RE: [huml-comment] PC-33 -Section 4.4.6-race

["Bullard, Claude L (Len)" <clbullar@ingr.com>]

From: Dennis E. Hamilton [mailto:dennis.hamilton@acm.org]

>That's a big step from a measurable physical characteristic.  Is this going
>to be added to the specification?

It would depend on the codelist.  And that is application dependent.  It's 
a good point though; race is probably not a physical characteristic until 
it is enumerated further or measurable.  On the other hand, it can be a 
a simple codelist for an observation and all the user does is pick from 
the list.   Here is the standard codelist one finds in many public safety 
applications.  It is itself, specified by a standard as many codelists 
are:

RACE A = Asian B = Black I = Indian W = White U = Unknown 

One could probably take an average individual, give them an 
average group, and they would select among these choices 
correctly a reasonable number of times for some values of 
"correct" and "reasonable".  What is done with these values 
once recorded is a separate issue, not of insignificant 
concern but not of concern in the primary.

>PS: How is it that gender is not reflected as a physical characteristic in
>the Human ML scheme of things?

Oversight.

SEX  M = Male F = Female U = Unknown 

Every now and then, there is an argument to change that to "gender" 
but most forms use "sex" and don't quibble.

len