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Defining Race and Ethnicity

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Defining Race and Ethnicity
(Name)
ETH/125
March 29, 2011
(Instructor’s Name)

Defining Race and Ethnicity Race is a type of subordinate group made up of a population with physical characteristics that differentiate them noticeably from other racial groups. This is not the only distinction. The biological diversities are given emphasis to by social significance, for a race is a social establishment and not a physical actuality. The fact that biological characteristics categorizing a specific race are frequently discovered in others, as well, only emphasize that there are no obvious difference between races from the point of biological meaning.

Cultural differences characterize an ethnic group. Occasionally, what sets a group apart is physical characteristics and national origin and makes them particularly dissimilar from each other. Schaefer (2006) stated “Despite these difficulties, belief in the inheritance of behavior patterns and in an association between physical and cultural traits is widespread. It is called racism when this belief is coupled with the feeling that certain groups or races are inherently superior to others” (pp. 12-13). The United States is such a multiracial and multiethnic country, people with clear social uniqueness are not acknowledged. These concepts are important to United States society because it can be of help evenly to balance the rights selected dominant groups have, that are refused to subordinate groups, therefore eliminate the conflict. Pluralism will allow several groups to coexist with no subordinate and dominant separation letting minorities’ liberty to embrace their cultural without prejudice.

References

Schaefer, R.T. (2006). Racial and Ethnic Groups (10th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.

|Week 1 CheckPoint: Defining Race and Ethnicity

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