How Real Is Race?
A Sourcebook on Race, Culture, and Biology
By (author) Carol C. Mukhopadhyay, Rosemary Henze Linguistics and Language Development, San José State University, Yolanda T. Moses
Publication date:
16 December 2013Length of book:
362 pagesPublisher
Rowman & Littlefield PublishersDimensions:
238x159mm6x9"
ISBN-13: 9780759122727
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.
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.
This book offers educators at all levels a valuable biocultural perspective on race and diversity, and can serve as a resource to enhance curriculum and pedagogy. Distinguished by its biocultural approach integrating race-related research and scholarship from biological, cultural, linguistic, and archaeological perspectives, it is intended for educators at precollege and college levels, especially for teacher education courses, and can serve as a general sourcebook for cultural diversity workshops. It is also appropriate for any reader seeking a better understanding of the concept of race and human variation. New to this edition (1st ed., 2007) is a greater emphasis on how racial identities are dynamic, negotiated, and culturally defined. The book is organized in four sections. The first questions whether racial classification is biologically valid. The second explores the concept of race as a social construct, and the third uses everyday realities of school and college to explore the way racial ideologies operate in educational settings from both student and educator perspectives. The final section presents practical applications for educators, providing a list of references, website resources, and examples of suggested activities relating to topics covered in the book. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries.