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Race

Constructs and Dilemmas

Chapman University

Terry L. Cooper

University of Southern California

The concept of race, from a scientific perspective, has such poor construct validity and reliability that there is a growing consensus that the term should be abandoned. It is the premise of this article that the concept of race is not only a scientific construct but also a social construct and a policy construct. It is argued through an ethical analysis that the premature abandonment of the scientific construct of race, especially in epidemiology, clinical field trial studies, and health care delivery monitoring, may create greater harm than good. Recommendations are offered for the orderly dismantling of the social construction of race, which this article proposes should come first, through both biological and policy constructs.

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