ABSTRACT
This article assesses anthropological thinking about the race concept and its applications. Drawn from a broader national survey of geneticists' and anthropologists' views on race, in this analysis, we provide a qualitative account of anthropologists' perspectives. We delve deeper than simply asserting that "race is a social construct." Instead, we explore the differential ways in which anthropologists describe and interpret how race is constructed. Utilizing the heuristic of constructors, shifters, and reconcilers, we also illustrate the ways in which anthropologists conceptualize their interpretations of race along a broad spectrum as well as what these differential approaches reveal about the ideological and biological consequences of socially defined races, such as racism in general and racialized health disparities in particular. [race concept, social construction, racism, health disparities].
Este artículo evalúa el pensamiento antropológico acerca del concepto de raza y sus aplicaciones. Derivado de una encuesta nacional más amplia de las opiniones de genetistas y antropólogos sobre la raza, en este análisis proveemos un reporte cualitativo, de las perspectivas de los antropólogos. Ahondamos más que simplemente afirmar que "la raza es un constructo social". En cambio, exploramos las formas diferenciales en que los antropólogos describen e interpretan cómo la raza es construida. Utilizando la heurística de constructores, desplazadores, y reconciliadores, también ilustramos las maneras en las que los antropólogos conceptualizan sus interpretaciones de la raza a lo largo de un amplio espectro, y lo que estas aproximaciones diferenciales revelan acerca de las consecuencias ideológicas y biológicas de las razas definidas socialmente, tales como racismo, en general, y las disparidades racializadas en salud, en particular. [concepto de raza, construcción social, racismo, disparidades de salud].
ABSTRACT
Controversies over race conceptualizations have been ongoing for centuries and have been shaped, in part, by anthropologists. OBJECTIVE: To assess anthropologists' views on race, genetics, and ancestry. METHODS: In 2012 a broad national survey of anthropologists examined prevailing views on race, ancestry, and genetics. RESULTS: Results demonstrate consensus that there are no human biological races and recognition that race exists as lived social experiences that can have important effects on health. DISCUSSION: Racial privilege affects anthropologists' views on race, underscoring the importance that anthropologists be vigilant of biases in the profession and practice. Anthropologists must mitigate racial biases in society wherever they might be lurking and quash any sociopolitical attempts to normalize or promote racist rhetoric, sentiment, and behavior.
