Assignment task: Be sure to cite your sources in APA and to include a reference list at the end of your assignment. As we are learning in this course, the definitions of race and ethnicity are both socially and personally constructed. In our construction of a personal racial and ethnic identity, we might incorporate the socially constructed definitions. Assignment 1 has three parts, which are intended to help you connect the Learning Resources in our course to your personal experience.
Part 1: Using information from:
- Origin of Everything I The Origin of Race in the USA | Season 1 | Episode 26 | PBS
- The Social Construction of Race and Minorities in Japan
Explain the social construction of race. In addition, give an example from one of these Learning Resources that highlights the changing definitions of race.
Part 2: When and how did you become aware of the concept of race or the significance of race? Give an example from your childhood or adulthood that highlights your experience of recognizing the concept of race and/or its significance in society.
Part 3: How has the social construction of race affected your personal definition? How has your personal definition of race changed over time? What social influences have changed your personal definition of race?