Historical Perspectives on Human Variation and Race

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts related to historical perspectives on human variation and race, providing definitions for better understanding of the material.

Ethnocentrism

The tendency to view one’s own culture as best and to judge the behavior and beliefs of culturally different people by one’s own standards.

The Great Chain of Being

A hierarchical structure of all living things where every creature has a specific place in the ordered universe, originating from ancient perspectives.

Carolus Linnaeus

A Swedish botanist who classified humans into categories based on geography; included in his taxonomy: Genus: Homo, Species: sapiens, with varieties reflecting external factors.

Scientific Racism

The misapplication of scientific principles to justify inequalities among different races, suggesting that races are natural categories with inherent differences.

Polygenism

The doctrine that human races originated from separate ancestors, implying they are distinct biological species.

Monogenism

The doctrine that all human races originated from a single source, as described in the Bible, leading to variations due to environmental factors.

Typology

A method used in the late 1800s and early 1900s to classify human variation into fewer categories, based on the assumption of ideal racial types.

Eugenics

A social movement from the late 1800s aimed at improving the human species through selective breeding and preserving perceived racial purity.

Phenotypic Plasticity

The ability of an organism to change its phenotype in response to environmental influences.

Cline

A gradual change in certain traits or characteristics across a geographical area, indicating a continuous variation rather than distinct categories.

Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis

A study initiated in 1932 that observed the natural progression of untreated syphilis in African American men without providing treatment.

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

A committee established to review and approve research involving human subjects to ensure ethical standards are met.