Race in North America

Now in a substantially revised third edition, "Race in North America" offers a compelling analysis of the evolution of 'race' and the cultural context from which it emerged. Few topics in the Western intellectual tradition have been subjected to as much scrutiny and analysis as the topic of race. This sweeping book examines the evolution of the concept across more than three centuries, Audrey Smedley shows that 'race' is a cultural invention that has been used variously and opportunistically since the eighteenth century, and that race, in its origin, was not a product of science but of a folk ideology reflecting a new form of social stratification and a rationalization for inequality among the peoples of North America. This third edition incorporates recently published new source materials on the history of race ideology. Because "race" now has global manifestations, it also introduces the work of scholars who are beginning to examine the spread of race ideology cross-culturally. The new edition also looks more closely at the positions and arguments of contemporary race scientists. They claim that race is a valid biological concept. But Smedley argues that no amount of research into biological or genetic differences can help us to understand the phenomenon of race in American society. Race can only be understood as a component of the sociocultural domain, not the domain of biology.