Re: There are races

G*rd*n (gcf@panix.com)
2 Jan 1997 20:29:28 -0500

| gcf@panix.com (G*rd*n) wrote:
|
| >Duncan@drmac.demon.co.uk:
| >| ... If there's inter-breeding along the way with <whatever>, there
| >| are still only seven possible outcomes for each individual (i.e. assigned to
| >| one of the seven races on the basis of their overall score with respect to
| >| *MULTIPLE* traits).
| >
| >You can certainly construe human beings into seven races by
| >means of (physical) traits. Or eight or six or five
| >billion or one.
| >
| >So what? The point is that race is a social construction,
| >an arbitrary division of the human race into categories that
| >have not been demonstrated to have any significance.

jmurphy2@mindspring.com:
| Unless, of course, you want to be admitted to Law School,
| Med School, want to work as a fireperson or just get a job.
| Then it seems to take on great significance, doesn't it?

I suppose so. Not long ago I was at a meeting of
technicians and businesspersons in the New York City area.
There were 27 people at the meeting, of whom 3 were female.
None appeared to be of African ancestry, and one may have
been Hispanic. Given the proportions of these categories in
the surrounding population, this configuration seemed quite
remarkable, and I have no doubt that you're on to something.

-- 

   }"{    G*rd*n   }"{  gcf @ panix.com  }"{