Ethnicity
A term ethnicity that describes shared culture with the practices, values, and beliefs of a group. This might include shared language, religion, and traditions, among other commonalities. Under a broad definition, ethnicity refers to physical and cultural characteristics that make a social group distinctive, either in group members' eyes or in the view of outsiders (Perea, J. F., 1993) thus “ethnicity consists of a set of ethnic traits that may include, but are not limited to: race, national origin, ancestry, language, religion, shared history, traditions, values, and symbols, all of which contribute to a sense of distinctiveness among members of the group” See also (Ethnicity and Prejudice: Reevaluating National Origin Discrimination Under Title VII. Wm. & Mary L. Rev., 35, 805).
Like race, the term “ethnicity” is difficult to describe and its meaning has changed over time because individuals may be identified or self-identify with ethnicities in complex, even contradictory, ways. For example, ethnic groups such as Irish, Italian American, Russian, Jewish, and Serbian might all be groups whose members are predominantly included in the racial category “white.” Ethnicity usually refers to differentiation based on cultural and physical characteristics that makes a group distinct, and other factors, including language, territory, race, religion, ancestry, shared history, values, symbols, “all which contribute to a sense of uniqueness among members of the group
Ethnicity is characterized as the perceived belief that there is a commonality within a group may it be culture, language, religion, and/or history. They go on and state Schermerhorn’s definition of ethnic groups as those who are self-conscience of their identity
An ethnic group is a group of people who share a common culture. Groups can have a shared history, common ancestry, religion, language, traditions, and beliefs. These things make up a common culture that is shared by members of an ethnic group.
Race and Ethnicity – Race is a concept used to differ population groups on the basis of physical characteristics. Races used by the government for statistical purposes are Alaskan Native, American Indian, Asian or Pacific Islander, Black, White, and Unknown. Ethnicity is a concept used to differ population on the basis of cultural characteristics or geographical origins. Ethnic designations used by the government for statistical purposes are of a Hispanic origin o nor of Hispanic origin, and Unknown.
Ethnicity is groups of individuals with the same common interest and beliefs. They speak the same language and they also have shared characteristics such as their culture. Ethnic groups look at themselves differently during certain periods of time. They are often times defined by being stereotyped. Reid Mandell, B., & Schram, B. (2012).
This commonality is based on shared group histories and culture. For example, within the Black race there are different ethnicities such as West Indians and African-Americans. The distinctions are made because West Indian and African-Americans have different cultures and histories. Haslanger states that ethnicity concerns an individual’s connection to “a certain geographical region.” According to Haslanger, what separates race and ethnicity is the hierarchical factor. Ethnicity does not have the hierarchical factor. Haslanger goes further, expressing that ethnicity can take on the characteristic of race when hierarchy is used. For example, individuals can identify themselves as ethnic West Indians. However, West Indian can cease to be an ethnic term when it is used to place an individual hierarchically in society. Harlanger reiterates this point when she states, “the occurrence of hierarchical positioning means that the group has gone beyond simply being an ethnic group and functions in the content of
"Symbolic ethnicity" is a term coined by Herbert Gans. It refers to ethnicity that is individualistic in nature and without real social cost for the individual. These symbolic identifications are essentially leisure time activities, rooted in nuclear family traditions reinforced by voluntary enjoyable aspects of being ethnic (Gans 424-429). "Symbolic ethnicity" is practiced and enjoyed by white Americans. It is a way for descendants of white Europeans to learn about and be proud of their heritage. That is not the case for non-whites who are grouped together by the white majority making ethnic identity difficult .
Race refers to the idea of identifying people into groups based on various physical characteristics. An ethnic group or ethnicity is a population whose members identify with each other based on shared social traits. In America, we currently have six dominant races: white American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, black or African American, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, and people of two or more races. The Census Bureau also classifies Americans as "Hispanic or Latino”. Hispanic and Latino Americans are a diverse ethnicity that composes the largest minority group in the United States. Throughout the last decade many sociologist around the country have gathered evidence to prove the evolution the American population is witnessing.
Ethnic Identity Ethnic identity is when an individual views themselves belonging to a specific ethnic group. It is a very complex concept because it can have different interpretations to certain groups. Some ethnic groups believe you must be their race to belong to their group and to others you just need to be acquainted with their heritage and history. In Trying to Find Chinatown and Story of My Body, ethnic identity is displayed in several ways and is a major theme across both stories.
Everyone has a background; a story that not only defines them but also a long line of family members that lived before them. By knowing our story it allows us to better understand ourselves and appreciate the history that we are apart of. We use terms like race, ethnicity, and nationality to define who we are and identify where we came from. Race is defined as a category of human beings based off of distinctive physical characteristics, for example: my race is caucasian. Ethnicity is defined as a group of humans distinguished primarily on the basis of cultural characteristics. My ethnicity is described as Irish and Scottish. Finally, nationality can be described as the country of which you hold citizenship. My nationality is American because
Ethnicity is a social label or category used to classify individuals who share a common ancestry and cultural background.
Ethnicity, however, relates more to a person’s identity outside of their genetic material. This could be based off of what type of culture a person was raised in. A persons’ ethnicity can be reflective of their race, but it could also differ. Sometimes, as Henslin explains, ethnicities can be confused and seen as races. One example he gives is Judaism. Some people see being Jewish as a race. Although for some people their beliefs may be tied in with their race, no genetic material determines if you are Jewish or not. For many people it is passed down through generations, yet it is by educating and raising a child in that culture rather than them being genetically imbedded with Judaism. Being Jewish does not dictate a person’s skin
People are usually categorized in terms of race and/or ethnicity. Race is a term typically used to classify people according to similar and specific physical characteristics. Ethnicity is a term more broadly used that connects people according to an inherited status such as: a shared ancestry, language, history, religion, cuisine, art, clothing style, and/or physical appearance, etc.
In contrast to the idea of race, Ethnicity refers to ethnic affiliation, or the “cultural practices and outlooks of a given community of people that set them apart from others” (Giddens, 1997:210). Members of a particular ethnic group see themselves as culturally distinct from other groups of people in a society or culture. There are different characteristics which serve as a way of
The contents of this paper include the definition of race and the lack of knowledge on exactly what race is. Both race and ethnicity deal with the concept of claiming a common ancestry however the exact specifics on the two make them different. The definition of race simplified is the physical characteristics of a person. It refers to distinct populations within the human species, hence terms Caucasian, Native American, African American, etc. Ethnicity is used to describe the cultural practices of a person. This can include barriers such as language, religion, nationality, customs and ancestry. Nationality, as well, sometimes confused with race is the status of belonging to a particular nation. This, however, is not your race. Within the past
Our lives are shaped by who we are and what we are and where we come from. What race or ethnic group we belong to determines our life chances in contemporary society. Ethnicity is the cultural background of a group of people who share a belief in common ancestry. According to Max Weber, ethnic groups are formed by colonisation and immigration. Ethnicity is something we all have but in Australia and in many parts of the world, ethnicity is often applied on minority groups to highlight dominant groups of people on the bases of physical appearance, race, origins or culture. Being part of a dominant group provides prestige, power and control over the running of societies. The term ethnic comes from ancient Greek to mean gentile or non