This essay will attempt to discuss how race is socially constructed and influenced by our daily

interactions. This essay will be challenging that race is biologically determined, by supporting
the statement that argue that “race is not biologically determined but rather socially constructed”
(Beuchler, 2008: 128). This essay will draw arguments of how race is constructed by society and
how race give individuals racial identities drawing examples of daily lives from the movie skin
also how taken for granted assumptions about race create racism and group people.

Society construct social interactions between racial groups that influence individuals to construct
and stereotype each other in terms of race, gender and ethnicity. “Race” is socially constructed
and perpetuated by each individual’s actions. Society construct race which leads to construction
of racial identities in each race groups. People are born into the societies which have constructed
systems that categorized them racially. “Race” separates people differently and this was
influenced by apartheid in South Africa which was having systems of separation in terms of race
groups. This consequently result in people believing that they were White, Coloured, African,
and Indians also believe that some race groups are superior than others in the position of society.
People understandings of race create racial identities and separate them while homogenize them
in large groups. Racial distinctions describe human differences but they are also important
factors which influence patterns of power and inequality in society.

“Race” is not given and biologically but rather socially constructed. “Race” is constantly being
constructed in everyday interactions. A dominant view about races today is the so called ‘social
constructionist’ view. Berger and Luckman (1967) introduced the phrase social construction of
reality to identity which is the process by which people creatively shape reality through social
interaction. Things that people take for granted about race are the most powerful forces that
separate people and categorized them differently according to skin colour. We need to question
taken for granted assumptions we make in our everyday lives about fixity of the world we
inhabit. Burr (1995) reveal that taken for granted and pervasive forms of racial stereotyping or
ways of classifying people by virtue of skin colour, accent, physical features as different and
grouping them all together. “Race” was constructed to justify domination. This taken for granted

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assumptions influence almost every human beings to stereotype and classify people according to
their race.

Construct of race result in racial identities associated with that particular racial groups. Different
racial groups have different benefit and positions in the world also may apply negativity. Racial
groups have different assumptions that individual take for granted for example believing that
White people are rich, wealth and also most intellectual people in the world. This are stereotypes
that society possess to each individual. African are believed that are associated with poverty,
crime, poor and also the most backward ethnicity. Coloured people are believed to be most
dangerous and aggressive while doing drugs. Indians are believed to talk fast and engage in
prayers that bring them wealth and that they are untrusted and pretenders. This are stereotypes
people possess to each other and also separate one another in the public space, this assumptions
become the matters in world and people take them for granted while separate them in terms of
race. Matter (1994) argues that this assumptions create racial identities and people change their
physical appearance to gain privileges and fit to that race groups. People start to develop
different identities which cause identity confusion. Erikson and Freud (1902-1994), explored
three aspects of identity of identity the id, ego and superego. This identities can be diffused by
our daily lives interactions and assumptions based on the influence of race group.

People are born into the fixed society constructed by different systems that people applied to
others in terms of race. “Race” influence people who they must socialized with and who they
engage with although society are constructed but sociologist, psychologist and anthropologist
argue with this fixity and challenge constructionist. This influence interaction between
individuals and result in assumptions based on race. Society that we are born into influence how
we see ourselves and other people in that particular context. In the movie ‘Skin’ Sandra Laing
experienced the most marginalized position in the society she is black, women and growing up in
the apartheid systems. Racial groups place our position in the society and construct our identities.
In the movie we see Sandra experience confusion of identity through race and being
marginalized to the minority. Being African is seen as the most minority group in the world
because people construct race. This result in inferiority in the most black people. Pattman (2007)
argue that student socialized and engage with their race groups and stereotype others. This is

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what Sandra Laing experience in school when there were white student peering at her and only
them allowed to developed education in that society. Sandra experience the most hatred because
even society see her as outsider.

“Race” groups exist in South Africa context and race has become such significant source of
identification in South Africa which people tend to take this for granted. “Race” exist
everywhere and constructed through our daily lives. Almost every individual experience race
effects whether we are aware of it or not but it does exist among race groups. Racial identities
are constructed in our daily lives through race in South Africa. Although race is constructed but
it become matter and real in it consequences. This result in inequality and people being racist to
one another which leads to attacks and hatred to one another which bring xenophobia attacks and
racism. According to news24 (2015) seven people were killed in KZN during xenophobia attacks
and more than 360 shops were vandalized and robbed and people were attacked badly which
result injured people. This was based on race assumptions that people take for granted but result
in real matters also recently attacks of race in Ellensburg, Stellenbosch College. This are real
matters which result in injured and even death because of race.

This essay cover how ‘race’ is not biologically determined but rather constructed by showing
how people interactions in the society make assumptions based on race. Therefore this essay
conclude that people interactions and assumptions are influenced by how race is constructed,
people tend to make this assumptions bade on racial groups which perpetuate racism and
xenophobia. This separate people while grouping them in large groups .Therefore taken for
granted assumptions need to be taken for real because they create racial identities in terms of
race and stereotype people.

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REFERENCES

Bibliography

Berger P, L. T. (1997). The Socially Construction of Reality. United States of America: Penguin Books.

Buechler, S. (2008). Critical Sociology. London : Paradigm Publishers .

Burr, V. (1995). Social Constructionism. London: Routledge.

D, J. (2015, May 17). News24. Retrieved from News24 Web site: http://www.news24.com

Eriskon H, F. J. (1994). Identity. In Kramer, Introduction to Psychology (pp. 59-156). Europe : A.A.A.

Matter, T. (1994). Racial Identity. Chicago: Anthropology Association.

Pattman, R. (2007). Student Identities, and researching these in a newly 'racially' merged university in
S.A. Durban: UKZN .

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