Human races?

Question

In what way(s) does the idea of races make sense, we're all human, what does it matter?

Answer 1

You are right, it doesn't matter.  In the end, we all die.  We all need human contact.  We all need food, water and shelter. We all love our children and have hopes and dreams for them.  We all suffer from a collective of physical and mental maladies.

The only thing that separates us is the never ending argument around the concept of which race is, or is not superior.  But if you take into consideration the above-mentioned, one can only deduce that it is not worthwile to worry about.

Answer 2

I can only think of one way.  I am a forensic anthropologist: I help make positive identifications of skeletal remains.  I use ancestry (along with stature, age, and s*x) to help figure out who the skeleton belonged to.  It is very helpful to eliminate a part of the population as possible candidates.  Although we have such success rates, I feel that there are no other reasons why ancestry should ever be taken into account.  Identification of skeletons is the only good application that I can see.

Answer 3

The idea of race is an imperfect sociological construction.  I use ancestry as a tool in forensic anthropology, but that's about it.

Answer 4

In relation to disease, it can be a factor, as with the difference in resistance to tuberculosis, for example, so you would need to devote a higher proportion of resources to areas with a high percentage of population of relatively recent African descent.

Answer 5

So far as I know there has only been this one.