I have a theory that we are biologically wired to distrust outsiders and people who look different. When we were hunter gather societies different groups of people probably fought over limited resources, good hunting territory, good water sources, etc, etc. Could it be that we are genetically pre-disposed for racisim?
2006-12-28 08:56:12 · 11 answers · asked by crazyhorse19682003 3 in Social Science ➔ Sociology
That is not your theory, but a evolutionary biology theory that several biologists have contributed to. It is called the in group/out group theory. It discusses the evolved psychological reasons for racism, but not by by positing much of what you typed above. We lived in small bands, 50 to 100 people. I doubt that there was much fighting for resources in the Pleistocene world, though fighting for other reasons would occur. It was not any fighting that in grouped/out grouped humans, though, it was merely that we were so often in the company of family and friends that the approach of a stranger was, well, very strange. So, it was not so much the fighting as the small, roaming bands of tight- nit hunter-gatherers, who must have though they may have been the only people in the world. Look at the same in group/out group psychology of the last indigenous peoples of the Amazon basin. This is a microcosm of the world as it was, or at least as close as we can approximate.
2006-12-28 15:33:27 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nice try, however ........
If we look at other mamals, we find that for example white dogs get along well with black dogs as long as they 1) grew up together 2) don't go for eachother's food 3) or are of different sex.
If you see a meadow with lots of horses, you will see all these different-coloured horses (even different races) eat grass together.
Racism or any form of discrimination is based on fear of the unknown, therefore a mental thing - not biological.
Ofcourse we distrust outsiders more than insiders, but those outsiders can be strangers of your own colour/religion, too ;-)
2006-12-28 11:19:56 · answer #2 · answered by Chesare 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I don't believe that. Other than the times I've hunted, I never looked at a person as a threat because of their physical looks. Prejedice is something that naturally will happen if you see something over and over and over that seem to only be with people of a certain color or ethnic background.
2006-12-28 17:39:58 · answer #3 · answered by elthe3rd 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
the theory of limited resources does explain racism, yes. it's an in-group , out-group distinction.
2006-12-28 09:01:36 · answer #4 · answered by lonesome me 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No. I don't know why I'm answering this as I'm going to get a million thumbs down. But no and no again. Some ideas you've got are why but its not ethnic. Its Geo-graphics, Economics and numbers as in minority and majority. Throw in ignorance, intolerance of change etc., and you have racism.
2006-12-28 09:04:47 · answer #5 · answered by mld m 4 · 2⤊ 2⤋
On the face of it I might agree, however, some other races have done well in certain parts of the world and badly in others.
2006-12-28 08:59:12 · answer #6 · answered by timc_fla 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
fighting over food and resources is survival... not from fear of someone looking different.
i think racism is definitely a learned behavior.
2006-12-28 08:58:32 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Nope, it's strictly a learned behavior.
2006-12-28 10:41:04 · answer #8 · answered by Sethco 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
No I actually think it is an inherent evil.
2006-12-28 09:39:10 · answer #9 · answered by triptipper 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
racism is learned not born. If all people were blind would their be racism?
2006-12-28 19:49:06 · answer #10 · answered by King Midas 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋