Race: Science and Politics
Essay
By: Ruth Benedict
Date: 1945
Source: Benedict, Ruth. Race: Science and Politics. Rev. ed. New York: Viking Press, 1945, vii–viii, ix–xi.
About the Author: Born in New York, Ruth Fulton Benedict (1887–1948) began attending Vassar College at the age of seventeen. She graduated in 1909, and following a year of overseas travel, during which she considered various career choices, Benedict began graduate studies in the field of anthropology. Her instructors included Franz Boas and Edward Sapir, both of whom were prominent and influential anthropologists. Margaret Mead, who became a lifelong friend, was one of her students. Benedict obtained her Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1922 and remained there as a teacher until her death.
Introduction
During World War II (1939–1945), the public perception about race was that there were biologically...
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1940's Science and Technology Primary Sources
The 1940's: Primary Sources
