Anthropology Human Variation
Race, Biology, and History
To help you prepare for the discussion in section next week, be sure you have read the readings that are starred in the syllabus — Marks (1995) chapters 1 and 3, Morning (2008), and Beinart (2013), all in the course reader. It would also be helpful for you to think about episode of Race: The Power of an Illusion that you watched. (If you missed section this week, you can find the film on You Tube.) Consider the following question, and write a ¾ – 1 page response, which you will turn in at the beginning of your discussion section next week. Your response should be typed and double-spaced, with 1 inch margins and 12 point font.
How and why have ideas of race changed over time? Discuss one or two changes that have occurred, and consider what social and scientific factors influenced those changes.
A note about the reading response assignments: Each of your reading responses will be worth 1% of your total class grade. Reading responses will be graded based on the thought and effort put into the assignment. These assignments should not take very long, but we will be able to tell if you did not think much about your response and wrote it in a rush (and you will lose points in those cases!). Be sure to proofread your writing (use complete sentences and correct spelling/grammar). These assignments will give you the opportunity to reflect on the course material before your discussion section and receive some informal feedback on your writing and ideas.
