ABSTRACT
This chapter explores that the role science has played in establishing and rationalizing that social construction. It discusses the theoretical perspectives on race, racial formation theory, the white racial frame, and critical race theory, among others. Scientific knowledge is always evolving, and while all scientists maintain a commitment to objectivity, scientific knowledge often reflects the social and political context in which it is created. Scientific racism emerged in response to questions concerning the morality of slavery and gained traction as the global abolitionist movement grew in the mid-1800s. Scientific racism, like other forms of racism, served the purpose of justifying the social order. The proliferation of scientific racism ultimately led to the eugenics movement. By the early 1930s, scientific racism was fading in popularity, particularly among social scientists. Anthropologists Franz Boas, Ruth Benedict, and Ashley Montagu critiqued the notion of racial purity and racism.
