Race and racism

by Carolyn Fluehr-Lobban

"In her newest book, anthropologist Carolyn Fluchr-Lobban examines the foundations of race in American society. She demonstrates how race and racism are not openly confronted or challenged in American communities or educational settings. Many families still live in segregated areas, especially ethnic subcommunities, and attend largely segregated public and private schools. The author offers a simple and accessible explanation of the biology of race and a cross-cultural perspective on the social context of race, color-coding, ethnicity, and ethnocentrism. There are few places in the world where race is not a factor in society and politics, but the author finds abundant evidence that it is a dynamic and pliable concept, as soon in the overturning of the slave system in Haiti and in the American civil rights movement. Fluehr-Lobban's book is a fascinating and thoughtful assessment of the nature of race and racism. It will be valuable to readers and instructors in anthropology, sociology,