Is it really only skin deep or are different races truely different?

Question

"White students were less likely than Hispanic or black students to engage in physical fighting, risky sexual behaviors and be overweight."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20060608/hl_hsn/moreusteensareshunningriskybehaviors

Answer 1

Sigh. Ok, they can tell the race of a person by looking at just the bones. Does that answer your question.

Answer 2

Depends on the reference population and statistical size. I'd imagine that if the survey included all 50 of the states (instead of only 40), there might be some skewing. Also, if rural areas were included (instead of 21 large urban areas) you may find different behavior.

Let's include the entire quote in context, shall we?

>>White students were less likely than Hispanic or black students to engage in physical fighting, risky sexual behaviors and be overweight. They were more likely, however, to smoke cigarettes and engage in binge drinking.

Black students were least likely to use tobacco, alcohol, cocaine and other drugs, compared to white and Hispanic peers. On the other hand, they were the most likely to report risky sexual behaviors and "couch potato" behaviors, such as watching TV three or more hours a day.<<

Make sure when you present statistics, you present them accurately or someone just may call your bluff.

Answer 3

The differences between races are skin deep biologically and genetically. However, the reason that many Hispanic and Black students are more likely to engage in physical fighting and other negative behaviors than White students is not due to biology; it is due to environmental factors, such as socioeconomic status, peer pressure, education, culture, and other potential causes. If you view all Black, Hispanic, and White babies when they are first born, they all have the same potential. However, it is mostly environmental differences that lead to differences in race, which is why we should provide equal opportunities for everybody.

This is supported by many scientific studies.

Answer 4

Steven Jay Gould wrote heaps on this topic. In essence, "racial theories" have existed for hundreds of years, mostly going to extreme lengths to "prove" ridiculous theories that one "race" of people was better than another. The best example I heard of (from a "Race and Minorities" class at a major university) was a 16th Swedish "scientist" who was adamant that Swedes were a superior people to the inferior, sub-human Finns.

In this case (US), differences between "races" has to do more with socio-economic factors and/or cultural background. Hispanic and Black students are more likely to engage in the above activities because Hispanic and Black students are more likely to be poor and exposed to violence than white students.

Answer 5

Actually if you were to go streight to the source of the report which came from the CDC (center for disease control) it reads

"Compared with white and Hispanic high school students, black high school students are least likely to use tobacco, alcohol, cocaine and other drugs, but most likely to report sexual risk behaviors and sedentary behaviors such as watching television three or more hours per day.

White students are less likely than black or Hispanic high school students to report physical fighting, sexual risk behaviors and being overweight, but more likely to engage in frequent cigarette smoking and episodic heavy drinking.

Hispanic students are more likely than black or white students to report attempted suicide and the use of drugs like cocaine, heroin and methamphetamines."

Answer 6

What kind of difference are we talking here??

First, we must remember that there are NO DIFFERENT SPECIES in the Homo continuum at this date. Homo neandertalensis died out about 25,000 years ago, and Homo florensis died about 18,000 years ago.

Regional variation does, however, exist, and not just among people. Pepper moths in England are black and white, common pigeons come in a wild variety of colors, and even our domestic pet breeds, like cats and dogs, are bewildering in their variety.

One thing in common, however--they can interbreed. Black pigeon with grey one, chihuahua with poodle, black pepper moth with white pepper moth. Females are attracted to males and produce fertile offspring (not saying that every grey female pigeon finds every white male pigeon attractive, but some do).

In hummans, there is enough variation between the races to determine race in many cases. For an African, prognathisism, the shape of the orbitals, the space between kneecap and femur, even the color of the bone as it ages. For Asians, the angle of the zygoid and the intricacy of the cranial sutures, as well as the shape of the nasal aperature. And for whites, the shape of the orbitals, and cranial length.

Does this mean we are different species?? NO! After all, there are skeletal variations between males and females--and its a good thing that there are, or there would be far more women dying in childbirth.

Answer 7

I think some of these statistical analyses are based on stereotypes. Having said that, there is something to be said for "physical fighting, risky sexual behaviors, and being overweight" as being more common among people who are less educated. I think this may have more to do with education and educated people being more risk averse than it has to do with race.

Answer 8

Phyically, yes the races are different. Anthopologists can tell the difference in the bones. Another group getting media play these days are the Forensic scientists. Culturally, we are raised in different traditions. That means different eating habits, different thought patterns, different socially acceptable reactions. There are small genetic differences, different genes are turned on or off for physical attributes. Different races are subject to different diseases, that are just in their group.

But I feel we are all the family of man (no insult ladies). We have more in common with each other than we have petty differences. Deep down, I feel we all have souls. Everyone deserves respect and dignity.

We all feel so insecure in our lives. We all feel we have no control. We all have faith of one kind or another.

Answer 9

Well, I think at birth it is only skin deep but cultural differences crop up as the child grows. These differences are not race related as they are economically related and not even all of those who are economically deprived exhibit these behaviors. It's more of a family thing. Racists like to use these examples as reasons for their racism, but it really depends on the family.

Answer 10

I'm a Hispanic, and among us, it's usual to say (and to see) the
Caucasians are naive, like Dan Quayle. In my personal experie-
ce, the darker you are the less naive you are. It's only a ten den-
Cy.This might influence somehow the physical yielding, just like
soccer players in their own stadium. Besides this, people is a-
kin to suffer several different illnesses according to their ethnic.

Answer 11

I think it depends on your definition of RACE. If you define race as a particular group of people belonging to the same 'cultural' background, I think that would most probably say yes people belonging to different races are different. Ofcourse the true definiton of race would bring about ALOT of questions regarding color, creed and whatnot. So it's better to just believe that all people are basically human beings and they're the offsprings of Adam and we are one. I think the true problem of racism resides in the word itself. It never should've been infused into the vocabulary in the first place. Alot of words are so misused these days, life would've been just so much simpler without them.

It's just better to be one, even if it's pretending.