Hello to all. I just wanted to review and give my own thoughts about "What is race?" base on Dr. Kesrsor's lecture in class. I agree with most of what he stated, but I also have to disagree with one or two of his points.
1) I do agree that race is real. You can't walk around in today's world without seeing or thinking about race, it's just not realistic or practical. We as individuals and as college students are confronted with this idea everyday, there are international students on this campus. There is also a gowning number of minorities no only on the campus of SUNY Fredonia but in the neighboring towns of Dunkirk and village of Fredonia.
2) Race is important. I once again agree with Dr. Kesrsor, race is important in today's society for different reasons, and the importance of race as different means to different types of people. It could help someone deal with their own identity as well as accepting the past of their family. Several questions get answered, for example: Who they are? Where do they come from? Where does this part of me comes from? These questions and others just like it are very common for many people to not only think about in college but for their whole life's. They feel that cant move forward without knowing where they have been or come from, in a sense.
But here is where I differ from Dr. Kesrsor's theory about race. It is true that race is biological. Your DNA is in you. DNA is your genetic make-up; of who you are, what you look like and what you are going to pass on to your children. But I don't think he is giving enough credit to an individuals environment. There are millions of children adopted everyday day all over the world, and many of them have parents from another race. Those children usually grow up with the knowledge and culture of their adopted parents. Another point about how your environment affects you more than your genes is : depending on where and how you grow up a specific trait or characteristic will be more present than another.
Just one criticism or concern i have with his theory. This may come out wrong or seem judgmental, and for that I am sorry. Does it feel like this theory is just a factual way to defend racism? Because i remembered in class someone ask "Even if all this is true, what can you use it for? What is the point?" Dr. Kesrsor's answer was it will help you make a quick decide about someone, in relation to them affecting your life. The example was choosing a lab partner. You would want to chose the student who was Asian because biologically they are smarter than American students. To me It just seems like it was a better way to say racism isn't that bad when it comes to how an individual can affects your life.
Any thoughts?
2) Race is important. I once again agree with Dr. Kesrsor, race is important in today's society for different reasons, and the importance of race as different means to different types of people. It could help someone deal with their own identity as well as accepting the past of their family. Several questions get answered, for example: Who they are? Where do they come from? Where does this part of me comes from? These questions and others just like it are very common for many people to not only think about in college but for their whole life's. They feel that cant move forward without knowing where they have been or come from, in a sense.
But here is where I differ from Dr. Kesrsor's theory about race. It is true that race is biological. Your DNA is in you. DNA is your genetic make-up; of who you are, what you look like and what you are going to pass on to your children. But I don't think he is giving enough credit to an individuals environment. There are millions of children adopted everyday day all over the world, and many of them have parents from another race. Those children usually grow up with the knowledge and culture of their adopted parents. Another point about how your environment affects you more than your genes is : depending on where and how you grow up a specific trait or characteristic will be more present than another.
Just one criticism or concern i have with his theory. This may come out wrong or seem judgmental, and for that I am sorry. Does it feel like this theory is just a factual way to defend racism? Because i remembered in class someone ask "Even if all this is true, what can you use it for? What is the point?" Dr. Kesrsor's answer was it will help you make a quick decide about someone, in relation to them affecting your life. The example was choosing a lab partner. You would want to chose the student who was Asian because biologically they are smarter than American students. To me It just seems like it was a better way to say racism isn't that bad when it comes to how an individual can affects your life.
Any thoughts?
1 comment:
ax, Professor Kershnar has a lot you might want to respond to over at Objectivist v. Constructivist v. Theist! btw, how'd you get the funky blue font to appear?
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