Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 3.djvu/331

 THE HIERARCHY OF EUROPEAN RACES 3 1 7

Wherever, as in southern Europe, the Mediterranean element enters extensively into the population, the cephalic index alone is no longer a safe criterion, since although it serves to distin- tinguish the dolichocephalic from their brachycephalic neigh- bors, it makes no distinction between the dolichocephalic Aryan and the equally dolichocephalic Mediterranean. In such cases it is necessary to take account also of coloration and height.

These three races that can be thus sharply distinguished by physical peculiarities will have, it is to be presumed, each more or less pronounced psychological characteristics and tendencies ; tendencies that can be discerned by a comparison of communi- ties and groups representing the different races ; tendencies that are bound to affect the nature and development of social groups according as one or another racial element predominates. To some of these differences in the psychological character and tendency of the three races we shall now direct our attention.

These differences have been studied already from several points of view, but most fruitfully, perhaps, in connection with their bearing upon the operation in society of selective influences. In every society complex forces are operating to increase certain elements of the population and to bring about the decrease of other elements. In a society composed of different racial ele- ments these selective forces operate largely along racial lines ; one race tends to survive and increase, another to decrease in relative or even in absolute numbers.

Of the many processes in society that have a selective influ- ence, direct or indirect, three of the most significant are the struggle for wealth, the effor.t for social position, and the estab- lishment and change of domicile. Our material will enable us to consider the relative capacity, aptitude, and tendencies of the three races with reference to each of the above processes. ( hn conclusions will be formulated in three corresponding laws, which we may designate respectively as: (i) The law of the distribu- tion of wealth; (2) the law of social stratification; and (3) the law of domicile and migration.

Our first task will be to compare, as respects the operation