The concept of race is a social construct rather than a biological reality, and it is important to approach discussions on this topic with caution.

Get the full solved assignment PDF of MANI-002 of 2023-24 session now.

Scientifically, there is no consensus on distinct human races based on genetic differences. However, historically and socially, people have categorized themselves and others into groups based on physical characteristics. It’s essential to recognize that these categories are arbitrary and can perpetuate stereotypes and discrimination.

That said, historical discussions on races often referred to major groupings based on physical features. It’s crucial to emphasize that these categories oversimplify the complex diversity of human populations:

Caucasian (White): Historically used to describe people of European descent, this category includes individuals from Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and Western Asia.
Negroid (Black): Historically used to describe people of African descent, this term has been criticized for its association with outdated and offensive racial theories. It includes diverse populations from sub-Saharan Africa.
Mongoloid (Asian): Historically used to describe people from East Asia, Southeast Asia, the Arctic, North and South America, and the Pacific Islands. However, this categorization is outdated and overly simplistic.
Australoid: Historically used to describe the indigenous peoples of Australia, as well as some populations in South Asia and the Pacific Islands. This term is now considered outdated and inappropriate.

Modern discussions on human variation emphasize the concept of ancestry and recognize the continuous and interconnected nature of human genetic diversity. Geneticists prefer terms like populations, ethnic groups, or geographic ancestry to describe human diversity more accurately without perpetuating outdated and scientifically unsupported notions of distinct races.