Races And Racism

    Race is used to denote groups of people connected by a common descent or origin, or those with certain peculiarities in common. It is a socio-geographical   term used for the  major subdivision of a species.

  The idea of race'  these days, has been misused continuously in sociopolitical sphere. It has become an object of political propaganda. There are various criteria for race classification. Among them are skin colour, hair type, skull proportions, stature, shape of head and face, shape of nose and hair.

    However, scientists claim that skin colours of all human beings contain the same pigment of dark granulated substance. If a little amount of it is present in the blood, it gives a brown colour , while much of the pigment gives a black colour. Skin colour can be black brown, chocolate, white etc. Hence , racial classification on skin differences does not indicate the superiority of one race over the other. It is simply a matter of biological coincidence.

   As to hair type, it may be wavy, curly or spiral;  it may also be blackish or brownish (like that of the Americans). The nose of some people may be flat , narrow , broad or high.

   Hence , people in different geographical regions in the world who share common features may be referred  to as a race. In other words, race refers to the biological classification of people with common physical characteristics.

    On this basis, race are classified into various classes. Four among them are Mongoloid, Caucasoid, Negroid and Australoid. They will be described in turn under ' people of the world' .  it could be sufficient here to say that, the Negroids  are  found in Africa, the Australoid s in southern Asia and Australia, the Caucasoids in Latin America, Europe and North Africa. The mongolpids are found in Eastern Asia and American.

   Racial difference s are becoming Less distinct  with racial intermixture and intermarriages. This is being facilitated by modern development in communication and transportation. It is also caused by war, slave trade, inter continental economic activities and migration.

  The claim that one race is superior to another is a political propaganda. This has been by the colonized African countries in their fight for independence.

   In socio-political respects, 'race' as a term has been  wrongly used to mean differences in cultural bases. In this sense, one culture is said to be superior to the other. It clearly shows traces of sentimentalism, prejudice, and superiority complex. That is the beginning of social conflicts popularity called apartheid' and 'racial discrimination' which are found mainly in south Africa, pre-independence Zimbabwe and even in the united states of america.

   Racism or apartheid, then has no scientific basis, since except on biological and cultural distinction. It cannot be claimed that a white man is more intelligent than a Blackman.

  This subheading has examined the differences among human beings the world over. It could be sufficient to say '  that this topic is incomplete if the universality of man is not treated.