Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - What's the closest possible genetic relation I could have to my Korean girlfriend?

jorgelito · 04-14-2005, 08:58 PM

Hmmm...I think I get what you mean but it's still a bit confusing.

Back in my day, in school we learned there were three main races: negroid, mongoloid, caucasoid. Then they added a 4th: australoid.

In college, we learned that theory was wrong and that race is essentially a social construct based on phenotypes. I was in shock and all my stereotypes were shattered. But it made sense. I felt better.

Now I wonder, what's the significance of 'race'? What does it mean if Catalans and Welsh share an ancestral gene code. Don't we all? If there is an appreciable difference, does that mean it can be quantifiable? If it's quantifiable, does that imply value? Which then value implies some are better than others? The BBC article troubled me. It seems divisive.

I wonder about blood types - It would make more sense to categorize people based on blood type than skin color or other arbitrary features. If i get donor blood or transfusion from a black guy, does that make me a blood brother or part black too now? Will I have rhythm (cause it's in the blood)? What if I get blood from an Asian? Will my dick shrink and I will be good at math and can't drive? I'm not trying to be offensive, rather I am really pondering the notion and "science/biology" of race. It seems to matter so much in our society. If the answer is no to any of the above, then stereotyping is simply wrong, not based on fact or partially right, but simply wrong.

But then there are certain genetic affects particular to "racial" groups. Tay-Sachs for Jews (who aren't a race), sickle-cell for black Americans, near-sighted ness for Asian Americans, so what gives?

Raveneye, I appreciate your answer but it only created more questions. If there are genetic, that is biological differences, then why isn't race biologically real? It seems to be contradictory to me.

jaco, if race is real how are we able to "interbreed"? Or how is race proven? Does it even matter? Societal behavior would seem to indicate so. Are we not all fruit from the same tree or different trees in the same grove?

04-14-2005, 08:58 PM	#11 (permalink)
jorgelito All important elusive independent swing voter... Location: People's Republic of KKKalifornia	Hmmm...I think I get what you mean but it's still a bit confusing. Back in my day, in school we learned there were three main races: negroid, mongoloid, caucasoid. Then they added a 4th: australoid. In college, we learned that theory was wrong and that race is essentially a social construct based on phenotypes. I was in shock and all my stereotypes were shattered. But it made sense. I felt better. Now I wonder, what's the significance of 'race'? What does it mean if Catalans and Welsh share an ancestral gene code. Don't we all? If there is an appreciable difference, does that mean it can be quantifiable? If it's quantifiable, does that imply value? Which then value implies some are better than others? The BBC article troubled me. It seems divisive. I wonder about blood types - It would make more sense to categorize people based on blood type than skin color or other arbitrary features. If i get donor blood or transfusion from a black guy, does that make me a blood brother or part black too now? Will I have rhythm (cause it's in the blood)? What if I get blood from an Asian? Will my dick shrink and I will be good at math and can't drive? I'm not trying to be offensive, rather I am really pondering the notion and "science/biology" of race. It seems to matter so much in our society. If the answer is no to any of the above, then stereotyping is simply wrong, not based on fact or partially right, but simply wrong. But then there are certain genetic affects particular to "racial" groups. Tay-Sachs for Jews (who aren't a race), sickle-cell for black Americans, near-sighted ness for Asian Americans, so what gives? Raveneye, I appreciate your answer but it only created more questions. If there are genetic, that is biological differences, then why isn't race biologically real? It seems to be contradictory to me. jaco, if race is real how are we able to "interbreed"? Or how is race proven? Does it even matter? Societal behavior would seem to indicate so. Are we not all fruit from the same tree or different trees in the same grove?