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Why is it wrong to compare different races to different breeds of dog?

streetsurfer

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I mean, some dogs are known for their good temprement, others for their bad, some for their energy and intelegence, others for their neurotisism. Of course within those breeds their is exceptions, I have met lovely friendly pit bulls for example.... but generally they have traits that are inbread. Please, enlighten me
 
Races of people, at least in the broader sense, have not been selectively bred for based on specific traits. Dogs also do not have culture to influence their traits. It might be more accurate to compare a family to a breed of dog because they share so much in common on a genetic level, but it still wouldn't be accurate. Human traits, even within families are often extremely diverse. A race of people, depending on how narrow you define it, is more diverse than a family, a clan, or even a large civilization. So far as race even exists, as the distinctions between us are largely arbitrary, there is no way to generalize traits like temperament and intelligence meaningfully. For instance, despite the fact that many would label the majority of the continent of Africa as 'black', geneticists find greater genetic diversity here than anywhere else in the world. This is natural because it is thought to be where humans first originated; we were once all the same 'race', yet this single race spawned the diversity of the all the peoples in the world.
 
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Dogs are born with a great amount of instincutal/genetic memory which has alot to do with the behavior in life. They do have a surtain amount of learned behavior aswell (pavlov's dog), but not enough for them to overcome their instincts like poeple do.

For example, you can teach a dog to not snap at other dogs in exchange for a treat, but you could never explain to them why it is nessisary to do so.

People too have this genetic memory built into them at birth (how else would an infant know how to breath and cry?), but our learned memory capacity is far greater than that of a dog.
 
S_surfer asks: "Why is it wrong to compare different races to different breeds of dog?"

It isn't.

Go for it.

So, are you a Cocker Spaniel or a Pit Bull?
 
there are genetic differences between 'races' and between cultures

the problem just comes when you see one as inferior (ethno-centrism), apply this inferiority to every member of that race (over-generalization), and no longer think of them as humans with the same goals, problems, etc as everyone else (lack of empathy and understanding)
 
^^different does not mean not equal. Its all relative, you can't say one person is objectively better than any other, it all depends on your perspective. The fact that we're all in a similar situation here on earth means that we have to respect all people as individuals. So we are equal in that respect.
 
Why is it wrong to compare different races to different breeds of dog?

Simple: Many people would take it as though you were calling them dogs and find that offensive.

Besides, what would be the point in drawing such a comparison? What can anyone gain from it that is positive?
 
^the point is that there are genetic differences between 'races' just like between breeds of dogs, but saying it will get you called racist
 
because race doesn't define upbringing the way it used to, and when it did it was due to reasons such as slavery and segragation. in the modern world, a black an can grow up in a white community, and vice versa. in my city melbourne, generally no one grows up without some multicultural education. as we are all simply the total sum of our experience, and our experiences are no longer as greatly limited by those in power, we are gathering a much wider variety of experience, and as a result becoming more and more individual. classifying/steroetyping human beings is in direct opposition to this.

having said that, i'm a blue heeler crossed wih a rabbit.

*bounce bounce bounce BITE!*

i rant to much...
some dogs are known for their good temprement, others for their bad, some for their energy and intelegence, others for their neurotisism.
quite simply, do you know some races for their good temperament? others for their bad? are you racist? there's nothing wrong with it... i'd be a bigot to say so... an anti-racist.
 
>>Why is it wrong to compare different races to different breeds of dog?>>

It is a misleading comparison. The amount of genetic variation accounted for by race is more akin to dalmations with different numbers of spots, not different breeds of animals.

ebola
 
^word

qwe said:
^the point is that there are genetic differences between 'races' just like between breeds of dogs, but saying it will get you called racist

there are genetic differences between brothers and sister of the same family. what is your point?

If you want to talk about genetic differences, be specific, with both the gene and the subjects. Throwing broad generalisations is pointless in this regard.
 
Like ebola said, the amount of genetic variation between different groups of people is extremely small. For example, there are chimpanzees in the same tribe who have more genetic differences than exists between, say, a generic African and a generic Native American.

What's more, breeds of dogs are an especially bad comparison since they have been created specifically for various traits. Humans, by contrast, have separated mostly by random drift, with only a few traits being selected for -- skin color and body fat, for example.

And finally, dog breeds actually exist. Registration and selective breeding has led a selection of well-defined breeds, as well as just the run of mutts. Human beings are all mutts. There's no such thing as a well-defined human "race." There is genetic variation among human populations, yes. But any attempt to divide people up into distinct "races" is just a matter of artificially drawing boundaries. There's really just gradual variations between populations in all sorts of various ways. People generally decide how many (and what kinds) of "races" they want based on cultural/social factors, and then shoehorn in people into those categories.

You can certainly compare dog breeds to human "races." (I just did!) It's just not a very good comparison. Sort of like comparing, say, Tony Blair to Hitler. You can find points of similarity, but they're really not alike.
 
It is "wrong" because the process of rationalizing the value of humanity based upon canine characteristics forces the observer to compare a breed of dogs's size, shape, color, etc. against similar human traits.

It is "right" because the dogs do not seem to mind.
 
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