Is race a social construct?: Difference between revisions

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~~== Question ==~~

'''Overview'''

~~Is race~~ a social construct?

Whether “race” is best understood as a social construct or a biological reality depends on which aspect of the term one is examining. Most population geneticists agree that (a) human genetic variation is structured and (b) the racial labels used in everyday life only coarsely map onto that structure. Social scientists emphasize the second point, biologists often emphasize the first, and the public debate usually conflates the two.

~~What are~~ the ~~arguments for~~ and ~~against race being a social construct?~~

~~== Sources ==~~

'''Historical origin of the social-construct view'''

* ~~https://www~~.~~aporiamagazine~~.~~com/p/~~the~~-case-for-~~race~~-realism~~

* After World War II UNESCO promoted the idea that races are political inventions that should be replaced by the language of “populations” and “ethnic groups.” This campaign deliberately de-emphasised biology in order to delegitimise scientific racism [3].

* https://thewikle.com/images/b/bd/AI_recognition_of_patient_race_in_medical_imaging_%282022%29.~~pdf~~

* Philosophers of biology later formalised this stance, arguing that because within-group genetic diversity is high and the boundaries between continental groups are fuzzy, race is “biologically meaningless” even if it is socially powerful [5].

~~== Answer from Wikle ==~~

'''Genetic structure that motivates “race realism”'''

~~According to the sources provided, there are differing perspectives on whether race is a social construct.~~

~~The article from Aporia Magazine, "The Case for Race Realism", implies~~ that ~~race is not purely~~ a ~~social construct~~. ~~The author argues~~ that ~~there~~ are ~~biological differences between racial groups that can't~~ be ~~ignored~~, ~~such as genetic variations. This perspective~~ is ~~known as~~ race ~~realism~~, ~~which posits that races are fundamentally different in terms of genetics and biology. It notes~~ that there are ~~significant health disparities between different racial groups that can be attributed to~~ biological ~~differences, which can't be explained solely by socio-economic factors or discrimination~~.

* Large-scale genotyping projects consistently find that a modest number of genetic markers can classify individuals into clusters that mirror continental ancestry with high accuracy. A. W. F. Edwards showed that considering many loci at once overturns Lewontin’s classic 1972 statistic and makes such classification feasible [6].

* David Reich notes that these ancestry clusters are reproducible, predict some disease risks, and therefore cannot be dismissed out of hand [4].

* Even AI systems trained on X-ray and MRI data, where race is not visually obvious, can infer a patient’s self-identified race far above chance, implying that there are correlated biological signals beyond skin colour alone [2].

~~On the other hand, the paper titled "AI recognition~~ of patient race in medical imaging" suggests that race is a social construct. The authors argue that race as a biological concept is problematic because it can lead to racial bias in healthcare. They state that race is often used as a proxy for genetic ancestry in medicine, but this can be misleading as there is more genetic diversity within racial groups than between them. They argue that it would be more accurate and less biased to focus on specific genetic variations rather than broad racial categories.

'''Points of agreement among many scholars'''

~~So, there are arguments both for and against the idea of race being a social construct. Those arguing for it being a social construct often point to the fact that there~~ is ~~more~~ genetic ~~diversity within~~ racial ~~groups than between them~~, and ~~that dividing people into racial categories~~ can ~~lead to discrimination~~ and ~~bias. Those arguing against it being a social construct~~, ~~or race realists, point to~~ biological differences ~~between racial groups that can have real-world effects, such as health disparities~~.

* Human variation is clinal: genetic differences change gradually across geography rather than jumping at national or folk-racial borders.

* Social racial categories (e.g., “Black,” “White,” “Asian”) capture only a subset of this variation and vary across countries and historical periods.

* Genetic ancestry can be medically and forensically informative, so blanket rejection of biological differences is not warranted.

~~Given~~ the ~~conflicting views~~, it'~~s essential~~ to ~~note~~ that the ~~concept of~~ race and ~~its implications are complex~~ and ~~multifaceted~~, ~~influenced by not only biology but also culture~~, ~~history~~, and ~~socio~~-~~economic factors~~.

'''Where authors in the source set disagree'''

* Race realists (e.g., Aporia essay, Edwards, Reich) stress that if clusters can be identified objectively and have predictive value, race is at least partly biological [1 6 4].

* Social-constructionists (e.g., Kaplan & Winther, UNESCO historians, Ars Technica) counter that the clusters do not map cleanly onto folk terms and that emphasising them risks reifying arbitrary categories [5 3 11].

* Razib Khan and other “it’s complicated” writers argue that both positions, when stated as absolutes, over-simplify: ancestry clusters are real, yet the choice to call them “races” is a cultural decision [7].

'''Public-discourse dynamics'''

* Commentators complain that US debate rewards moral signaling over empirical nuance, leading to professional costs for biologists who discuss population differences candidly [10].

* Activists and some journalists describe any acknowledgement of genetic structure as a backdoor to racism, while bloggers on the opposite side accuse mainstream outlets of censorship [8 1].

* The result is a conformity/fragmentation cycle: discussion retreats to specialist journals, pay-walled newsletters, or polemical blogs, widening the gap between expert knowledge and public perception [10 7].

'''Conclusion'''

Race is simultaneously (1) a set of socially defined labels that shift across time and place and (2) an imperfect proxy for patterns of human genetic variation. Saying “race is only a social construct” ignores measurable biological structure; saying “race is purely biological” ignores the contingent, historically specific way societies draw their racial lines. Most contemporary scholars therefore treat race as a socio-biological hybrid: useful for some practical purposes, misleading for others, and always requiring clear definition in context.

'''Sources'''

# “The Case for Race Realism,” Aporia Magazine.

# Banerjee et al. “AI Recognition of Patient Race in Medical Imaging” (2022 pre-print).

# “Changing the Concept of Race: On UNESCO and Cultural Internationalism” (2020).

# David Reich, “How Genetics Is Changing Our Understanding of ‘Race’,” The New York Times (2018).

# Kaplan & Winther, “Race: A Social Destruction of a Biological Concept,” Biology & Philosophy (2009).

# A. W. F. Edwards, “Lewontin’s Fallacy” (2003).

# Razib Khan, “Current Status: It’s Complicated” (Unsupervised Learning newsletter).

# UCSC Science & Justice, “Developing: Debate on ‘Race’ and Genomics” (2019).

# Armand M. Leroi, “A Family Tree in Every Gene,” The New York Times (2005).

# Yascha Mounk, “Discourse on Race Has a Conformity Problem,” Persuasion (2020).

# Ars Technica, “Trump ‘Annoyed’ the Smithsonian Isn’t Promoting Discredited Racial Ideas” (2025).

== Suggested Sources ==

# [https://www.aporiamagazine.com/p/the-case-for-race-realism The Case for Race Realism – ''Aporia Magazine''] (Opinion / Essay)

# [https://www.thewikle.com/resources/AI_recognition_of_patient_race_in_medical_imaging_%282022%29.pdf “AI Recognition of Patient Race in Medical Imaging”] (2022 pre-print PDF; Empirical research)

# [https://www.persuasion.community/p/discourse-on-race-has-a-conformity Discourse on Race Has a Conformity Problem – ''Persuasion''] (Opinion / Essay)

# [https://www.thewikle.com/resources/Changing_the_concept_of_race_-_On_UNESCO_and_cultural_internationalism_%282020%29.pdf Changing the Concept of Race: On UNESCO and Cultural Internationalism] (Historical scholarship)

# [https://www.unz.com/isteve/david-reich-how-to-talk-about-race-and-genetics/ David Reich: How to Talk About “Race” and Genetics – ''iSteve''] (Blog commentary)

# [https://scijust.ucsc.edu/2019/05/30/developing-debate-on-race-and-genomics/ Developing: Debate on “Race” and Genomics – UCSC Science & Justice] (Research commentary / Blog post)

# [https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/02/opinion/genes-race.html How Genetics Is Changing Our Understanding of “Race” – ''The New York Times''] (Opinion / Op-Ed)

# [https://quillette.com/2017/06/11/no-voice-vox-sense-nonsense-discussing-iq-race/ No Voice at Vox: Sense and Nonsense About Discussing IQ and Race – ''Quillette''] (Opinion / Essay)

# [https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10539-009-9193-7 Race: A Social Destruction of a Biological Concept – ''Biology & Philosophy''] (Peer-reviewed journal article)

# [https://www.thewikle.com/resources/Edwards2003-LewontinFallacy.pdf Lewontin’s Fallacy – A. W. F. Edwards (2003)] (Peer-reviewed article)

# [https://www.razibkhan.com/p/current-status-its-complicated Current Status: It’s Complicated – ''Razib Khan’s Unsupervised Learning''] (Newsletter essay / Blog post)

# [https://www.politico.com/story/2013/08/opinion-jason-richwine-095353 Why Can’t We Talk About IQ? – ''Politico''] (Opinion / Op-Ed)

# [https://www.stevesailer.net/p/latest-rationalization-race-doesnt Latest Rationalization: Race Doesn’t Exist, But Subraces Do – ''Steve Sailer Blog''] (Blog commentary)

# [https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/03/trump-annoyed-the-smithsonian-isnt-promoting-discredited-racial-ideas/ Trump “Annoyed” the Smithsonian Isn’t Promoting Discredited Racial Ideas – ''Ars Technica''] (News article)

# https://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/14/opinion/a-family-tree-in-every-gene.html

# https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-59351-8

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-== Question ==
+'''Overview'''
-Is race a social construct?
+Whether “race” is best understood as a social construct or a biological reality depends on which aspect of the term one is examining.  Most population geneticists agree that (a) human genetic variation is structured and (b) the racial labels used in everyday life only coarsely map onto that structure.  Social scientists emphasize the second point, biologists often emphasize the first, and the public debate usually conflates the two.
-What are the arguments for and against race being a social construct?
-== Sources ==
+'''Historical origin of the social-construct view'''
-* https://www.aporiamagazine.com/p/the-case-for-race-realism
+*  After World War II UNESCO promoted the idea that races are political inventions that should be replaced by the language of “populations” and “ethnic groups.”  This campaign deliberately de-emphasised biology in order to delegitimise scientific racism [3].
-* https://thewikle.com/images/b/bd/AI_recognition_of_patient_race_in_medical_imaging_%282022%29.pdf
+*  Philosophers of biology later formalised this stance, arguing that because within-group genetic diversity is high and the boundaries between continental groups are fuzzy, race is “biologically meaningless” even if it is socially powerful [5].
-== Answer from Wikle ==
+'''Genetic structure that motivates “race realism”'''
-According to the sources provided, there are differing perspectives on whether race is a social construct.
-The article from Aporia Magazine, "The Case for Race Realism", implies that race is not purely a social construct. The author argues that there are biological differences between racial groups that can't be ignored, such as genetic variations. This perspective is known as race realism, which posits that races are fundamentally different in terms of genetics and biology. It notes that there are significant health disparities between different racial groups that can be attributed to biological differences, which can't be explained solely by socio-economic factors or discrimination.
+*  Large-scale genotyping projects consistently find that a modest number of genetic markers can classify individuals into clusters that mirror continental ancestry with high accuracy.  A. W. F. Edwards showed that considering many loci at once overturns Lewontin’s classic 1972 statistic and makes such classification feasible [6].
+*  David Reich notes that these ancestry clusters are reproducible, predict some disease risks, and therefore cannot be dismissed out of hand [4].
+*  Even AI systems trained on X-ray and MRI data, where race is not visually obvious, can infer a patient’s self-identified race far above chance, implying that there are correlated biological signals beyond skin colour alone [2].
-On the other hand, the paper titled "AI recognition of patient race in medical imaging" suggests that race is a social construct. The authors argue that race as a biological concept is problematic because it can lead to racial bias in healthcare. They state that race is often used as a proxy for genetic ancestry in medicine, but this can be misleading as there is more genetic diversity within racial groups than between them. They argue that it would be more accurate and less biased to focus on specific genetic variations rather than broad racial categories.
+'''Points of agreement among many scholars'''
-So, there are arguments both for and against the idea of race being a social construct. Those arguing for it being a social construct often point to the fact that there is more genetic diversity within racial groups than between them, and that dividing people into racial categories can lead to discrimination and bias. Those arguing against it being a social construct, or race realists, point to biological differences between racial groups that can have real-world effects, such as health disparities.
+*  Human variation is clinal: genetic differences change gradually across geography rather than jumping at national or folk-racial borders.
+*  Social racial categories (e.g., “Black,” “White,” “Asian”) capture only a subset of this variation and vary across countries and historical periods.
+*  Genetic ancestry can be medically and forensically informative, so blanket rejection of biological differences is not warranted.
-Given the conflicting views, it's essential to note that the concept of race and its implications are complex and multifaceted, influenced by not only biology but also culture, history, and socio-economic factors.
+'''Where authors in the source set disagree'''
+*  Race realists (e.g., Aporia essay, Edwards, Reich) stress that if clusters can be identified objectively and have predictive value, race is at least partly biological [1 6 4].
+*  Social-constructionists (e.g., Kaplan & Winther, UNESCO historians, Ars Technica) counter that the clusters do not map cleanly onto folk terms and that emphasising them risks reifying arbitrary categories [5 3 11].
+*  Razib Khan and other “it’s complicated” writers argue that both positions, when stated as absolutes, over-simplify: ancestry clusters are real, yet the choice to call them “races” is a cultural decision [7].
+'''Public-discourse dynamics'''
+*  Commentators complain that US debate rewards moral signaling over empirical nuance, leading to professional costs for biologists who discuss population differences candidly [10].
+*  Activists and some journalists describe any acknowledgement of genetic structure as a backdoor to racism, while bloggers on the opposite side accuse mainstream outlets of censorship [8 1].
+*  The result is a conformity/fragmentation cycle: discussion retreats to specialist journals, pay-walled newsletters, or polemical blogs, widening the gap between expert knowledge and public perception [10 7].
+'''Conclusion'''
+Race is simultaneously (1) a set of socially defined labels that shift across time and place and (2) an imperfect proxy for patterns of human genetic variation.  Saying “race is only a social construct” ignores measurable biological structure; saying “race is purely biological” ignores the contingent, historically specific way societies draw their racial lines.  Most contemporary scholars therefore treat race as a socio-biological hybrid: useful for some practical purposes, misleading for others, and always requiring clear definition in context.
+'''Sources'''
+# “The Case for Race Realism,” Aporia Magazine.
+# Banerjee et al. “AI Recognition of Patient Race in Medical Imaging” (2022 pre-print).
+# “Changing the Concept of Race: On UNESCO and Cultural Internationalism” (2020).
+# David Reich, “How Genetics Is Changing Our Understanding of ‘Race’,” The New York Times (2018).
+# Kaplan & Winther, “Race: A Social Destruction of a Biological Concept,” Biology & Philosophy (2009).
+# A. W. F. Edwards, “Lewontin’s Fallacy” (2003).
+# Razib Khan, “Current Status: It’s Complicated” (Unsupervised Learning newsletter).
+# UCSC Science & Justice, “Developing: Debate on ‘Race’ and Genomics” (2019).
+# Armand M. Leroi, “A Family Tree in Every Gene,” The New York Times (2005).
+# Yascha Mounk, “Discourse on Race Has a Conformity Problem,” Persuasion (2020).
+# Ars Technica, “Trump ‘Annoyed’ the Smithsonian Isn’t Promoting Discredited Racial Ideas” (2025).
+== Suggested Sources ==
+# [https://www.aporiamagazine.com/p/the-case-for-race-realism The Case for Race Realism – ''Aporia Magazine''] (Opinion / Essay)
+# [https://www.thewikle.com/resources/AI_recognition_of_patient_race_in_medical_imaging_%282022%29.pdf “AI Recognition of Patient Race in Medical Imaging”] (2022 pre-print PDF; Empirical research)
+# [https://www.persuasion.community/p/discourse-on-race-has-a-conformity Discourse on Race Has a Conformity Problem – ''Persuasion''] (Opinion / Essay)
+# [https://www.thewikle.com/resources/Changing_the_concept_of_race_-_On_UNESCO_and_cultural_internationalism_%282020%29.pdf Changing the Concept of Race: On UNESCO and Cultural Internationalism] (Historical scholarship)
+# [https://www.unz.com/isteve/david-reich-how-to-talk-about-race-and-genetics/ David Reich: How to Talk About “Race” and Genetics – ''iSteve''] (Blog commentary)
+# [https://scijust.ucsc.edu/2019/05/30/developing-debate-on-race-and-genomics/ Developing: Debate on “Race” and Genomics – UCSC Science & Justice] (Research commentary / Blog post)
+# [https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/02/opinion/genes-race.html How Genetics Is Changing Our Understanding of “Race” – ''The New York Times''] (Opinion / Op-Ed)
+# [https://quillette.com/2017/06/11/no-voice-vox-sense-nonsense-discussing-iq-race/ No Voice at Vox: Sense and Nonsense About Discussing IQ and Race – ''Quillette''] (Opinion / Essay)
+# [https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10539-009-9193-7 Race: A Social Destruction of a Biological Concept – ''Biology & Philosophy''] (Peer-reviewed journal article)
+# [https://www.thewikle.com/resources/Edwards2003-LewontinFallacy.pdf Lewontin’s Fallacy – A. W. F. Edwards (2003)] (Peer-reviewed article)
+# [https://www.razibkhan.com/p/current-status-its-complicated Current Status: It’s Complicated – ''Razib Khan’s Unsupervised Learning''] (Newsletter essay / Blog post)
+# [https://www.politico.com/story/2013/08/opinion-jason-richwine-095353 Why Can’t We Talk About IQ? – ''Politico''] (Opinion / Op-Ed)
+# [https://www.stevesailer.net/p/latest-rationalization-race-doesnt Latest Rationalization: Race Doesn’t Exist, But Subraces Do – ''Steve Sailer Blog''] (Blog commentary)
+# [https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/03/trump-annoyed-the-smithsonian-isnt-promoting-discredited-racial-ideas/ Trump “Annoyed” the Smithsonian Isn’t Promoting Discredited Racial Ideas – ''Ars Technica''] (News article)
+# https://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/14/opinion/a-family-tree-in-every-gene.html
+# https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-59351-8