Long Paper #1 – Race

As we discussed in class, there are many versions of social construction theory. One point we haven’t discussed is that, unlike biological conception of race, social constructionism usually allows race to take somewhat different forms in different social contexts, and this might help to explain the variations in the ways that different cultures conceive race. In this paper:

(1) Articulate and defend what you take to be the most plausible version of social constructionism as it applies to race. What is the guiding concept of this version: history, culture, politics, or something else? Although you might find elements of more than one of these essential, you need to pick one guiding concept instead of answering “all of the above.” In addition, you need to define this concept in detail, since there are various ways of conceiving the relevance of history, culture, etc. to race. Be specific. Then defend this version of social constructionism: What are its virtues, and why is it preferable to other versions?

(2) Discuss and illustrate the notion that social constructionism is more flexible than biological conceptions of race through an extended analysis of the differences between the manner in which race is conceived in Latin America and in the U.S. Is this a virtue or a shortcoming of social constructionism? Is the U.S. or Latin American conception preferable, or are they each appropriate to their cultural context?

Make sure to thoroughly answer each of the questions above. Write a single, unified essay on this topic, answering the various questions in whatever order you think is most appropriate.

Minimum 6 full pages, maximum 8 pages (number pages and staple); 12 point type; Double-spaced; 1-1.5 inch margins; Separate cover page; No extra spaces, extraneous titles or headers, or anything else intended to make the paper appear longer than it really is. Provide full citations for any quotations or paraphrases.