Ethnicity has been defined as: "the social group a person belongs to, and either identifies with or is identified with by others, as a result of a mix of cultural and other factors including language, diet, religion, ancestry and physical features traditionally associated with race" (Bhopal, 2004, p. 442). Show
It is important to make a distinction between the concepts of ‘race’ and ‘ethnicity’. Race is a socially meaningful category of people who share biologically transmitted traits that are obvious and considered important. In contrast to the idea of race, ethnicity simply means a shared cultural heritage (Goodfriend, 2010, p. 19). Ethnic minorities are people with ethnic origins different from the majority of the public. People of first, second or later generations, who can be distinguished from the majority of people living in a specific country or region, through their color of skin, family names, specific habits or behavior and who can be identified as a minority in regard to most inhabitants of a specific country. Ethnic minority covers a wide range of people in certain situations: historical national minorities, migrants, immigrant workers, refugees and asylum seekers or people from former colonies and people with trans-national identities. Another way that these concepts could be considered is the division of people up into the categories of 'majority' versus 'minority' status. (Horcajo, Petty, Briñol, 2010, p. 512) When we are talking about race, ethnicity, gender, religion, or any other socially meaningful group of people, the majority refers to the social group considered to have the most power in a particular place (and sometimes the most members). The definition of a social minority is any category of people distinguished by either a physical or cultural difference that a society has subordinated, or attributed a subaltern status. The concept of ethnicity is a major aspect of social inequality in modern societies. The YOUNG_ADULLLT project is particularly interested in how the status of ethnic minority might act as a significant barrier to social inclusion of young people. ReferencesBhopal, R. (2004). Glossary of terms relating to ethnicity and race: for reflection and debate. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, Vol. 58, pp. 441-445. Goodfriend, W. (2010). Race and Ethnicity Definitions: Social Minority vs. Social Majority, Lecture Material, Buena Vista University, in: “Intro to Sociology/Introducing Race & Diversity“, p. 26. Thomas, A. D., & Goodfriend, W. (2009). Ethnicity and abuse in intimate partner relationships: A Black and White examination. Modern Psychological Studies, Vol. 14, pp. 17-34. Horcajo, J., Petty, R. E. & Briñol, P. (2010). The effects of majority versus minority source status on persuasion: a self-validation analysis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 99, No. 3, pp. 498-512. (Borislava Petkova) The traditional definition of race and ethnicity is related to biological and sociological factors respectively. Race refers to a person's physical characteristics, such as bone structure and skin, hair, or eye color. Ethnicity, however, refers to cultural factors, including nationality, regional culture, ancestry, and language. An example of race is brown, white, or black skin (all from various parts of the world), while an example of ethnicity is German or Spanish ancestry (regardless of race) or Han Chinese. Your race is determined by how you look while your ethnicity is determined based on the social and cultural groups you belong to. You can have more than one ethnicities but you are said to have one race, even if it's "mixed race". Definitions of Ethnicity and RaceWhat is ethnicity?Ethnicity is state of belonging to a social group that has a common national or cultural tradition.[1] This is, by definition, a fluid concept; ethnic groups can be broadly or narrowly construed. For example, they can be as broad as "Native American" or as narrow as "Cherokee". Another example is the Indian subcontinent — Indians may be considered one ethnic group but there are actually dozens of cultural traditions and subgroups like Gujarati, Punjabi, Bengali, and Tamil that are also bona fide ethnic groups. Yet another example is people in Great Britain — they may be considered British, or more precisely English, Scottish or Welsh. What is race?A race is a group of people with a common physical feature or features. While there are hundreds — if not thousands — of ethnicities, the number of races is far fewer. Difference Between Race and EthnicityTake the Caucasian (a.k.a., Caucasoid) race. The physical characteristics of Caucasians were described by M. A. MacConaill, an Irish anatomy professor, as including "light skin and eyes, narrow noses, and thin lips. Their hair is usually straight or wavy." Caucasians are said to have the lowest degree of projection in their alveolar bones that contain the teeth, a notable size prominence of the cranium and forehead region, and a projection of the midfacial region. A person whose appearance matches these characteristics is said to be a Caucasian. Caucasians don't always have white skin but in the United States "caucasian" is commonly used to mean white people. Caucasians are found in many countries around the world. So while a Caucasian person in the United States may share certain racial characteristics with a Caucasian person from France, the two people have different ethnic backgrounds — one American, the other French. They will likely speak different languages most of the time, have different traditions, and may even have different beliefs that have been heavily influenced by their local cultures. It is worth noting that "race" and "ethnicity" can be highly subjective, with lines between the two concepts frequently blurred. The video below discusses how terms for racial and ethnic identities have changed over the years and how a racial or ethnic term may not accurately describe a person's identity, as the person may have multiple racial and ethnic backgrounds. Multiracial vs. MulticulturalIn most cases, race is unitary — i.e., a person belongs to one race — but may claim ethnic membership in multiple groups. For example, Barack Obama is racially black in spite of his mother being caucasian. On the other hand, a person can self-identify ethnically as Scottish and German if she has indeed lived in both ethic groups. Self-identification and ChoiceAnother difference between race and ethnicity is related to the ability to self-identify. A person does not choose her race; it is assigned by society based upon her physical features. However, ethnicity is self-identified. An individual can learn a language, social norms and customs, and assimilate into a culture to belong to an ethnic group. Race relations"Race relations" is one of the dominant themes in American politics from time to time, and refers to relationships between the major race groups — white, black, native American, Hispanic/Latino, "Asian," and others of mixed races. America has also had a sometimes troubled history with ethnic strife — e.g., during the waves of Irish and Italian immigration to the U.S. These immigrants were Caucasian but had a different ethnicity compared to the Anglo Saxons who preceded them; they often faced ethnic discrimination. "Asians"The word "Asian" used in a racial context in the United States refers to people of Southeast Asian origin, including a vast variety of ethnic backgrounds, such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese. This colloquial usage is incorrect because "Asian" is not technically a race, as it means someone from Asia, including people from India, Saudi Arabia, Israel and parts of Russia. Genetic UnderpinningGeneticist Luca Cavalli-Sforza has argued that neither ethnicity nor race have a genetic basis and cannot be scientifically defined. He notes that human populations have a great degree of genetic unity (even in their apparent diversity): Most genetic differences are between individuals, not groups. Almost never does one group (racial or ethnic) have a trait that is missing in the rest of humanity. Our physical differences—skin color, facial features, hair texture— actually represent ancestral adaptations to different environments. These are malleable characteristics that evolve relatively swiftly. The obvious differences in skin color, for instance, relate to the intensity of sunlight at different latitudes. References
Which of the following concepts refers to a category of people distinguished by physical or cultural?What concept refers to a category of people, distinguishable by physical or cultural traits, that are socially disadvantaged? A Minority is a category of people, distinguishable by physical or cultural traits, that are socially disadvantaged.
What is the category of people distinguished by physical or cultural difference?The definition of a social minority is any category of people distinguished by either a physical or cultural difference that a society has subordinated, or attributed a subaltern status. The concept of ethnicity is a major aspect of social inequality in modern societies.
Which of the following concepts refers to the physical and social separation?miscegenation. Which of the following concepts refers to the physical and social separation of categories of people? segregation.
Which of the following concepts refers to a category of people who share?The concept "race" refers to. a socially constructed category composed of people who share biologically transmitted traits that members of a society consider important. Prejudice and discrimination can be either positive or negative.
|
