Comments on Dienekes' Anthropology Blog: Barack Obama or Barry Dunham? How names influence ...

I believe that the mind tends make sense of new st...

2008-10-30T17:35:00.000+02:00

I believe that the mind tends make sense of new stimuli based on previous memories, experience, "wiring," etc.

So whereas a mixed-race face alone would likely get mixed results, a European or Asian name appended to it "tips the scales" in its own favor. A European name, for example, will conjure up notions of "White," "Western," etc. that will compel the observer to make a decision.

David Smith is a boring-ass sounding name by the w...

2008-10-30T03:41:00.000+02:00

David Smith is a boring-ass sounding name by the way - sounds totally uneventful. English guy need to spice it up like a movie star!

Well you might correctly assume that a person with...

2008-10-30T03:27:00.000+02:00

Well you might correctly assume that a person with an English Name has some connection to the western world,but that doesn't mean better ,especially since many Asians outperform Whites on tests,and The People Of Indian and Russian have the most Money.The average English Guy is Poor and dumb,so if you see an English name be afraid,be very afraid.I'm not picking on folks with English names,but I think they don't always have the best opportunities,despite the fact that America is a great industrial county.But I guess Americans don't have the embarrassment of being named Ho Dong Long,and what not.I don't really know what I'm saying-I'm just mouthin' off.

Not in my opinion,that a Euro name makes people th...

2008-10-30T03:06:00.000+02:00

Not in my opinion,that a Euro name makes people think your're more Euro.I go strictly on looks or plain old knowledge of the fact that many types of people in America have Caucasian Names now a days.I see many blacks with Asian names,but not Asian looks and the same for Whites that want to broaden their horizons.The guy in your picture looks like many people named Jose Castillo-like an Hispanic.But he's not pretty average Asian,nor does he look plain old White,he looks like many Latinos.He looks foreign and clueless with a European name,though.

I would argue that the process is anything but log...

2008-10-29T04:39:00.000+02:00

I would argue that the process is anything but logical or mathematical, but rather points to the way the mind unconsciously sorts data into culturally-influenced categories based on previous experience.

It reminds me of that pedantic book "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions" by Thomas Kuhn.