EQUITY, SOCIAL JUSTICE AND BIOLOGY: DEMYSTIFYING RACE WITH GENETICS OF HUMAN SKIN COLOR
Author(s): Vedham Karpakakunjaram
Montgomery College
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Description
Race-based interactions in human societies were largely borne out of a social construct and has no biological/scientific basis (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/23/opinion/sunday/genetics-race.html). Such interactions and racial bias often are strongly influenced by the variations in skin color between individuals involved in the interaction. In the case study that I will be writing, students in Principles of Biology I (BIOL 150), an introductory biology course for majors will synthesize the information available on the genetic basis of skin color patterns in human population to debunk the “race” idea. Montgomery College serves students from more than 150 countries and our classrooms have students from diverse cultures and economic backgrounds.
Cite this work
Researchers should cite this work as follows:
- Karpakakunjaram, V. (2018). EQUITY, SOCIAL JUSTICE AND BIOLOGY: DEMYSTIFYING RACE WITH GENETICS OF HUMAN SKIN COLOR. Wicked Problems: Investigating real world problems in the biology classroom (SW 2018), QUBES Educational Resources. doi:10.25334/Q4SH8P