In the backlash of prejudice and racism, both equality and individuality have been greatly stressed. We have found ourselves in the uncomfortable position of not knowing where to draw the line when detailing the differences between races and cultures. For the most part, the modern understanding seems to be that announcing any inherent biological differences at all, would be misleading, if not insulting and ignorant. When coming from an anthropological perspective, our sights seem to be veered toward a more environmentally influenced development among the various peoples, as opposed to a biological one. However, when we take the stance of a psychologist, evaluating a person as an individual, taking no heed as if assessing an actual culture, we find ourselves agreeing to the idea that both biology and environment play a major role in the shaping of o
It is safe for a person to agree that skull structure differs from race to race. A Caucasoid's chin form is bilateral, while a Negroid's is median. One would encounter little resistance to this proclamation, nor would they be harshly criticized for holding the belief that certain races are taller or shorter than others on average. However, if we applied this same reasoning to attributes such as intelligence, mannerisms, creativity and general ability within various races, it would most certainly encounter fierce resistance. We separate these attributes from the rest, especially when dealing with racial issues. So, it seems that we are fine with saying that there are obvious physical differences between races. We can even agree that our biological make-up partly influences our character. Studies on biological twins, separated at birth, seem to
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