Will using the concept of ‘race’ always involve biological reductionism?

These changes in the approaches towards 'race' led to the creation of so-called 'new racism'. The development of which began in the early sixties with the migration of afro-Caribbean workers to England to carry out manual labour. This new racism was not based on biology but on cultural differences. However this new racism did not just appear within society, it was subtly introduced and encouraged as an idea to the public mainly by politicians, firstly by Enoch Powell. His 1968 speech talked about "the 'swamping' of British cultures by alien elements, with its vision of the rivers of Britain flowing with blood gained considerable public support" (quoted in Bradley 1996:117). Margaret Thatcher's pre-election speech in 1978 also dealt with this subject, she claimed, "people are really afraid that this country might be swamped by people with a different culture" (quoted in Popeau 1998:176). This subtle encouragement served to make cultural differences a conscious issue for the public, they were now aware that there was more than superficial biological differences (e.g. skin colour) between them and 'different cultures'.

It has been argued that 'new racism' is "old racism in the guise of cultural difference" (Popeau 1998:175). Unlike 'old racism' it does not involve hierarchies, in theory all 'cultures' are equal, at the same time however each culture becomes more conscious of the differences between them. Which in turn increases tensions between cultures as it becomes more difficult to relate and understand each other, before people only had to overcome prejudice of physical appearance. Now they have to over come prejudice towards customs that they do not understand or do not agree with because they do not understand (e.g. fasting, arranged marriages, polygamy). "Culture is conceived along ethnically absolute lines" (Gilroy 1993:24) and therefore it is through culturally based 'new racism' that initially politicians coined the term ethnicity (subsequently politically spun into ethnic minorities and multi culturalism). "'Ethnicity' is the more polite and less controversial term for 'race' in the thinking of certain bureaucrats" (Popeau 1998:166). 'Ethnic groups are commonly defined as sharing common culture (e.g. language, traditions, perhaps religion), and having similar origins. 'Ethnicity' like 'race' is a "socially produced concept, which cannot simply be reduced to a 'biological' content" (Popeau 1998:173).

'Race' as a concept has become viewed by sociologists as a social construct; it is commonly argued that it does not refer to anything that can be proved as real. However as a biological concept is was still no less effective, it still served a purpose. It allowed as to differentiate and learn about racial differences. Now however the concept of 'race' in terms of biological reductionism has become ineffectual due to the developments in technology and science. Due to results in genetic science we know that 'race' on a biological level has no meaning, it does not exist. "Modern genetics avoids reference to 'races': there has been so much sexual interaction between human populations that it would be meaningless to talk of absolute divisions between 'races'" (Popeau 1998:167). Instead we are now learning about natural human variation, "there is often greater variation within a 'racial' group than between two different groups" (Popeau 1998:167). A discovery, which will probably result in the term 'race' becoming superfluous. These developments have not yet led to this because the term is still widely used. Sociologists use the term, but always in inverted commas therefore showing their awareness to its claimed scientific irrelevance and ideological connotations. It is also still used because racism still exists although in different forms and both dominate and subordinate groups use it for political purposes (although now more commonly termed as ethnicity) and as a form of identification. However some sociologist that "we should reject the concept altogether [as being] an ideological construct: its use only serves to give respectability to discredited racist ideas" (Bradley 1996:120). The sociological argument against this idea is that class and gender are also "constructs; since constructs inform the way people think and act in relation to others the effects of 'race' are very real" (Bradley 1996:121).

Therefore although we may not always use the term 'race' in relation to biological reductionism it appears however we will at present continue to use the term with different connotation attached to it. Even though there are no biological 'races', there are still clearly different cultures. In reality we need a term to be able to appreciate, identify and understand differences between cultures, currently ethnicity is more appropriate and accurate than 'races' however with the original 'radicalised' connotations that inevitable attached to the term perhaps to its use and value, as a concept will be questioned.

Bibliography

Popeau, Jean 'Race/Ethnicity' [1998] from Core Sociological Dichotomies Jenks, Chris (ed) 1998 Sage London

Bradley, Harriet Fractured Identities: changing patterns of inequality 1996 Blackwell Publishers Ltd Cambridge

Gilroy, Paul Small Acts: thoughts on politics of black culture 1993 Serpents Tail Publishers London