ANT 225 - Biological Determinism and the Myth of Race

4 credits

We will critically assess biological determinism—explanations often invoked groundlessly—in relation to race, war, gender and sex, and economic inequality. Through the lens of biological anthropology, we will explore conflicting theories of “human nature,” the American eugenics movement, “medical apartheid,” modern “scientific” racism and sexism, environmental inequality, and the origin of the concept of race. Questions include, is inequality natural? Is xenophobia evolutionarily adaptive? Notwithstanding the absence of biological races in humans, how has pervasive inequality and racism been embodied by leaving measurable biological effects on members of racialized groups?

Prerequisite: ANT 104.
Instructor: Marshack