‘Race’: Socio-historic Construction

3. ‘Race’: Socio-historic Construction

4. Today’s Objectives • Understand the historical context to U.S. social construction of the Other. • A brief overview to the characteristics of a Civilization • Make connections between historical construction and purpose of ‘Race’ in the Americas VS. today

5. Social Constructions • Institutions • Ideologies • Differences

6. The Invention of Western Civilization • Organizing Social Relations and Reality • Primary/secondary education: • Maximum forms of intellectual, moral, and spiritual human societies all derived from the West. • Social Stratification • Hierarchy as inherent (based on class, race, gender)

7. Western Social Constructs • Rise of Western Civilization parallels the construction of: • Social classes • Subordination of women • Creation of “others” based on appearances, behaviors, or essences that are attributed to them. • Racism, Sexism, Class

8. Enter the Spanish Empire • By 1492, Europe had developed: • Gunpowder (military strength) • Compass (global navigation) • Paper (language) • Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) • God, Gold, Glory • Military • Religion • Individualism

11. 1512 - El Requerimiento • Read in Latin, or Spanish • Repent or else… • Notion of a ‘Just War’ • Medieval doctrine • Provided rationale justified by natural law, (god), • Applied to the Moors during the Spanish Reconquista, later to Native Americans

12. An Account of the Destruction of the Indies (early 16th century)

13. Social Construction Christianity = Civilization paganism = savagery

14. The Legacy of Western Civilization: Enter ‘Race’ • Castas System (caste system) • Socio-economic categorical system based on whiteness • Forced migration • Controlled labor supply • White-male superiority complex

15. ‘Race’ & Ethnicity Today

16. Class Discussion Warm-Up “A civilization that proves incapable of solving the problems it creates is a decadent civilization. A civilization that chooses to close its eyes to its most crucial problems is a sick civilization. A civilization that plays fast and loose with its principles is a dying civilization.” -- Aimé Césaire, Discourse on Colonialism (1955).

17. Class Activity • 1 – How did Spanish Western Civilization view itself at the turn of the 16th century? • 2 – Is Civilization a social construction? Explain by giving examples re: institutions; ideologies; difference. • 3 – What was the Spanish purpose in creating ‘race’? • 4 – Is ‘race’ real? Who decides if it is? Why? • 5 – Does ‘race’ justify racism? Or does racism justify ‘race’?