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BL4214   The Science of Race and Racism

Academic year(s): 2023-2024

Key information

SCOTCAT credits : 15

ECTS credits : 7

Level : SCQF level 10

Semester: 2

Availability restrictions: Not automatically available to General Degree students. Available only to Honours students on programmes in the School of Biology and School of Psychology and Neuroscience.

Planned timetable: To be confirmed

The aim of this module is to understand how scientific theory has been used to support the concept of race and justify racism, and how legitimate contemporary genetic analyses undermine racial arguments. It will cover the genetics of human diversity, including those phenotypes (e.g. skin colour, facial features) commonly deployed to categorize individuals into racialized groups, drawing attention to their arbitrariness and unrepresentativeness. It will discuss the history of scientific racism, from its emergence in the Enlightenment and during European colonialism up to the present, with particular focus on theories of eugenics. It will then consider the topics of race and (a) race and intelligence, (b) race and health, and (c) race and sporting performance, before exploring what biologists and biology students can do act as public advocates for an antiracist agenda, standing against racist concepts, arguments and attitudes. It comprises a mix of lectures, group discussion, a workshop and student presentations.

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact: 6 x 1 hour lectures, 10 x 1.4 hours seminars and 1 x 0.5 hour of one to one supervision

Scheduled learning hours: 23

Guided independent study hours: 121

Assessment pattern

As used by St Andrews: 100% Continuous Assessment

As defined by QAA

Re-assessment: 100% Continuous Assessment

Personnel

Module coordinator: Professor K N Lala
Module teaching staff: Professor Kevin Laland
Module coordinator email knl1@st-andrews.ac.uk

Intended learning outcomes

  • By the end of the module, students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the topics of race and racism.
  • By the end of the module, students will be able to understand the core concepts of this field and will have engaged with key controversies.
  • By the end of the module, students will be able to describe and critically evaluate examples of scientific research claiming to provide evidence of racial differences.
  • By the end of the module, students will be able to construct a coherent, logical argument supported by empirical findings.