why are there some consistencies between races and certain abilities?

Question

for example: asian people tend to be smarter(u can be sure that is true) and black people tend to be more athletic than other races( best soccer, basketball players ever were black. some of the best Amer. football and baseball players were black also). how can we explain that? coincidence or something genetic?

Answer 1

Asian: partly genetic drift, partly cultural, and partly selection. Genetic drift - likely the first settlers in that area were pretty bright. Cultural - the language is complex, and it may be that this stimulates better processing of abstracts in childhood. Selection - see cultural, then imagine that the women didn't marry men who couldn't speak well.

Black: Selection. In hunter-gatherer societies, the men who are the better hunters have more children (who themselves grow to adulthood), on average. In most of the African hunter-gatherer societies, hunting required physical stamina and strength.

Answer 2

While I have definitely noticed a pattern of abilities and traits in different races and ethnicities, it is not proper to speak of them in today's society. Different environments might play a factor. You mentioned Asian people being the smartest. My wife is Asian and very smart, but the reason she thinks Asians get such high grades is because if they don't they get punished severely at home. lol If this is true (only an idea) then it would have nothing what so ever to do with her genetic traits. I guess my point is, IF you are going to look at traits people seem to have by race or ethnicity, make sure you look at other factors as well, like their environments, upbringing, etc... =) Take care!

Answer 3

I discovered that it has much less to do with race than tradition and now not always even then. One cannot real examine. There are black folks that don't have any crisis slitting the throat, or capturing any one on the drop of a hat. There are white folks too that love their gun assortment and will’t watch for the slightest possibility to make use of them. I have met the ones varieties and really speedily and cautiously distanced myself from them. I have black peers which can be simply as peace loving and frightened of crime as I am. In South Africa, we will’t deny, extra black folks are accountable for horrendous crimes than the white populace. I am definite that the truth that there are 20 black folks to at least one white, performs a most important function in what we understand. At the tip of the day, I consider that schooling and upbringing performs a most important function. Still, black South African criminals appear to be extra barbaric, blood thirsty, and chillier than their white opposite numbers. Many black American folks come to South Africa within the hopes of discovering their so known as 'roots'. They all run dwelling sadder, alternatively shaken, however wiser and recognise that they have got not anything in traditional with the African folks. As a long way as I am involved, they must give up calling themselves…African-Americans. They aren't Africans and can in no way be. They are Americans, undeniable and realistic. I am extra African than they're....their color does now not make the change,

Answer 4

First of all generalizing it that way may not be proper, it may just be the point of view of the result of statistic you are looking at. Agree to what Stephen L said…
I would put it this way…, just as an Orthopedic is better than Psychiatric in fixing bones. Because he does that for a living :-) , study on it more, was involved on it for more. But if a Psychiatric ever happens to have a reason to look in to Orthopedic work, say due to some nasty car crash he had or his loved one had, he may be kind of self-styled expert on it. After all both completed their residency (in general medicin).
I guess you got the meaning.

Answer 5

I would stay away from explaining differences in races in terms of genetics. It's just too sensitive a topic, especially when speaking of intelligence differences. Besides, the races are mixing more than ever before, so the definition of "race" is becoming increasingly blurred.

Answer 6

Your generalization is incorrect - "races" are a social creation, not a genetic one. The genetic material of our species, homo sapiens, is interchangeable within and between the "races" you reference. There are undoubtedly cultural pressures in individual families and cultures that encourage excellence in specific areas - ie. your claim that Asians are smart may not be a measure of IQ but of attention to learning and self-discipline; the same concept follows with your described "black" race - emphasis was/is placed on athletic excellence, so the discipline results in success.

To make a blanket statement concerning ability based on "race" is not only short sighted, potentially racist, but genetically and statistically unsound. Excellence is generally accepted to be shown by one who has mastered a skill, talent, or interest - to limit that to "race" is to dismiss all but your selected few from consideration. To attribute it to genetics is preposterous - genetics plays only a part of the development of an individual; environment plays at least a big a part.

Ultimately, it can be simplified by thinking of statistics - we somewhat arbitrarily set an average, and by definition, about half the population falls above it, and half below it. We commend those whose abilities lie in the range far above average, but there are equal numbers whose abilities lie just as far below average. To use your examples, statistics would indicate that there are plenty of asians who have average (or below average!) IQ's - but the culture has trained them to use what they have to its best ability. The same goes for athletic ability... and every other talent or skill that is valued.

Answer 7

It's most likely a factor of culture. Asians have a culture that encourages children to study hard and get good grades. Blacks have a culture that encourages athleticism more.

Answer 8

Is emucompboy the only biologist to answer this question without resorting to PC BS? There are variations in populations of organisms, though I would say it is premature to Come to hard and fast conclusions about cause. Though to come to ideological knee-jerk PC nonsense, as many of these answerer's do, is just plain ignorance worthy of social science.