RACE
Few features about a person are as abundantly readily accessible as Physical Attractiveness, which accounts for a sizable portion of why people consistently use Physical Attractiveness as an informational cue. Among other comparatively visible features such as a person’s race and age, which of course are not always accurately discernable for all individuals, Physical Attractiveness Predominates in informational importance. Race and age demographics might be equally apparent with Physical Attractiveness, and might have exerted greater influence in times past, but use of Physical aAtractiveness as an informational cue overwhelmingly transcends these demographic categorizations. Regardless of potentially complicating effects due to interdependencies between a person’s features, people deem a person’s Physical Attractiveness to be more informative with greater consequences than a person’s race or age.

Race and age demographics might be equally apparent with Physical Attractiveness, and might have exerted greater influence in times past, but use of Physical Attractiveness as an informational cue overwhelmingly transcends these demographic categorizations. Regardless of potentially complicating effects due to interdependencies between a person’s features, people deem a person’s Physical Attractiveness to be more informative with greater consequences than a person’s race or age.

Physical Attractiveness permeates most manifestations of social behavior and culture, perhaps as has been the case for millennia and likely even since the appearance of life on earth. Scientific research has documented well this pervasiveness, even though it has specifically addressed Physical Attractiveness as part of appearance phenomenon for only a relatively short period.

Scholarly research investigations present an impressive depth and breadth of research methodologies with profound consistency of discoveries. People’s attitudes, beliefs, and ultimately actions in response to different levels of Physical Attractiveness range in magnitude from subtle nuances to overt discrimination. Still, most people claim ignorance of, or indifference to, the force of Physical Attractiveness functioning within most everyday aspects of education, politics, business, law enforcement and legal proceedings, as well as social valuation, cognition, and interaction.

People who prefer to interact with others of the same race illustrate well the transcending power of Physical Attractiveness. Despite predisposition toward same-race individuals, people increasingly, albeit subtly without overt proclamation, seem to prefer another person of a different race whose appearance is higher in Physical Attractiveness than a person of their same race whose appearance is low in Physical Attractiveness. Some circumstantial data in support are -

1. The increasing number of interracial marriages in the United States which had nearly tripled to 1,674,000 interracial marriages with at least one black/African American or white/Caucasian spouse in 2002, up from 651,000 in 1980.

2. Gallup Organization provides supporting scientific data, albeit less specific to Physical Attractiveness, reported in a 2004 article, “70 percent of whites now say they approve of marriage between whites and blacks, up from just 4 percent in a 1958 Gallup poll,” while “80 percent of blacks and 77 percent of Hispanics also say they generally approve of interracial marriages.” Also reported, 71% of American adults overall “would not object to a child or grandchild’s marrying someone of another race. Perhaps even more remarkable, a large majority of white respondents—66 percent—say they would not object if their child or grandchild chose a black (African American) spouse. African Americans (86 percent) and Hispanics (79 percent) were equally accepting about a child or grandchild’s marrying someone of another race.”

Moreover, scientific endeavors have unveiled findings documenting that Physical Attractiveness affects males and females of all ages, races, nationalities, religions, and affiliations in similar patterns. Society and individuals bestow rewards associated with social desirability to both genders in rough proportion to one’s level of Physical Attractiveness.

Another dimension to Physical Attractiveness phenomenon and race is the diminishing resistance among some ethnicities to enhance their Physical Attractiveness through cosmetic surgery. Besides, black skin scar much more easily than white skin. This may be a deterrent for desiring cosmetic surgery but it may partially explain why African Americans represent the largest market of beauty products today in the United States, spending more than $20 billion annually. However, “the number of blacks seeking facial or reconstructive surgery more than tripled between 1997 and 2002, reflecting both the growing affluence of African Americans and the subtle easing of some long held cultural taboos against such procedures,” as well as reflecting advances in technology and surgeon skills.