Are culture and race ...

[Butters 0]

... so intertwined that it's difficult or impossible to distinguish between them and thus disparaging a culture is akin to disparaging a race?

"That looks dangerous." Leopold Stotch

[idrankwhat 0]

As the father of two wonderful half-honky/quarter-southern european/quarter-south asian children, I'd say "no".

[Andrewwhyte 1]

It is a tough question. The concept of a multi-racial culture is fairly new. After living in one of the most multi-racial cities in the world (Vancouver) I feel very comfortable in multi racial settings. However the truth is my non-white friends (as opposed to aquaintences) were few and far between.
When I explore the differenes between my housemate and myself I find I am torn as to whether our outlook differences are more pronounced because he was born in Africa or because he was raised in France.

[pirana 0]

From a purely academic standpoint, race has traditionally been one of the 3 first level determinants of culture. The 3 are race, religion, and language. However, that was when race pretty much meant skin color to most people. Bluntly, cultural groups were identified by their looks, their worship, and their speech.

Nowadays race is being looked at from 2 different perspectives that were not prevelant in the past: 1) from a genetic perspective, which shows race to not be nearly as differentiating a factor as before and not just a skin color thing, and 2) From a social and political perspective telling us that it is an incorrect criteria for differentiating altogether.

Truth is though that a lot of people still categorize by skin color, and hold certain beliefs about what that means about people of that color. It often shows in how they language their thoughts.

As an aside, it is interesting to note that propogation of such criteria for differentiation persists strongly at both ends of the spectrum. From programs that use the phrase "community of color" to racists that use the term nigger.

A lot of people just can't let it go, but for different reasons that suit their diferent belief-based needs.

" . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

[happythoughts 0]

Quote

... so intertwined that it's difficult or impossible to distinguish between them and thus disparaging a culture is akin to disparaging a race?

Yes. That is why there is a concept called "Cultural Diversity". It is not called "Racial Diversity".

If a black American and a white American are raised
in adjoining houses and go to the same school, there
is still a perceived "cultural" difference that is taken
into account in governmental programs that balance
this discrepency.

A white person from South Africa is not called African-American, even though they were raised in African culture. Whereas, a black American who has never
been to Africa at all, is A-A.

Culture is genetically determined, except for the purposes of discussing eugenics, then it is a myth.

[metalslug 36]

Quote

A white person from South Africa is not called African-American, even though they were raised in African culture.

While I get the intention of your point as an example, many South Africans would disagree with that statement.
'White' South Africans are from a very diverse spectrum of cultures, the least of which is traditional African.
Although they may be born on the African continent and may be familiar with African culture from what they have learned and witnessed, they are very unlikely to have been raised in it.

Indeed, much of modern 'white' South African culture comes from movies and television from the U.S.
We also have a strong and proud Afrikaner community who are still close to their traditional Dutch-based culture and whose intentions are often confused with racism.

There is also the Portuguese, Chinese and Indian demographic, of which the Indians appear to maintain the closest ties to their culture.

This is perhaps why there is still a considerable rift to overcome between black and white South Africans. Despite being born in the same country, the cultural gap is closing very slowly, if at all.