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Ten years ago, we analyzed #neuroscience studies that focused on #race- or #culture.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763411001011
The main result of our analysis was that this research tends to reproduce #racism.
Thread 1/9
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763411001011
The main result of our analysis was that this research tends to reproduce #racism.
Thread 1/9
Now, ten years later, the field has seen a major boost. Until 2010 there were 40 articles, now there are hundreds (original, textbook, comments). The journal “Culture and Brain” was launched in 2013 and graduate programs focusing on race/culture-neuroscience were initiated. 2/9
In our analysis we distinguished two strands:
1st, neuroscience of #race/ #racialbias examines universal mechanisms of group demarcation (universalist assumption)
2nd, neuroscience of #culture takes the diversity of cultures as a starting point (differentialist assumption)
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1st, neuroscience of #race/ #racialbias examines universal mechanisms of group demarcation (universalist assumption)
2nd, neuroscience of #culture takes the diversity of cultures as a starting point (differentialist assumption)
3/9
Both approaches are based on comparisons between groups, either in the stimulus material or as participants; e.g.:
"Easterners/Westerners"
"Asian/Caucasian"
"Americans/Turks"
"Collectivists/Individualists"
"Blacks/Whites"
"Germans/Russians"
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"Easterners/Westerners"
"Asian/Caucasian"
"Americans/Turks"
"Collectivists/Individualists"
"Blacks/Whites"
"Germans/Russians"
4/9
1st: Neuroscience of race/racial bias: here, group demarcation is (almost always) postulated as a universal & biologically determined principle. Thereby, racism is biologized & treated as a fundamental characteristic of human nature. This provides a legitimization for racism. 5/9
2nd: Neuroscience of culture: here, cultural diversity is the subject of analysis. However, classification into cultural groups is based on phenotypical features. Cultural belonging thus is treated as a physical marker – analogous to a biological view on “race”. 6/9
This continuity becomes even more explicit when “cultural practices” are explained in biological terms. This perspective resembles classic racist ideologies, substituting race with culture - as described by the term “cultural racism” (E. Balibar). 7/9
Neuroscience of race and culture biologizes racism and “cultural differences”. This has consequences: It runs into danger of reproducing and justifying discriminatory behavior and segregation of persons into “cultures”.
Ten years ago and now. 8/9
Ten years ago and now. 8/9
For another critical reflection on neuroscience of race/racial bias/culture from within the field, see Sade J. Abiodun @sadieonscience
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2019.00280/full
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https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2019.00280/full
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