AD & AF Diamond Study Guide - Q & A (1007)
What are some of the main issues in Diamond? Please add your answers. Your answer will include paraphrased or quoted information from the text, as well as your opinion when it is appropriate to the question. This will help you to reveal the meaning of the text, as well as the range of opinions thatexist within the class as a whole. By working together, your class will create a second study guide for Diamond that will be useful for you individually in your personal analysis for the essay and the PWT.
Please add your answers. Include paraphrase/qouted information from the text to support your answer. As well include your opinion if it is appropriate to the question. Your answer should clearly distinguish between information from Diamond and your opinion. Please add the page and line numbers to show where the information comes from in Diamond.
ARW - Race Without Color – Diamond (1994)
1. What is the “common sense” view about race? (167)
AF Rei: We generally decide race by seeing hair color,eye color or any appearance of human. It's "common sense" view about race refering to Diamond.
AF Shunsuke:
Owen: Each race can be determined by a set of easy to see biological characteristics
2. Why is this reasoning not objective? (167)
AD Mio: Because there are many different, equally reasonable procedures for explaining races.
AF Hiroki: Because different procedures yield very different classifications.
AF Kei: Because there are many ways to classify human race caused by various and equally reasonable procedures for defining race.
Owen: Because races could be grouped defined using other biological criteria that would lead to very different, but equally valid, groups.
3. Why is classification of human races more problematic that classification of animal races? (168)
AD Yuki Y:
AF Chiaki: Classification of human races forms our views of others, and promotes people to subliminally distinguish "us" from "them." Furthermore, it gives justifications for political and socioeconomic discrimination. Because of this, classification of human races is more problematic. (168)
AF Megumi T: Because classification encourages us to recognize differences unconsciously & discriminate against others politically, socially, and economically.
Owen: We assign group people into races and also place a value on them. This promotes discrimination against some groups.
4. What is a species? (168)
AD Nagiko:
AF Kotaro:
Owen: A group of populations whose individual members can interbreed with each other.
5. What does it mean when it is said that traits are “concordant”? (169)
AD Shintaro: It means that if one traits is different from others, then other all traits have to be different to accompany it.
AD Aya: It means that if one category such as voice difference differs from others, it has to be different for "all" the traits such as throat color or habit.
AF Yuki:（←YUKIE?) "That is, voice differences or habitat differences lead to the same racial classification as differences in throat color."
Owen: Possession of one trait always accompanies the possession of the other trait(s). For example, all members who have trait A also have trait B.
6.Why is racial classification of golden whistlers problematic? (169)
AD Ryoksuke:
AF Machi: Golden whistlers have various characters ( big or small, black- winged males, or green winged males etc..) depending on where they live, what they eat often, or some other reasons, so "if you divide golden whistlers into races based on single traits, you would get entirely different classifications depending on which trait you chose. "(16-18)
Owen: The traits upon which these birds are classified do not vary concordantly.
7. What is a “hierarchy of distinctness”? (169)
AD Misaki:
AF Haruka S: It is the group which different from each other. (Owen - this answer is not so clear)
Owen: Classification based on a central, most distinct group, then classifying other based on how they differ from that group
8. What is the problem with using a hierarchy of distinctness? (169)
AD Tomoya:
AF Misa: The problem of using a hierarchy of distinctness is that the extent to which you continue the racial classification is arbitrary, and it's a decision about which taxonomists disagree passionately.
Owen: It is difficult to decide when to stop creating new groups – how fine should the discrimination be?
9. What are “lumpers”? (169)
AD Hisako: Lumpers are people who prefer to recognize few races.
AF Masataka:
Owen: People who classify (taxonomists) populations into a few bigger groups.
10. What are “splitters”? (169)
AD Eito:
AF Rutsuko:
Owen: People who classify (taxonomists) populations into many smaller groups.
11. How is the classification of non-human animals different from the classification of human animals? (170)
AD Rina:
AD Mastada:
AF Emao:
Owen: When we classify humans we also use that to create a value of difference that can lead to prejudice.
12. What are three reasons why traits vary? Give an example of each. (170-174)
AD Li Hwa: First, many Africans, Arabs, and people from southern India tend to have the sickle-cell antimalarial gene, however, northern European people never had that trait because there is no malaria in Northern Europe, and also rare in the people from the southern most parts of Africa. Second, northern Europeans, north Indians, and some African peoples have lactase, on the other hand, most Africans & southern Europeans do not commonly have lactase into adulthood. Third, east Asians, most Europeans, and black Africans have fingerprints that have a "loop" shape and Khoisans and some central Europeans have a different kind of fingerprints that have an "arch" shape.
AF Shoko:
Owen: Natural selection – sickle cell gene for immunity to malaria / lactase enzyme for milk digestion / body shapes for heat conservation or release Sexual selection – body parts No reason - fingerprints
13. Is skin color an example of a trait that was an adaptation to geographic areas? Why or why not? (175)
AD Juri: Skin color is not an example of a trait that is an adaptation to geographic areas.
AF Katsuya:
Owen: No. There are some light skinned races that live in the tropics.
14. Are human racial classifications that are based on different traits concordant with one another? (176)
AD Seiya: No. The results of human race classifications vary with the each criterion for human discriminations. In fact, when we classify plural people with various criteria, we can find various results. Therefore, in this part, the author insists that no human racial classification is an absolute indicator.
AD Ken: No, they are not.
AF Juria: No, they would not be concordant with one another at all (P176 L21). Racial groups vary by which trait we use for classification, for example, skin color or antimalaria genes (P171 L18).
Owen: No. Depending on which physical traits we used, we would get different racial groups.
15. What is the hierarchical relation based on skin color among recognized races? (176)
AD Yoko S:
AF Tetsuya:
Owen: Anthropology textbooks recognize: Whites – African blacks – Mongoloids – Aboriginal Australians - Khoisans
16. What is the function of racially variable traits? (176)
AD Masaru:
AD Ikue:
AF Anna: Some racially variable traits include protection against skin cancer, rickets, frostbite, folic acid deficiency, beryllium poisoning, overheating, and overcooling. In other words, to enhance survival under particular conditions (P175 L1-5 ＆ L25-26).
Owen: Some racially variable traits serve survival, some serve sexual selection, and others are serve no purpose at all. We tend to use the sexual selection ones to classify race because they are more visible.
17. Why is the issue of racial classification more serious in modern society? (177)
AD Taichi:
AF Haruna: The issue of racial classification is more serious in modern society because we live our modern lives surrounded by people who are much more varied in appearance,... (Owen - this answer is missing a conclusion)
Owen: Because in modern times we have more exposure to people who appear different to us, and we have more weapons to use against enemies if disputes arise between "us" and "them."
18. What is meant by: “The last thing we need now is to continue codifying all those different appearances into an arbitrary system of racial classification.” (177)
AD Misato:
AF Yuki H:
Owen: The "last thing" means the "worst thing" so in other words Diamond states that we do not need to continue putting people into groups of races that are based on arbitrary characteristics.
19. A final thought – On page 177, Diamond mentions the possibility of classifying races based on a hierarchy of genetic distinctness. The primary races could be African and other races such as Swedes, New Guineans, Japanese, and Navajo would belong to the same race. Do you think this will ever happen? Why or why not? (Your opinion)
AD Haruka T: I think this will never happen. The concept of race came from human beings' instinct to classify. People have a desire to identify and classify everything. Who wants to regard human and vegetable as same living matter? Most people would consider vegetables as plants, not the same as humans. Of course, it is a different situation from racial discrimination, but I think these situations have common term (Owen - this sentence not especially clear). People tend to find differences rather than similarities, I think. Diamond's concept is logically and scientifically correct, but people tend to deny genetic similarities, and focus on "visible" differences such as skin color, language, or culture. That is why I do not think this will not happen.
AF Megumi H:
Owen: No. I think racial distinctions as they are have evolved along with dominant political powers. As long as those remain in power, then classifications will stay as they are.
Please add your answers. Include paraphrase/qouted information from the text to support your answer. As well include your opinion if it is appropriate to the question. Your answer should clearly distinguish between information from Diamond and your opinion. Please add the page and line numbers to show where the information comes from in Diamond.
ARW - Race Without Color – Diamond (1994)
1. What is the “common sense” view about race? (167)
AF Rei: We generally decide race by seeing hair color,eye color or any appearance of human. It's "common sense" view about race refering to Diamond.
AF Shunsuke:
Owen: Each race can be determined by a set of easy to see biological characteristics
2. Why is this reasoning not objective? (167)
AD Mio: Because there are many different, equally reasonable procedures for explaining races.
AF Hiroki: Because different procedures yield very different classifications.
AF Kei: Because there are many ways to classify human race caused by various and equally reasonable procedures for defining race.
Owen: Because races could be grouped defined using other biological criteria that would lead to very different, but equally valid, groups.
3. Why is classification of human races more problematic that classification of animal races? (168)
AD Yuki Y:
AF Chiaki: Classification of human races forms our views of others, and promotes people to subliminally distinguish "us" from "them." Furthermore, it gives justifications for political and socioeconomic discrimination. Because of this, classification of human races is more problematic. (168)
AF Megumi T: Because classification encourages us to recognize differences unconsciously & discriminate against others politically, socially, and economically.
Owen: We assign group people into races and also place a value on them. This promotes discrimination against some groups.
4. What is a species? (168)
AD Nagiko:
AF Kotaro:
Owen: A group of populations whose individual members can interbreed with each other.
5. What does it mean when it is said that traits are “concordant”? (169)
AD Shintaro: It means that if one traits is different from others, then other all traits have to be different to accompany it.
AD Aya: It means that if one category such as voice difference differs from others, it has to be different for "all" the traits such as throat color or habit.
AF Yuki:（←YUKIE?) "That is, voice differences or habitat differences lead to the same racial classification as differences in throat color."
Owen: Possession of one trait always accompanies the possession of the other trait(s). For example, all members who have trait A also have trait B.
6.Why is racial classification of golden whistlers problematic? (169)
AD Ryoksuke:
AF Machi: Golden whistlers have various characters ( big or small, black- winged males, or green winged males etc..) depending on where they live, what they eat often, or some other reasons, so "if you divide golden whistlers into races based on single traits, you would get entirely different classifications depending on which trait you chose. "(16-18)
Owen: The traits upon which these birds are classified do not vary concordantly.
7. What is a “hierarchy of distinctness”? (169)
AD Misaki:
AF Haruka S: It is the group which different from each other. (Owen - this answer is not so clear)
Owen: Classification based on a central, most distinct group, then classifying other based on how they differ from that group
8. What is the problem with using a hierarchy of distinctness? (169)
AD Tomoya:
AF Misa: The problem of using a hierarchy of distinctness is that the extent to which you continue the racial classification is arbitrary, and it's a decision about which taxonomists disagree passionately.
Owen: It is difficult to decide when to stop creating new groups – how fine should the discrimination be?
9. What are “lumpers”? (169)
AD Hisako: Lumpers are people who prefer to recognize few races.
AF Masataka:
Owen: People who classify (taxonomists) populations into a few bigger groups.
10. What are “splitters”? (169)
AD Eito:
AF Rutsuko:
Owen: People who classify (taxonomists) populations into many smaller groups.
11. How is the classification of non-human animals different from the classification of human animals? (170)
AD Rina:
AD Mastada:
AF Emao:
Owen: When we classify humans we also use that to create a value of difference that can lead to prejudice.
12. What are three reasons why traits vary? Give an example of each. (170-174)
AD Li Hwa: First, many Africans, Arabs, and people from southern India tend to have the sickle-cell antimalarial gene, however, northern European people never had that trait because there is no malaria in Northern Europe, and also rare in the people from the southern most parts of Africa. Second, northern Europeans, north Indians, and some African peoples have lactase, on the other hand, most Africans & southern Europeans do not commonly have lactase into adulthood. Third, east Asians, most Europeans, and black Africans have fingerprints that have a "loop" shape and Khoisans and some central Europeans have a different kind of fingerprints that have an "arch" shape.
AF Shoko:
Owen: Natural selection – sickle cell gene for immunity to malaria / lactase enzyme for milk digestion / body shapes for heat conservation or release Sexual selection – body parts No reason - fingerprints
13. Is skin color an example of a trait that was an adaptation to geographic areas? Why or why not? (175)
AD Juri: Skin color is not an example of a trait that is an adaptation to geographic areas.
AF Katsuya:
Owen: No. There are some light skinned races that live in the tropics.
14. Are human racial classifications that are based on different traits concordant with one another? (176)
AD Seiya: No. The results of human race classifications vary with the each criterion for human discriminations. In fact, when we classify plural people with various criteria, we can find various results. Therefore, in this part, the author insists that no human racial classification is an absolute indicator.
AD Ken: No, they are not.
AF Juria: No, they would not be concordant with one another at all (P176 L21). Racial groups vary by which trait we use for classification, for example, skin color or antimalaria genes (P171 L18).
Owen: No. Depending on which physical traits we used, we would get different racial groups.
15. What is the hierarchical relation based on skin color among recognized races? (176)
AD Yoko S:
AF Tetsuya:
Owen: Anthropology textbooks recognize: Whites – African blacks – Mongoloids – Aboriginal Australians - Khoisans
16. What is the function of racially variable traits? (176)
AD Masaru:
AD Ikue:
AF Anna: Some racially variable traits include protection against skin cancer, rickets, frostbite, folic acid deficiency, beryllium poisoning, overheating, and overcooling. In other words, to enhance survival under particular conditions (P175 L1-5 ＆ L25-26).
Owen: Some racially variable traits serve survival, some serve sexual selection, and others are serve no purpose at all. We tend to use the sexual selection ones to classify race because they are more visible.
17. Why is the issue of racial classification more serious in modern society? (177)
AD Taichi:
AF Haruna: The issue of racial classification is more serious in modern society because we live our modern lives surrounded by people who are much more varied in appearance,... (Owen - this answer is missing a conclusion)
Owen: Because in modern times we have more exposure to people who appear different to us, and we have more weapons to use against enemies if disputes arise between "us" and "them."
18. What is meant by: “The last thing we need now is to continue codifying all those different appearances into an arbitrary system of racial classification.” (177)
AD Misato:
AF Yuki H:
Owen: The "last thing" means the "worst thing" so in other words Diamond states that we do not need to continue putting people into groups of races that are based on arbitrary characteristics.
19. A final thought – On page 177, Diamond mentions the possibility of classifying races based on a hierarchy of genetic distinctness. The primary races could be African and other races such as Swedes, New Guineans, Japanese, and Navajo would belong to the same race. Do you think this will ever happen? Why or why not? (Your opinion)
AD Haruka T: I think this will never happen. The concept of race came from human beings' instinct to classify. People have a desire to identify and classify everything. Who wants to regard human and vegetable as same living matter? Most people would consider vegetables as plants, not the same as humans. Of course, it is a different situation from racial discrimination, but I think these situations have common term (Owen - this sentence not especially clear). People tend to find differences rather than similarities, I think. Diamond's concept is logically and scientifically correct, but people tend to deny genetic similarities, and focus on "visible" differences such as skin color, language, or culture. That is why I do not think this will not happen.
AF Megumi H:
Owen: No. I think racial distinctions as they are have evolved along with dominant political powers. As long as those remain in power, then classifications will stay as they are.
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