minorities basic human rights, such as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. With this, the line had been drawn. Skin color had now become the definite indicator of how race would be defined in future American society. This sentiment of racial inferiority by the white American was further demonstrated by their treatment of Native American society. As European settlements continued to expand across the continent, Indians were forcibly removed from their land to make room for the â€Å"more civilized† white American. The Native American population was practically eradicated with only a handful of survivors remaining on small, segregated reservations in Oklahoma. The genocide of their people-- and their culture-- left most Native Americans with extreme resentment towards the white man. Ironically, just as the white man saw the Native American people as uncivilized savages, Native Americans saw firsthand how barbaric the white man actually was. This further supports the theory that race is not a physical characteristic, but something that is constructed by different societies to establish each ones perception of how the other is viewed or perceived. In Mary C. Waters â€Å"Social Construc tion of Race and Ethnicity,† she explains this theory in theShow MoreRelatedA Brief Note On Social Construction Of Race Essay1378 Words   |  6 PagesSocial Construction of Race One of the social reforms that are argued to have been achieved by the contemporary society is acknowledged that all people within the society are equal irrespective of some socio-cultural differences such as race. The view that all persons are equal is ingrained in the society and supported by an array of a legal framework. 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