We are very pleased to be discussing a paper by MPhil student Sailee Khurjekar. The abstract for Sailee’s paper is below, and the paper itself is attached for those who wish to read it ahead of time. We look forward to engaging with such a vital topic.

Establishing the Place of Race: A Critical Evaluation of Cultural Constructionism 

The metaphysics of race has presented competing theories about the definition and role of human races, alongside debates surrounding the existence of races. Social constructionists on race are concerned with the nature of race and the way that it latches on to our social reality. There are two strands of social constructionism on race: political constructionism and cultural constructionism. This paper is a critical evaluation of Chike Jeffers’ cultural constructionist account of race. I will posit three criticisms of Jeffers’ position, all pertaining to his claim that races ought to be preserved in a post-racist world. The form of my criticisms is as follows:

(1) Criticism 1: Single and Unified Culture by Race

A single and unified culture by race does not exist after the end of racism.

(2) Criticism 2: Racial Difference

Racial difference cannot be celebrated in a utopian world because such difference ceases to exist.

(3) Criticism 3: White Supremacism

The preservation of racialised people worryingly blurs the line between White pride and White supremacism.

I hope that the thesis will show: The significance of the social construction of race; the benefits of adopting Jeffers’ cultural constructionist account of race; and the drawbacks of preserving racial groups after the end of racism.