Understanding the Term Race in Modern Times Essay Example

and race, both are relationally tied to one another across the unstable medium of communities (Haney-Lopez 6).” Being born, raised, and educated as in a community, a person cannot reject the impact of the latter on the process of formation of their self-identity. For instance, a child born in the USA whose grandparents came from Africa is more likely to share the values and interests of the “white” society rather than those of the African one: they celebrate American holidays, listen to American music, follow the latest fashion trends, and think within the realia’s of American life.

Perhaps, the most famous example of a person whose genetic background does not impact her perception of her race is Meghan Markle. Being a daughter of an Irish man and an African American woman, Megan can hardly be identified as a representative of the black race. In the context of the following discussion, in the nature vs. nurture opposition, nurture turns out to be more important. Moreover, in some communities, people’s racial identity depends on their social position.

In other words, those who have more money are automatically regarded as white people, while those who live in poverty, no matter how dark or fair their skin is, are the blacks. Summing up, according to the latest researches, the biological approach to the understanding of the concept of race is irrelevant. Color skin cannot be viewed as a reliable identifier of a person’s racial bracket. In contrast to it, modern scholars emphasize that, nowadays, it is essential to consider this problem from a more complex perspective.

They view race as a social construction that is based on a person’s self-identity and cultural

background. In fact, such an approach gives people a chance to choose on their own whom they want to be and what racial community to join.