Race Race, the idea that the human species is divided into distinct groups on the basis of inherited physical and behavioral differences. Genetic studies in the late 20th century refuted the existence of biogenetically distinct races, and scholars now argue that “races” are cultural interventions reflecting specific attitudes and beliefs that were imposed on different populations in the wake of western European conquests beginning in the 15th century. It is clear that even though race does not have a biological meaning, it does have a social meaning which has been legally constructed. Biological Construction As scientists who study human evolution and variation, we believe that we have an obligation to share with other scientists and the general public our current understanding of the structure of human variation from a biological perspective. Popular conceptualizations of race are derived from 19th and early 20th century scientific formulations. These old racial categories were based on externally visible traits, primarily skin color, features of the face, and the shape and size of the head and body, and the underlying skeleton. They were often imbued with nonbiological attributes, based on social constructions of race. These categories of race are rooted in the scientific traditions of the 19th century, and in even earlier philosophical traditions which presumed that immutable visible traits can predict the measure of all other traits in an individual or a population. Such notions have often been used to support racist doctrines. Yet old racial concepts persist as social conventions that foster institutional discrimination. The expression of prejudice may or may not undermine material well-being, but it does involve the mistreatment of people and thus it often is psychologically distressing and socially damaging. Scientists should try to keep the results of their research from being used in a biased way that would serve discriminatory ends. Estimating our ancestral composition down to 0.1% seem to suggest that there are exact, categorical divisions between human populations. But reality is far less simple. Compared to the general public’s enthusiasm for ancestry testing, the reaction from scientists has been considerably more lukewarm. Research indicates that the concept of “five races” does, to an extent, describe the way human populations are distributed among the continents—but the lines between races are much more blurred than ancestry testing companies would have us believe Social Construction A dominant view about races today is the so called “social constructionist” view. Social constructionists propose that the concept of race—i.e., the belief that a classification based on skin color and other skin-deep properties like body shape or hair style maps onto meaningful, important biological kinds—is a pseudo-biological concept that has been used to justify and rationalize the unequal treatment of groups of people by others. Social constructionism became prevalent mainly because from the 1970s on, it has been widely recognized that the biological concept of subspecies, that is, of populations of conspecifics that are genetically and morpho- logically different from each other, could not be applied to humans. For one thing, it has been shown that there is more genetic variability within human racial groups than between them. Moreover, assigning an individual to a race does not buy the inferential power one is usually warranted to expect from a biological kind term. Finally, classifications based on different phenotypic traits (skin color, body shape, hair, etc.) usually cross-cut each other. Thus, the racialist tenet that skin color and other skin-deep properties pick up different biological groups has been assumed to be false. Biology has thus fuelled the recent racial skepticism of social constructionists, that is, the view that races do not exist. But social constructionists about race are not mere skeptics. They usually underscore the instability and diversity of human beings’ concepts of races. For instance, Omi and Winant note that an “effort must be made to understand race as an unstable and ‘decentered’ complex of social meanings constantly being transformed by political struggle”. The Basic Races of Humanity ~Caucasoid ~Mongoloid ~Negroid ~Australoid along with their various sub-races (as a result of biological interaction of people belonging to different races) that can be seen on Earth at present. The evolution of different human races is as old as the evolution of humanity as theorized by Charles Darwin. According to recent researches in the field of anthropology regarding the origin of mankind, it has been suggested that the human race may be older than originally thought. The following four races are the chief distinct classifications of humans based upon genetics and anthropology. However, we can see many sub-races as a result of matrimonial and reproductive interaction between people belonging to different races. Caucasoid The word 'Caucasian' comes from 'Kavkas', who is believed, according to ancient legends, to be the forefather of the Vainakh-speaking people (the Chechens, Ingush and Georgian Kist people), all of whom trace their ethnic origins to the Caucasus mountains, mainly along the North and South Caucasus regions. In essence, it means that either 'Kavkas' could have come from 'Caucasus' or vice versa.

The Caucasian race and all its sub races are characterized by light skin color ranging from white to dark wheatish, straightish to wavy hair with color ranging from flaxen to brownish to dark ebony, prominent eyes, pronounced and well-shaped nose and sharp features, medium built and average to stocky musculature. Owing to the very cold conditions of the place of its origin, the Caucasian race has light and sparse skin pigmentation and, as a result, they are not very well suited to living in very hot equatorial climates and are ill-suited to remain exposed to strong sunlight for long.

Negroid

The Negro race is subdivided into sub races such as Aborigines, Melanesians, Negritos, Papuans, Dravidians, etc. People belonging to the Negroid race are physically characterized by dark skin due to dense pigmentation, coarse black and wooly hair, wide noses and foreheads, broad, often thick lips, large built and broad skeletal structure. The Negro race people are known for their stamina and ability to survive in very adverse environmental conditions, especially extreme heat. The dense pigmentation of their skin equips them to face the intense heat and strong sun of the equatorial belt of the earth, which is where this race is believed to have originated. Even today, the maximum number of Negroid race people can be found in the equatorial regions such as Africa, Southern India, etc. Negroid sub-races also include the following:-  The Nilotic people  The Bantu race  The Sudanic race  The Pygmy people  The Khoisan people Mongoloid Due to the vast and diverse geographical distribution of the Mongolian race, the term "Mongoloid" seems more appropriate than "Asian", as an umbrella term to refer to people belonging to this race. The Mongoloid race includes all those people who are classified under the sub races East Asian, North Asian and Native American. Mongoloids are characterized by yellowish or light wheatish skin, extremely straight and black hair, very less hair growth upon their bodies, small, almond- shaped eyes, slightly built and very lean musculature. The facial features are usually small but clear. The regions of the world that are regarded as the homelands of Mongoloid race people are the far Orients, Northeastern India, certain American countries where Native American people can still be found, etc. The Mongoloid race can be classified into - the Neo-Mongoloids, which include ethic groups like Eskimos, Buryats, Chinese, and Chukchis. These groups have physical features that are extremely Mongoloid in appearance and are typically found in Mongoloid populations that have adapted to living in extremely low temperatures and cold climatic conditions. The second category is the Paleo-Mongoloids, which include ethnic groups such as Polynesians, Filipinos, Burmese, certain Native American people, Jōmons, etc. The physical features of these ethnic and genetic groups are less Mongoloid in appearance and such features are usually found in Mongolian populations whose lifestyles are adapted for living in warm to temperate climatic conditions over several generations. Australoid According to the 'Out of Africa Theory', Proto-Australoids (believed to be ancestors of the Australoid races) are thought to have migrated from the African continent and moved along the Southeast Asian coast towards the Australian landmass The Aborigines, Melanesians, Papuans, and Negritos come under the Australoid race. In short, the original native races local to the Australian subcontinent come under this category. Most anthropologists debate the distinctiveness of this race as they believe that sub races like Aborigines, Negritos, etc., are genetically and physiologically very close to the Negroid race. This belief conforms to the Out of Africa theory. This could be the reason behind the racial similarities between the Australian aborigines and the native inhabitants of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Indian Ocean. Hence, many anthropologists and genetic biologists believe that these should be categorized as sub races of the Negroid race.