Within every society there are elements created by social construction. The theory of social construction refers how a society as a whole assigns meaning to objects and characteristics. For example, a cross is simply two lines intersecting until Christianity is assigned to it. These meanings hold no value without the existence of human societies and are not based on facts. The unique story of Henrietta Lacks and her immortal cells encompasses social construction when applied to race, which is accompanied by struggles with discrimination and authority.
The idea of race is as old as recorded history. Race can be defined as “Human constructed categories that assume great social importance. Those categories are typically based on observable traits and geographic origins believed to distinguish one race from another (Ferrante 214).” Along with physical characteristics, skin color being the most common, social characteristics and stereotypes are associated with a race which often go unquestioned or are considered to be obvious, Ferrante refers to this idea as racial common sense (215). This sets the foundation for racism. Ferrante defines racism as “the belief the genetic or biological based differences explains and even justify inequalities that exist between advantaged and disadvantaged racial groups (231).” This thinking leads to horrific outcomes such as American Slavery. Social construction created the belief that the African, or Black race was savage and biologically less human. This thinking justified the use of African families as slave labor, which was largely concentrated on southern plantations Henrietta Lacks was a decedent of one such family. Though slavery had been abolished for decades, she and she and her brothers and sister grew up in poverty picking tobacco in the same fields her their ancestors. When Miss Lacks became sick treatment was made more difficult for her due to her race. “This was the era of Jim Crow,” Explains Skloot, “when black people showed up to white only hospitals, the staff was likely to send them away even if it meant they might die in the parking lot (15).” Even when she did find standard treatment at John Hopkins Hospital, Miss Lacks remained in a segregated ward. Because of the social constructed views of Miss Lacks’s race, which still loomed over American society, she was treated as though she were not as human as white patients to the point where her blood was considered to be less pure or a contaminant. Segregation within John Hopkins was a result of a sociological concept of discrimination. Ferrante states that discrimination is “an …show more content…
Some of their personal beliefs may have plagued themselves further. Beliefs are the “concepts that people accept as true, concerning how the world operates and where the individual fits in relation to others (Ferrante 58).” Skloot repeats Day and the other Lack’s opinion of doctors. They viewed doctors as authorities and it was common practice to simply do whatever they said. “Doctors knew best, patients didn’t question that (63),” analyses Skloot. This was a common view of blacks who were largely under educated and just happy to be treated. As a result of this thinking doctors convinced the Lacks family to allow them access to all of Henrietta’s cells and tissues during an autopsy Day was not comfortable with, and much later blood samples later were taken from the Lacks family without them truly knowing
The idea of race is as old as recorded history. Race can be defined as “Human constructed categories that assume great social importance. Those categories are typically based on observable traits and geographic origins believed to distinguish one race from another (Ferrante 214).” Along with physical characteristics, skin color being the most common, social characteristics and stereotypes are associated with a race which often go unquestioned or are considered to be obvious, Ferrante refers to this idea as racial common sense (215). This sets the foundation for racism. Ferrante defines racism as “the belief the genetic or biological based differences explains and even justify inequalities that exist between advantaged and disadvantaged racial groups (231).” This thinking leads to horrific outcomes such as American Slavery. Social construction created the belief that the African, or Black race was savage and biologically less human. This thinking justified the use of African families as slave labor, which was largely concentrated on southern plantations Henrietta Lacks was a decedent of one such family. Though slavery had been abolished for decades, she and she and her brothers and sister grew up in poverty picking tobacco in the same fields her their ancestors. When Miss Lacks became sick treatment was made more difficult for her due to her race. “This was the era of Jim Crow,” Explains Skloot, “when black people showed up to white only hospitals, the staff was likely to send them away even if it meant they might die in the parking lot (15).” Even when she did find standard treatment at John Hopkins Hospital, Miss Lacks remained in a segregated ward. Because of the social constructed views of Miss Lacks’s race, which still loomed over American society, she was treated as though she were not as human as white patients to the point where her blood was considered to be less pure or a contaminant. Segregation within John Hopkins was a result of a sociological concept of discrimination. Ferrante states that discrimination is “an …show more content…
Some of their personal beliefs may have plagued themselves further. Beliefs are the “concepts that people accept as true, concerning how the world operates and where the individual fits in relation to others (Ferrante 58).” Skloot repeats Day and the other Lack’s opinion of doctors. They viewed doctors as authorities and it was common practice to simply do whatever they said. “Doctors knew best, patients didn’t question that (63),” analyses Skloot. This was a common view of blacks who were largely under educated and just happy to be treated. As a result of this thinking doctors convinced the Lacks family to allow them access to all of Henrietta’s cells and tissues during an autopsy Day was not comfortable with, and much later blood samples later were taken from the Lacks family without them truly knowing