Social Construction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Social Construction - Essay Example These concepts were connected to Greek and Roman mythology. Greek mythology believed in the fact that geographical aspects played a big role in the different people’s physical appearance (Bond 96). They also believed that mankind’s dispositions and forms corresponded to country of origin’s nature. Thus, people from temperate climates were sluggish and unsuitable for labour while those from extreme climates were vigilant, industrious, and sharp. Roman mythology, on the other hand, stereotyped ethnic groups according to characteristics. An example was the intelligence and craftiness of the Egyptians and the effeminist and unwarlike nature of the Syrians. They used this to prove the existence of a God, since not all this could be spontaneous. Unlike the English colonies, Spanish America always was a society that was racially mixed. The early conquerors were men, as were the settlers and the Spanish priests. Apart from possibly the priests, the men were in need of female companionship, and this led to intermarriage becoming a Spanish American life staple (Burr 67). Among Spanish officials of high standing, families and wives were common, but not for the rest of the population of colonialists. This led to a rise of mestizos, or population of mixed race. These mestizos soon became the largest numerical proportion of America’s population. While some of the intermingling and intermarriage was forced, some was voluntary. As the population grew a caste, system was institutionalized classifying people according to the proportion of Indian blood that they had. For centuries, the Spanish had followed laws called the purity of blood, via which public office aspirants, as well as those brought in front of an inquisition, were asked to prove their Christian ancestry as far as 10 generations back (Burr 67). The mestizos were stopped from assuming most offices, as well