Question

Lucy is learning about social constructs in her sociology class. Based on the lectures that she has been exposed to throughout the semester, Lucy has concluded that race is a social construct. Why would Lucy make this conclusion?

Answer 1

Lucy would conclude that race is a social construct based on the understanding that it is not a scientifically defined concept, but rather a social construction created by society.

Step-by-step explanation:

Lucy would conclude that race is a social construct based on the understanding that race is not a scientifically defined concept, but rather a social construction created by society. This means that race is not based on inherent biological differences, but rather on societal factors such as culture, history, and power dynamics. For example, different societies categorize and define races differently, and these categories can change over time.

Lucy's conclusion aligns with the perspectives of social science organizations such as the American Association of Anthropologists, the American Sociological Association, and the American Psychological Association. These organizations reject biological explanations of race and emphasize the social construction of race. They argue that previous racial categories were arbitrarily assigned and used to justify racist practices.

Understanding race as a social construct helps to recognize and address racial inequalities that exist in societies, as it acknowledges the impact of social factors on the experiences and opportunities of different racial groups.

Answer 2

The meaning of race has been changed with time and societies. Race is the categorization of the human groups on the basis of common physical or social qualities. Though first, it used to denote the speakers of a common language later it is related to distinct nationalities. We have noticed that in seventeenth-century it has changed its meaning towards physical traits. However modern researchers have explained that it does not have biological or physical meaning but it is a social construction of identity assigned based on identity. Lucky made a similar conclusion because she is studying social construct and therefore relate it the term race.