How Real Is Race?

A Sourcebook on Race, Culture, and Biology

By (author) Carol C. Mukhopadhyay, Rosemary Henze, Yolanda T. Moses

Not available to order

Publication date:

11 December 2013

Length of book:

362 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

ISBN-13: 9780759122741

How real is race? What is biological fact, what is fiction, and where does culture enter? What do we mean by a “colorblind” or “postracial” society, or when we say that race is a “social construction”? If race is an invention, can we eliminate it? This book, now in its second edition, employs an activity-oriented approach to address these questions and engage readers in unraveling—and rethinking—the contradictory messages we so often hear about race.

The authors systematically cover the myth of race as biology and the reality of race as a cultural invention, drawing on biocultural and cross-cultural perspectives. They then extend the discussion to hot-button issues that arise in tandem with the concept of race, such as educational inequalities; slurs and racialized labels; and interracial relationships. In so doing, they shed light on the intricate, dynamic interplay among race, culture, and biology.

For an online supplement to How Real Is Race? Second Edition, click here.

Foreword by James A. Banks
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Part 1: The Fallacy of Race as Biology
Introduction to Part 1
1 Why Contemporary Races Are Not Scientifically Valid
2 Human Biological Variation: What We Don’t See
3 If Not Race, How Do We Explain Biological Differences?
4 More Alike Than Different, More Different Than Alike
Part 2: Culture Creates Race
Introduction to Part 2
5 Culture Shapes How We Experience Reality
6 Culture and Classification: Race Is Culturally Real
7 Race and Inequality: Race as a Social Invention to Achieve Certain Goals
8 Cross-Cultural Overview of Race
9 If Race Doesn’t Exist, What Are We Seeing? Sex, Mating, and Race
Part 3: Race and Hot-Button Issues in Schools
Introduction to Part 3
10 When is it racism? Who is a racist?
11 The Academic Achievement Gap and Equity
12 Assemblies, Clubs, Slurs, and Racial Labels
13 Interracial Flirting and Dating in Schools
Part 4: Resources
References
Key Websites (Annotated)
List of Activities
Index
About the Authors
Endorsements

An invaluable resource for educators who seek to make sense of the complex issues surrounding race and ethnicity in America today. For those who are afraid to touch the subject but understand that the issue is too important to ignore, this book provides useful insights on how to understand and respond to racial issues as they arise in the classroom and beyond.