Human Variation in Skin Colour - Essay Example

? Human Variation in Skin Color Human Variation in Skin Color Introduction The variation of skin color has a background that is complex, however; the variability of human beings is defined as the mental and physical characteristics of human beings that do range with possibility of certain values. All living species have variations, and, it is as a result of biological and environmental processes. Variation is an essential characteristic since it ensures species vitality, their adaptability to environmental dynamism as well as their survival. Species differ in degree of their variability; it is believed that the degree of variation is high in human beings than other species. Skin pigmentation is determined by the presence of melanin in human being skin, and the color of skin ranges from black to white. It is not completely certain that evolutions contributes to skin variation, however, the variation of the natural skin color can be determined by genetically processes. According to scientists, the Sub-Saharan Africans have the highest skin color diversity, where by, their values of skin reflectance range from19 to 46, while the values of Europeans are range within 62 to 69 and the East Asians range from 59 to 59 (Barker, 2003). This paper will focus on skin color variation and racial discrimination based on economic, institutional and power. Human beings originate from a common single species and origin. Racism is an act that is done consciously or unconsciously with an objective of subordinating a person or groups of individuals because of their skin color. As a result of skin pigmentation; human beings earn differently social treatment. The treatments have been translated to economic status due to work opportunities. Colorism is a cross the globe and it is used for discrimination reasons, for instance, when lighter skin is being preferred to darker skin and vise versa. It is important to note that lack of human capital development contributes significantly to economic stagnation and underdevelopment across the globe (Patrinos, 2000). The current generation is being affected by the historical and social disparities that were being practiced. Human capital is defined as knowledge, skills and other attributes that are embodied in an individual and are relevant in economic development (Plant, 1998). One of the reasons why the globe has been facing slow economic growth is as a result of racial discrimination or social exclusion on human capital formation and economic contribution. Skin color has been one of the major obstacles on human capital contribution. The discriminated population having no access to education, economic and political opportunities has largely contributed to their limitation to acquire capacity to develop human capital hence lowering the economic values. Persons across the world should stem racial discrimination based on skin color and inject their time to develop human knowledge and skills that will contribute to economic growth and development. Across the globe schools and institutions face racial discrimination; having standardized testing for instance, has largely contributed to discrimination based on skin color, it being the assessments in a learning institution, it highly favors students from a specific social cultural background, while those students from racial minorities groups score poorly. In addition, the minority groups of students are educated in a low-income society where they cannot afford to purchases books as those schools that are set in middle or high-income areas. As a result of discrimination, the schools are forced to use old text books which further aggravate the extant of socio-economic differential established with skin color racial institutional discrimination. Structural racism also accentuate most institutional provisions that are identified as exceptional to certain group of people who form the majority of the people in the regions, such as the absence of labour unions or weak voices of the labour unions and disorganized government systems. Some government and social institutions policies have in the past portrayed institutional racism, this being a combination of policies, practices, or procedures entrenched in the bureaucratic structure that steadily lead to uneven distribution of outcomes for groups of people (Barker, 2003 & Brandt, 1991). This kind of discrimination also affects the way opportunities are accessed, the quality of life and life-styles for both the whites and non-whites which in the long-run has led to exaggerated and distorted genetic as well as behavioral disparities which supports misconceptions, myths and distortions of the two groups about each other (Pinderhughes, 1989,) In all these situations, its not the people of color who lose but rather, the country as a whole, different people are endowed with different skills as well as talents and as the country losses on the supply of all these manpower. Racists have not only been faced with institution and economic subjects but also leadership and power. The minorities have not been given an opportunity to take up leadership position in the country the live in. The minorities have been threatened with perceived loss of power. As a result, prejudice and racism have had negative effects to the entire globe. In prejudice lies ignorance and fear, skin color has taken a lead role in influencing prejudice and it has been affected by ignorance where certain minority groups are faced with such challenges. For instance, the America structure cannot allow them to have ideas on how life in the African American is as a result of their structure and have prevailing norms of separation and segregation that prevent persons from different groups to interact and share power. Fear on the other hand, is deeper and has made power be dominated by the majority, at the core of racism lays the quest and competition for power. Having two forms of power, coercive and choice, where power as choice is the capacity to act in a way that subjects are influenced with no violence while power as coercive is the capacity to act in a way that the subjects are influenced against their wishes. It is important to note that the core of racism is power and it has material and moral oppression (Postero, 2007). Individuals and institution make the larger part of the society and they influence each other unknowingly. The minorities in skin color are therefore shaped and in turn shape their duties at their work place; as a result, they have faced less recognition. Power has always been in the hand of the majority thus contributing to socio-economic stagnancy. In addition, prejudice is not a constitution of racism neither does power. But when an individual uses their position in power, either politically or institutional, to enhance prejudices and to enforce them so that as a result of their racial prejudices the life chances, rights and opportunities of others are limited, the result is racism. skin colors according to the von Luschan scale Environmental factors take the leading role in color variation, person at the north pole do not need lots of skin melanin as well as those in the south pole hence their skin color is lighter. While persons at the equator need lots of melanin to protect them from the ultra violet light. Biological explanation has contribution to color variation. This is in line with the passing on of genes from one generation to the other; however, individuals with different skin color can have offspring with unique skin pigmentation. It is difficult for the scientist to have a clear variation in line with skin color because the basis of evolution is independent to that of the environment and biological factors. In conclusion, the question of human pigmentation is one of supreme relevance and one that holds the key to answering fundamental questions about our existence and may hold the key to generating cure for various human ailments. And with the advent of new technology scientists are delving deeper into the mystery. With this is the erosion of various racial stereotypes and ingrained social assumptions as what can be categorized as beautiful. References Barker, R. L, (2003), The social work dictionary (5th ed.). Washington, DC: NASW Press. Barndt, J. (1991). Dismantling racism: The continuing challenge to white America. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress. Patrinos, Harry A, (2000) "The Costs of Discrimination in Latin America." Studies in Comparative International Development Pinderhughes, E. (1989). Understanding race, ethnicity, and power: The key to efficacy in clinical practice. New York: Free Press. Plant, Roger, (1998), “Indigenous Peoples and Poverty Reduction: A Case Study of Guatemala.” Inter-American Development Bank. Postero, Nancy Grey, (2007). Now we are citizens: indigenous politics in postmulticultural Bolivia.Stanford: Stanford University press Read More