ragavan_control t1_iu92fuj wrote on October 29, 2022 at 2:41 PM

Reply to comment by Lvl100Centrist in Controversial race researcher gets prestigious Cambridge University fellowship by hieronymusanonymous

Race is a categorical designation that holds explanatory power in grouping people together with similar genetics. Whether or not “race” means anything beyond that is purely semantics, but it is undeniable that the term has a clear meaning and use. Arguing otherwise is just an intentional obfuscation of the obvious.

So yeah, calling it a social construct doesn’t make it less real. All categories, and I mean all, are social constructs. It’s like asking for the definition of a chair. The answer can’t be precise - it inherently requires some degree of generalization and imprecision

Lvl100Centrist t1_iu94hgs wrote on October 29, 2022 at 2:57 PM

Race is clearly a social construct that doesn't really hold any explanatory power in modern societies. This should be obvious because there is no objective way to determine one's race.

The term has absolutely no clear use in any meaning; it barely makes sense in the most extreme of circumstances i.e. if you live in a predominantly "white" town and categorize everyone else as "black" or "asian". It doesn't make sense nor has any meaning for people who have received a basic education and understand science and history.

All categories are absiolutely not social constructs. If we categorize people by height or blood type then these are categories that can be objectively defined.

Whereas with race you have no clue which race you belong to, you cannot prove or determine what race I belong to. You don't even have a fixed list of races to chose form. Hence, social construct.