Race as a Social Construct - Essay Example

There are several ways of justifying the claim that race is a social construct. One of the outstanding methods, in most societies, is to biologically or genetically prove that racial variations are immutable or real. The statement, “Humans are 99.9 per cent identical genetically” is enough to prove that racial differences cannot be justified at a genetic level, and excludes all the potential questions relating to race (Andreasen, 1999). Researchers have also indicated that race is a kind of appearance of people from a given region, however, according to humans, is 99.9 per cent genetically identical (Andreasen, 1999). Additionally, race is a social construct contingent on collective agreement, acceptance and imposition (Andreasen, 1999). This is an indication that race was socially constructed for the common good of some people. For instance, in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, whites promoted race and racial differences to promote slavery and access to cheap labour. Secondly, race is socially constructed because it has always been defined and promoted by the dominant group, in society. Lastly, race was constructed to indicate an individual’s social status, in society. Social status indicates a person’s race, either by including or excluding him or her from the broader social constructs, or enabling or disabling certain powers (Andreasen, 1999).

Arguably, the social justice implications of categorizing people according to their racial backgrounds include the judgment of people according to their skin colour, what they do, their traditions, and their accent (Andreasen, 1999). Past privilege and racism have significantly contributed to the current differences in wealth and poverty among racial groups. For instance, the US documented housing practices and policies, which segregated towns and cities, in the 1980s. Additionally, racial classification has been recently viewed as a measure of depriving certain people of their human rights (Andreasen, 1999). In nineteenth and twentieth-century America, the whites socially constructed racial differences for their good. Racism categorized different people into different social classes, with the whites being a superior racial group to other racial groups. The blacks, who were the lowest in social rank, were either treated as slaves or exploited for cheap labour (Andreasen, 1999). They were also not allowed to decide for themselves and make choices since they had their masters. These inhuman acts deprived the blacks of their human rights and freedom of expression.

In conclusion, socially constructed reality, “race”, is one of the leading predictors of how different groups of people fare in terms of education, health, wealth, and other aspects of life. The ideas left by past discriminations, within institutions and policies, still have a considerable impact on many government policies and institutions. If this is left unchecked, it will only enhance what is already designated as oppressive inequalities. It is, therefore, necessary to put adequate measures to prevent the transfer of racial ideas, into the future generations.