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Science for the People Magazine Vol. 14, No. 2

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Science for the People Magazine Vol. 14, No. 2 Vel. 14 No.2 $2... Genetics and Race azi Science !Qstory of B8cism Blacks and PSychia~ ScieDce Education are not white and well-educated; they are predominantly black and uneducated. Since 1972, the unemployment rate for people of color has been twice that of their about this issue white counterparts, which leaves the military as one of their few opportunities for paid work. By bitter irony, Discrimination on the basis of race is an American when the US goes to war, black youths are sent to suffer way of life. Historically, we have witnessed the genocide and die, in defense of a system from which they do not of Native Americans, slavery, segregation, KKK lynch­ benefit. ings, and the routine, day-to-day economic exploitation Second, military expenditure goes mainly (80 per­ and oppression of people of color. Today, this deep­ cent) to pay for conventional forces-the troops, tanks seated racism has found expression in the rise of the and ships ready to intervene throughout the world in the New Right, and the policies of the Reagan administra­ protection of "American interests." These interests are tion. the holdings and potential profits of multinational cor­ Racism is useful to Reagan: racial prejudice can be porations, which are looting the third world of its natu­ used to obscure class allegiance. Divide and conquer is ral resources. They demand that such client states as an age-old ploy and, when times are tough, people of Brazil, Argentina, South Korea, and the Phillipines be color are targeted as scapegoats. The New Right has kept "safe for capitalism": Uncle Sam only worries also attacked feminists, welfare recipients, leftists, about human rights in communist countries. single-parent families, gay people, non-Christians and In this context, it seems important to uncover the others. It's alarming that many who are being hurt by history and development of racist ideas, and not least Reaganomics have wrongly put the blame on these the active role of scientists in disseminating and legiti­ groups. mating them. This issue of Science for the People As jobs become harder to find, there is a growing addresses that need. backlash against affirmative action, which is being Two complementary articles reflect on the histori­ labelled as "reverse discrimination." Yet people of cal factors which have favored the appearance of overt­ color still make up a disproportionately large share of ly racist ideologies. domestic help, non-farm laborers, and low-paying ser­ First, Irving Wainer and Walda Fishman sketch a vice jobs, and a disproportionately small share of the theory of the role that changing attitudes towards race white-collar workforce. In fact, a 1981 report by the US have played in the development of US capitalism. It Department of Labor found that, in the professions, the would obviously be impossible, within the scope of a relative proportions of blacks and whites did not change single article, to establish convincingly the connections at all between 1972 and 1980. that they suggest, but we feel that their approach is pro­ The direction of Reagan's economic strategy for mising and important. In publishing this article, our aim the eighties is spelled out in his 1982 budget, which hits is to encourage further work along these lines. hard at minorities and at women. Among the programs Robert Proctor looks in more detail at a specific cut are Aid to Families with Dependent Children, or case: the complicity of scientists and politicians in welfare (cut 12 percent in 1982 compared to 1981), fuel "racial hygiene" programs in Nazi Germany. assistance for those on low incomes (cut 5 percent), The concept of race has been put to political use CETA jobs (cut 60 percent), school lunches (cut 31 per­ since its formulation, with poisonous consequences. But cent), and new public housing (cut 30 percent). Where is it scientifically well-founded? The answer, according his predecessors have paid lip service to the need for fed­ to Richard Lewontin, who presents an analysis of data eral welfare assistance, while not providing adequate on genetic differences between geographically scattered funding in practice, the current President is opposed to groups, is No: race is not a useful descriptive category, the idea in principle. and has no scientific basis. The effect of these massive budget cuts, though, is Turning to the present, we publish an interview not "less government spending" because the $25.4 bil­ with a black psychiatrist about his own and his patients' lion reduction in domestic spending is more than wiped experiences of racism; a report from a college which has out by a $30.3 billion increase in military spending. The had some success in designing programs that don't put overall result is a shift in government spending, from minority students at a disadvantage; and two reviews of those who have little to those who have much but want useful books. more. We hope that this issue of Science for the People is It's no coincidence that money is being funneled into able to bring to the reader what the experience of pro­ defense. Military expenditure, now eating up close to 60 ducing it has given us: a deeper understanding of how percent of every federal tax dollar, aids racism in two racism works, and a renewed resolution to oppose it in ways. First, the "American boys" who fight our wars all its forms, wherever it may appear. 2 Science for the People March/April 1982 Vol. 14 No.2 A HISTORY OF THE CONCEPT OF RACE 6 by Walda Katz Fishman and Irving Wainer How scientific theories have fostered racism. ARE THE RACES DIFFERENT? 10 by Richard Lewontin Does population genetics support the idea of distinct races? FEATURES: NAZI SCIENCE AND MEDICINE 15 by Robert Proctor Doctors and scientists in Germany embraced the Nazi regime. Cover: The photograph is a pic­ ture of a daguerrotype of Jack, a A BLACK PSYCHIATRIST EXAMINES RACISM 21 slave from Guinea who lived on Interviewed by Connie Phillips. the B.F. Taylor Plantation in Co­ An interview with Dr. Alvin Poussaint. lumbia, South Carolina. The da­ guerrotype was taken by J.T. Zealy for Professor Louis SCIENCE EDUCATION: 25 Agassiz in 1850 (for full details see page 8). Copyright President THE HAVERFORD EXPERIMENT and Fellows of Harvard College by Freddye L. Hill 1977. All rights reserved. How a program at Haverford College has helped Third World Back Cover: Photograph copy­ students get ahead in science. right Ellen Shub 1980. About This Issue 2 Book Review 29 DEPARTMENTS: Letters 4 Bad Blood Resources 34 Book Review 30 The Legacy of Malthus: The Social Costs of The New Scientific Racism Science for the People is published Subscription rates (for one year/six Index, P.O. Box 7229, Baltimore, MD bimonthly by the Science Resource Cen­ issues): $12 (regular), $16 (foreign sur­ 21218. Science for the People's ISSN (In­ ter, Inc., a non-profit corporation. The face mail; for air mail add $4 to Latin ternational Standard Serial Number) is: magazine is edited and produced by the America, $6.50 to Europe and $8.50 to 0048-9662. national organization Science for the Asfa and Africa), $24 (institutional/li­ Editorial Committee: (East Coast Collec­ People. Our address is 897 Main St., brary), $25 (member subscription), $15 tive) Beverly Chorbajian, Bernie Gilbert, Cambridge, MA 02139; our phone num­ (for people with low incomes). Member Pat Gilroy, Terri Goldberg, Bob Hodapp, ber is (617) 547-0370. We offer a pro­ subscribers receive the magazine, our Tony larrobino, Andy Oien, Richard gressive view of science and technology, newsletter and other internal communi­ Rosen. Production Committee: Joe covering a broad range of issues. We cations. Foreign subscribers must remit Alper, Jon Beckwith, Bertram Bruce, welcome contributions of all kinds; ar­ in $U.S. with either an International Tom Bularzik, Steve Carlip, Lorriana ticles, letters, book reviews, artwork, car­ Money Order or a check drawn on a U.S. Castellani, Beverly Chorbajian, Dennis toons, ·new~ notes, etc. If possible, bank. Del Donno, Eric Entemann, Ross Feld­ please type manuscripts (double spaced) Bookstores may order on consign­ berg, Julie Gabaldon, Bernie Gilbert, and send three copies. Be sure to keep ment directly from Science for the Peo­ Adam Glenn, Terri Goldberg, Connie one copy for yourself. Unless otherwise ple or through Carrier Pigeon Distrib­ Phillips, Sam Pilato, Rich Rosen, George stated, all material in this magazine is utors, P.O. Box 2783, Boston, MA 02208. Salzman, Virginia Schaefer, Sue Tafler, copyright 1981 by Science for the Peo­ The magazine is available on microfilm Ray Valdes, Linda Ziedrich. Distribution ple. Typesetting at the mediaplace, 10 from Xerox Microfilms, 300 North Zeeb Committee: Alan Epstein, Jim Flowers, West St., Boston, MA 02111. (617) Rd., Ann Arbor, Ml48109. Science for the Chris Hydeman, Robert Rotstein, 542-5351. People is indexed in Alternative Press Virginia Schaefer, Ray Valdes, Clem Wang, Glenn Wargo. Staff: Faye Brown, Terri Goldberg. March/Apri/1982 3 diverse industries as integrated circuit or • The semiconductor industry, using letters metalworking manufacturers, reveals the threat of the Japanese lead in auto­ that capitalist planners are extremely ex­ mated factories, is preparing through its plicit about the economic, political and trade associations for the future of auto­ GIRLS AND MATH ABILITY ideological goals and effects of CAD/ mated factories. Committees have been CAM based production. Such prepara­ established to coordinate and stand­ DearSftP: tion on the part of the capitalist class de­ ardize the development of CAD/CAM I want to thank you for the excellent mands a response from workers and equipment so that equipment manufac­ article ("Girls, Boys and Math" SftP, their allies.
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