Race May Be a Social Construct, But Diversity is Science.
American society is an ecosystem, populated by diverse social and cultural species. Regardless of how these species evolved, the science of ecology has shown us that the most diverse communities are the healthiest communities; in ecosystems, diversity is more than just presence; it’s full inclusion in the function of the ecosystem. The relationship between species diversity and community stability highlights the need to maintain the greatest richness possible within communities. We reject or ignore diversity and inclusion at our societies peril.
Ecosystems that grow in complexity until they achieve a steady state and become self-perpetuating are sometimes referred to as “climax communities” — a reference to their having reached a pinnacle of maturity. Climax communities resist change by preventing the admission of, or suppressing, species diversity, preferentially select those “species” (in this case social and cultural identities) based on their fit into the climax community and ability to sustain it.
By all measures, current American society has all the characteristics of a climax community.
The forces of maturity in climax communities are so strong that, when stressed, dominant species desperately attempt to achieve equilibrium and impede evolutionary progress. This is supported by a parallel evolutionary construct of convergence, which is where otherwise unrelated species must evolve similar phenotypical features (like language, hair styles, dress codes, behaviors) in order to survive; species that don’t converge are forced out (or into extinction).
These negative forces not only sustain the oppression and discrimination of individuals and groups based on assigned identities, but also the oppression of, and discrimination against, their presence and full inclusion in the ecosystem.
In evolutionary biology, fitness in an ecosystem is determined by the habitat structure into which various species seek their place. In climax communities, changes are habitat structure are requires to support species diversity in the ecosystem. Maintaining diverse populations is important to avoid convergence; ecosystems with limited diversity that resist evolutionary forces are less able to adapt to changing environmental conditions. This increases the risk of “destruction events” (think: “forest fires”) that force the opportunity for ecological succession.
Destruction events open the door to new species having the opportunity to find their place in the ecosystem. Some current members of the population adapt; others may lose their place.
Habitat structure directly influences the diversity, richness, and composition of our communities. In this case, habitat refers to our social fabric: the interconnected environments — physical, virtual, and social — of our systems of government, public policies, media, business, and other social structures such as standards of respectability. In addition, habitat structure can directly influence the diversity, richness, and composition of species assemblages. Community assembly, species coexistence, and the maintenance of biodiversity are all habitat dependent. Keep in mind that in climax communities, habitat structure can also be used to sustain the oppression and discrimination of individuals and groups.
However, we can avoid crises associated with destruction events by actively disassembling the habitat structures that function to support and sustain harmful social constructs. The first step is to recognize and acknowledge how social and political forces and history have adversely influenced the diversity of the ecosystem we call America; the second is to take active steps to ensure the diversity of the American ecosystem and reduce or eliminate the forces of convergence, oppression or discrimination based on social or cultural constructs.
Such an effort will allow for a more stable and successful ecosystem; while some members of the population may have to adapt, the benefits of such diversity accrue to everyone and support a more productive and positive future for all of us.
· Mueller, Laurence. Conceptual Breakthroughs in Evolutionary Ecology. United Kingdom, Elsevier Science, 2019.
· Cleland EE. Biodiversity and Ecosystem Stability. Nature Education Knowledge 2011; 3(10):14
· DellaSala Dominick A., and Chad T. Hanson, eds. 2015. The Ecological Importance of Mixed-Severity Fires: Nature’s Phoenix. New York: Elsevier.
· Godbold, J.A., M.T. Bulling, and M. Solan. 2011. “Habitat Structure Mediates Biodiversity Effects on Ecosystem Properties.” Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 278 (1717): 2510–18.
