Understanding Why Race, Ethnicity And Nativity

What if we lived in a world where there were no races? What if people were not discriminated against because of the color of their skin or because they are different from what we see as acceptable? This is what Kwame Anthony Appiah tries to examine in his essay “Race, Culture, Identity: Misunderstood Connections.” Appiah tries to point out that “American social distinctions cannot be understood in terms of the concept of race.” (102) That America is made up of so many different races that no race is the more superior or in other cases inferior to one another. America is defined by its cultural diversity; it is what makes America the nation that it is. It is the reason that we as Americans have freedoms other people

women, children, and it also create cross-generational influences unique to every family. In using this example of Asian American families, Brooks (2008) suggested:

What is nativism and xenophobia and how are they being expressed in today’s society? (20 points)

I would like to focus my response to the reading in Gabbidon & Greene, Chapter 1, generally around the idea of social construction. Furthermore, I would like to specially provide responses to discussion questions number one and two as posed in the conclusion of chapter one. Discussion question number one asks to “Explain the origin of race and its implications for race and crime.” Discussion question number two asks “Do you believe there are distinct races?” I will also provide perspective on issues surrounding the term “minorities”.

I would like to discuss the issue of race and ethnicity in sports. We will also explore the bigger questions. How much does race and ethnicity matter in the sports world? Are certain races dominant in certain sports? Is there a difference in how we treat players based on race and ethnicity? Does it matter? I would like to answer some of these questions and gain a better understanding of how much of a part they play.

Another critical factor in a culture of a community is family and relationships. The family is the building block of society, and

The film, Ethnic notions, did an excellent job at showcasing the power that music and film has in our society. Ethnic Notions is a documentary that recorded of the progression of Black of music and performance through the ages. Black Art has been around for centuries, however in America Black Art is relatively new and has been appropriate and misused in America. America has used its media and art platforms to perpetuate stereotypes that incorrectly depicts Black American and played a role in the systematic oppression of Black Americans.

with our neighbors, but there are times when ethnicity, race, religion, and class tend to fragment society. Our economic state sadly is the factor that depicts our well being. When our economic state starts going downhill and we struggle to provide for our families or ourselves we start to develop other ways to provide. Family structure goes out the window; a person looks to maximize profits for themselves (“Understanding”, pg.

Race can be generally defined as the clear cut divisions of human kind on their physical characteristics. However, the aspect of race is far more in depth than meets the eye. Other factors that have been argued to include what makes a race are genetics, social relations and ancestry. The most fundamental concept that has been attached to race more than the biological traits is the social

Race distinguishes the physical characteristics of a person such as skin color, skin tone, or hair color as well as a tendency to develop certain diseases. Red-haired people are usually of the Irish race and can trace Irish ancestry in their families. Of course, black skin tones are considered of the Negro race. And then, people with olive or brown skin can be Indian, Native American Indian, Muslim, Mexican, or any other numerous races. Some races tend to have a tendency to have certain diseases than others.

In today’s society it seems to be believed that all racial conflicts or issues have been resolved, yet unfortunately, this could not be any further from the truth. Issues stemming from how people view different races and ethnicities continue to be so prevalent in this modern world. Judgement and prejudices cloud people’s minds and that does not allow them to really comprehend that race and ethnicity are only one feature of a person. First of all, in order to fully grasp the idea and effects that race and ethnicity play into a human being, it is important to know what these two words really mean. In the book, Social Problems: Community, Policy, and Social Action, race is defined as a population that shares a set of genetic traits or physical features, and ethnic groups are defined as groups of people who display a set of cultural traits such as language, religion, or diet (Leon-Guerrero, p.65). Now understanding what the race and ethnicity of a person means, the next step should be to understand that these factors should not play into any consideration for any judgement since they are only one part of a person. Unfortunately, people who are part of the race minorities tend to fall into scrutiny by a society that does not fully comprehend this. This has led to negative mindsets and many forms of discrimination in different types of environments. Ultimately, the race and ethnicity of an individual will play a factor in the success of that person by affecting the type

Social capital, the benefits from social networks, more or less intertwined with cultural capital, also influence choices of HEIs in forms of the interactions taken place within family networks and peer groups.

Race and ethnicity are commonly used as synonyms for each other as we encounter many diverse individuals throughout the world. Sociologist on the other hand, find very distinct understandings to how these terms, while different, hold correlation to one another. Max Weber, a founding figure of sociology, was one of the first to define race and ethnicity. He stood with the idea of essentialism which presumes "that and individual 's identity depends on fundamental and innate characteristics that are deep-seated, inherited, and unchangeable." (Pearson, pg 241) As for ethnicity, Weber described it as subjective belief in relations to a groups common descent. While sociologist today may disagree with Weber 's theory, they do apply this idea of subjectivity and have correlated it to that of not only group definitions but of our own perceptions of biological similarity.

It is also evident that a number of the urban residents are related to each familial links. Therefore, they have a strong affiliation to each other

In his opinion, culture does not necessarily play a direct role in education or economic success. Nevertheless, family has the biggest influence on one’s economic