Racial Eliminativism and Racial Formation Theory

In week two we learned that "race" lacks the kind of biological basis that many of its early proponents (and even some people today) believed it had. Yet, unlike other concepts whose lack of scientific reality have relegated them to the dustbin of history (e.g., "phlogiston" or "sorcery"), exposing the lack of biological support for the concept of "race" has done little to eliminate its material and everyday effects. This suggests either that more needs to be done to educate the public about the nonexistence of “race” or that we should accept that "race" is not (and perhaps never has been) a natural category. Instead, "race" is a concept more akin to those like "money" or "gender," which are called social constructions. This week we will explore both possibilities. We will look at racial eliminativist positions which argue that "race" purports to be a natural category, so it makes no sense (and in fact it is potentially confusing) to speak of it as a social construction. According to the racial eliminativist, if there are no natural divisions among humans that fit the concept of "race" then we should stop using this terminology altogether because it is dangerous stuff. However, if it turns out that "race" is instead a social construction, then we need a story as to how it came into existence and why it continues to shape our lives. The social constructivist story we will look at this week is known as racial formation theory.

Required Readings:

Oct 10th (Tuesday): Naomi Zack: "Philosophical Aspects of the AAA Statement on Race" (2001)

Oct 12th (Thursday): Michael Omi and Howard Winant: "The Theory of Racial Formation" (2015)

Required Viewing: Race: The Power of an Illusion: “The House We Live In” (Episode 3)

Oct 10th (Tuesday):

Supplemental Readings: These readings are optional but are strongly recommended for grad students.

Richard Lewontin: "The Apportionment of Human Diversity" (1972)

American Anthropological Association: "AAA Statement on Race” (1998)

Ernst Mayr: "The Biology of Race and the Concept of Equality" (2002)

A.W.F. Edwards: "Human Genetic Diversity: Lewontin’s Fallacy" (2003)

Oct 12th (thursday): Racial Population Naturalism