Skip Channel4 main Navigation
Explore Channel4
Food
Homes
Film
4Car
News
See All
Race: Science's last taboo
A season exploring the concept of race and the impact this has on our society
what is race

We talk about ‘racism’ but do we really
understand what ‘race’ means?

Explore definitions submitted by members of the public

* It is no longer possible to submit definitions

Race and Intelligence: Science’s Last Taboo
Race and Intelligence: Science’s Last Taboo
Rageh Omaar explodes the myths about race and IQ.
Bleach, Nip, Tuck: The White Beauty Myth episode 1
Bleach, Nip, Tuck: The White Beauty Myth episode 1
Examines the growing trend for de-racialisation surgery of the body.
The Event: How Racist Are You?
The Event: How Racist Are You?
Are we all more racist than we realise or would like to admit?
The Human Zoo: Science’s Dirty Secret
The Human Zoo: Science’s Dirty Secret
Exploring the disturbing phenomena of early 20th century human zoos.
Is It Better To Be Mixed Race?
Is It Better To Be Mixed Race?
Is it a biological advantage to have parents of different ethnic backgrounds?
Bleach, Nip, Tuck: The White Beauty Myth episode 2
Bleach, Nip, Tuck: The White Beauty Myth episode 2
Examines the growing trend for de-racialisation surgery of the face.
The season in-depth
POWER
Who Are You Calling A Racist? Dominic Abrams
Who Are You Calling A Racist? Dominic Abrams
How racism is embedded in society without us realising it.
Power without Oppression? Dr Funke Baffour
Power without Oppression? Dr Funke Baffour
Can we obtain power without oppressing people?
SCIENCE AND MYTHS
Interpreting Science by Bill Amos
Interpreting Science by Bill Amos
Making sense of diverse research with reference to eugenics.
Race: A History
Race: A History
A history of the word and its place in science.
GENETICS AND ENVIRONMENT
The New Language of Diversity by Kenan Malik
The New Language of Diversity by Kenan Malik
Why is race back on the modern social agenda?
Let’s Move On From Race by Jonathan Marks
Let’s Move On From Race by Jonathan Marks
Should we focus on social equality instead of gene pools?
BEAUTY
Races, Faces, Sex and Science by Katrina Voss
Races, Faces, Sex and Science by Katrina Voss
Science writer and former broadcast meteorologist Katrina Voss looks at why we don’t all look the same.
A Eurovision of Beauty?
A Eurovision of Beauty?
Dr Amina Mire explores the growing skin whitening industry
GLOSSARY
Not sure what something means? Use our glossary for definitions of specific terms used in this series.
TIMELINE
The word ‘race’ was first used to refer to humans during the age of exploration, when Europeans discovered that the world was populated by different peoples. Have attitudes to race changed since then?
Why this season matters
Aarathi Prasad
Aarathi Prasad
The Acceptable Face of Blackness
Krishnan Guru-Murthy
Krishnan Guru-Murthy
Racism or a Mismatch of Understanding?
Rageh Omaar
Rageh Omaar
The Science of Underachievement
Ralph Lee
Ralph Lee
Science for the Good of All
Oona King
Oona King
Poverty and Underachievement
In the past science has been used, to promote ideas of inequality.
Ralph Lee
Read about this season on The TV Show blog

Channel 4 © 2009. Channel 4 is not responsible for the content of external websites.