Which of the following is an example of scientific racism used during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries? (2 points)
A. • altering the religious beliefs of colonial subjects by sending Christian missionaries
B. • encouraging colonized peoples to dress in Western fashions
C. • forcing colonized peoples to speak colonial languages such as English
D. • identification of a superior ethnic group in Africa because they have more European features
D. • identification of a superior ethnic group in Africa because they have more European features
D. • identification of a superior ethnic group in Africa because they have more European features
The correct answer is D. Identification of a superior ethnic group in Africa because they have more European features.
To arrive at this answer, you would need to understand the concept of scientific racism and its historical context. Scientific racism was a pseudoscientific ideology that gained popularity during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It was based on the belief that there were inherent racial differences that determined the intelligence, morality, and worth of different races.
During this period, scholars and scientists often used physical features, such as European facial features or lighter skin tone, as criteria to determine the superiority or inferiority of different ethnic groups. They believed that Africans with more European-like features were superior and often used this as a basis for justifying colonization, imperial superiority, and racial segregation.
Option A, altering the religious beliefs of colonial subjects by sending Christian missionaries, does not directly relate to scientific racism. It refers more to attempts at religious conversion and cultural assimilation.
Option B, encouraging colonized peoples to dress in Western fashions, is a reflection of cultural imperialism and the influence of Western culture but is not specifically related to scientific racism.
Option C, forcing colonized peoples to speak colonial languages such as English, is a reflection of linguistic imperialism and the dominance of colonial powers, but it is not directly linked to scientific racism.
Therefore, option D, the identification of a superior ethnic group in Africa because they have more European features, aligns with the principles of scientific racism during this period.