Race and Ethnicity--A Sociobiological Perspective

Within the realm of race relations, which can certainly be a complex subject, there are subject matter experts whose writings have come to be known as pivotal works on the topic. One of these, Pierre L. Van Den Burghe's "Race and Ethnicity: Essays in Comparative Sociology" , will be discussed and analyzed in this paper.

Overview/Evaluation of the Work

In Van Den Burghe's work, he takes an all encompassing view of the issue of race/ethnic relations and interactions, ranging from the actual mechanics of sociobiological race relations (Van Den Burghe, 1970, p. 42) to issues that although covered by this book of the early 1970s, are present in modern society, such as the issue of Apartheid (Van Den Burghe, 1970, p.173) and the ever present race/ethnicity issues of the United States (Van Den Burghe, 1970, p. 68). What all of this means for the reader or student is that not only will the work provide an excellent overview of the topic, but also explore the many facets of it in the many parts of the world, where various races and nationalities wrestle with the problems of interrelation, coexistence, and tolerance.

The Roots of Sociobiology and Racial/Ethnic Issues