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Ashlyn Black
Anthropology 1010
Human Origins

Human Variation Through the Eyes of

Science and a Confused Culture

I think that the first time I realized that different races were viewed differently was
because of my father. He was a construction worker and as a result of always being out in the sun
his normally fair complexion was always darker. One day when I was about five or six I
remember hearing him complaining about Hispanics which really confused me and I can still
clearly recall asking-but Daddy arent you Mexican? (Since he was always so dark and worked
with so many I had just always believed that he, and therefore I, was Mexican). He got really
mad at this and insisted that we were not, acting like the entire idea was preposterous. I felt
confused because I didnt understand his reaction but I also felt disappointed because my childself had thought it was cool to have a race instead of just being white, which seemed so boring
and plain to me. Honestly his reaction still confuses me to this day; I dont understand why he
was so insulted especially considering that at the time he was in the same economical class as
many Hispanics and also considered many to be his friends. I dont consider my dad to
necessarily be a racist but he definitely has narrow-minded, stubborn qualities about him that I
think can be attributed to what was common beliefs when he was growing up. This is the way
that all kids learn ideas of human variation, through example. I luckily grew up in a household
that had other influences aside from my somewhat pig-headed father and learned a much more
accepting and loving set of beliefs but had I just had my father to learn from, my values and
attitude towards others may have been much more negative. It works the same way with
variation in gender as well. When a little girl is given a hair stylist toy or make up kit she is
learning that how she looks is more valued versus when a little boy is given a tool kit he learns
that his skill level is more valued. Clearly culture influences our perception of human variation
but that doesnt mean that it has any truth behind it. In this essay I will be exploring the

contrasting views between the biological and cultural perspective of human variation in order to
achieve a better understanding of it from a scientific perspective and a humanitarian one.
Until recently I dont believe I was fully aware of the unjust treatment of many of the
members of my own society. Growing up in Utah (a predominantly white state) my exposure to
race was mostly limited to my own and while I grew up with the belief that no one race is better
than another, I never experienced and realized that racism still exists to the full extent that it
actually does. Our culture loves to put things into separate categories and unfortunately humans
are no exception. An example of these categories is the fact that I am always having to check an
ethnicity box whether I am filling out a job application or registering to vote. Although I
always wonder what the importance of this is and dislike doing it, I still feel a little bit grateful
that I get to check the white box because I know the chances of me being discriminated against
because of my race are very low. Our culture doesnt like to admit it but white privilege is still
very much alive and some races are definitely deemed more desirable than others by some
members of the culture. I feel that the cultural perspective of race is really starting to become
clearer with the upcoming presidential election and by clearer I mean its clear that ideas of race
vary greatly throughout the culture. On one hand we have a candidate who many deem as a racist
and whose ideas and beliefs definitely reinforce the idea that some races are better than others.
On the other hand we have candidates who are fighting for equality and stand for almost the
complete opposite of their rival. Both sides have huge followings of people who agree with their
ideas and the result is a complex and opposing set of beliefs throughout the entire culture. One
thing is made clear however and that is that even though our beliefs on race seem to be much
more progressive than they have been throughout the past, racism is still very much an issue and
continues to further damage our society.

Our cultural view of race seems very unjust and somewhat ridiculous when it is
compared to the biological view of race. After reading Gary James chapter Climate Related
Morphological Variation and Physiological Adaptions in Homo sapiens, I was astounded by the
fact that all of our human variation in terms of race can be explained by our ancestors adapting to
their specific climates after migrating from Africa. I felt like all of the pieces of a complex,
confusing, and somewhat exhausting puzzle had all just come together for me. It seems so simple
that all of our differences occurred because of the differences in our environments yet it makes
sense that being closer to the equator and therefore the sun would result in darker skin in order to
protect against UVAs while those farther from the equator and sun would have lighter skin in
order to obtain Vitamin D in an environment that lacks an abundance of it. As I was
contemplating all of this it occurred to me that many racial stereotypes are formed based on
evolutionary differences; for example the stereotype that African-Americans love fried food
because of the higher rates of obesity in that community when really as explained by James,
those of African descent retain sodium more than those who arent because of the lack of sodium
in their original environment. This would explain why a diet high in sodium would cause higher
obesity rates in those of African descent. Stereotypes based on these evolutionary differences are
even more unfair than ones not and further perpetuate negative ideas about race in general.
(James, 2010)
Race is not the only subject that biological and cultural perspectives differ on. Our culture
is obsessed with gender and the expectations that come with each gender. Progress has definitely
been made in the last couple of decades but gender roles and stereotypes that slowdown that
progress are also still very much out there today. If you are born with male genitalia than you are
expected to be manly which stereotypically consists of being tough, emotionless, and of course

having a high sex drive. If you are born with female genitalia you are expected to be weaker than
the male sex, gentle, docile, and of course have a low sex drive. Although many seem to believe
that male and females are treated equally, in actuality there are definite differences in the
treatment of gender. For example, in many professions women are still paid less than a man for
doing the same job and rape culture is still at an all-time high. I believe that the majority of
differences between males and females are learned and not actually genetic. Males and females
are taught, through watching others, what their social expectations of their gender are and if an
individual does not meets these gender ideals they are at risk of being considered an outcast of
society. This learned behavior is by no means a recent one but one that has been ongoing for
centuries, however is any of it even biologically correct? In Daniela Crocettis chapter Genes
and Hormones: What Makes up an Individuals Sex, the obsession of categorizing things as male
or female shows up even more with her explanation of hormones and their assigned gender. It is
important to define that biological sex refers to genes and hormones and gender refers to
behaviors and roles (masculine and feminine). Crocetti explains that both biological sexes
require male and female hormones and while higher amounts of one produce different
moods, increased amount of body fat-to-muscle ratio, and so on, the hormones themselves are
not actually associated with one gender. More so, the gender roles and stereotypes are what have
eventually led to associating hormones with gender. These ideals for gender have gotten so
determined in our culture that females are commonly prescribed hormonal birth control that
actually increases mood swings and decreases sex drive, since again having a high sex drive is
not viewed as a feminine trait. Crocetti explains it well with the statement Expectations for what
hormones should do for the biological body are placed on the social body, referring to hormonal
treatments given to men to increase sex drive. Continuing teaching these roles to children in our

culture will further result in a poor self-image if they feel they differ from the norms and even if
they dont feel that way then they conform and will further perpetuate ideas of gender roles and
the cycle continues with no end in sight. (Crocetti, 2013)
Another example of societys warped ideas of gender is the reaction to transgender
individuals, or someone who identifies with the behavior and psychology of the opposite of their
biological sex. Transgender, or gender dysphoria, individuals are seeing more acceptance and
understanding in recent years but there are still many members of society who view them as
having a psychological disorder and that with treatment or if they really try they can be cured.
Indeed in the past transgenderism was considered a disorder by psychologists and individuals
who identified as so were thought mentally ill and could be hospitalized in asylums for their
condition. Clearly identifying as transgender is not ideal because of the stigma that is still
associated with it by many but could it be that our cultures overall view of it is still flawed,
along with its view of gender in general? Where does the concept that ones biological sex
determines their gender identity even come from? Perhaps over the course of humanity our ideas
of what is natural have been influenced by what is more statistically common. Transgender
individuals, as well as others whose biological sex differs from the statistical norms (such as
Kleinfelters syndrome where an individual is born with two X chromosomes and one Y
chromosome) often receive hormonal treatment in order to better physically and emotionally
resemble their gender identification. Those individuals report changes in mood, energy, and
sexual desire but do not experience a change in sexual orientation, their sense of self or gender
identification. This is important because it shows that while hormones definitely alter some body
functions they do not change ones idea of themselves and are not responsible for creating
gender. (Crocetti, 2013)

To reiterate, our culture seems to have tendencies to assign worth to race and gender and
there are definite stereotypes and roles associated with both that are detrimental to the culture
itself. Different races were necessary in order to survive in the different climates and habitats
after our ancestors separated and started dispersing out of Africa (where they are believed to
have originated). Our culture has skewed our ways of looking at gender and race but perhaps if
the biological perspective of both were more known we would have a better appreciation for all
the different races and genders and there would be less tension towards the matter. The only way
to achieve a better understanding is to teach these theories in schools more. I think if these topics
were taught in public schools as a part of general education our culture would have a
considerable less amount of hate and hopefully less violence as well. We should be teaching our
culture to appreciate and welcome human variation because it is something that has been
perfected over millions of years of evolution and in the end is something to be astonished by and
celebrated.

Works Cited:
Crocetti, D. (2013). GenCroces and Hormones: What Make Up an Individuals Sex.
In M. Ah-King (Ed.),Challenging Popular Myths of Sex, Gender and Biology (pp. 23-32).
Switzerland: SpringerInternational.

James, G. D. (2010). Climate-Related Morphological Variation and Physiological

Adaptations inHomo sapiens. In C.S. Larsen (Ed.), A Companion to Biological
Anthropology (pp. 153-166).Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.