What Is The Difference Between Race And Ethnicity

1. Describe the difference between race and ethnicity. What roles do race and social class continue to play in the United States?

The difference between ethnicity and race is that race is supposedly a scientific difference between groups of people. Race subdivides groups of people by a physical or genetic characteristic. Ethnicity, on the other hand, considers cultural traits. Race is a flawed term, because there is more variation within a racial group than between racial groups. Ethnicity, is a true term, because there are distinct cultural groups within groups of humans. Although there is a lot of mixing and melding of cultural groups, it is still easy to find distinct groups.

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.

In a world full of unique people there are groups that different people identify with based on traditions, values, beliefs and other factors. A person identifies with a culture based on the beliefs, traditions, values, and worldviews of the culture. Ethnicity is a specific type of culture group that people identify with based on identity, norms and to an extent physical appearance. Rave is a group that is a social construct that people identify with usually associated with skin color or stereotypes. Since race is a social concept society places a person in a race even if it is not the race that the person identifies with. Unfortunately society has created ideas about people of particular races, this is why race part of race is stereotypes.

Both race and ethnicity are both socially constructed and are a cultural category instead of a biological reality. Race and ethnicity are contrasts between people that we perceive. Race is nearly impossible to exactly define someone as white or black because people are so many different shades of color which makes everyone unique. Ethnicity is socially constructed because the boundaries that make someone a particular ethnicity are fairly flexible. Both of these concepts are used to describe differences between humans and ways that people are identified in society.

“Race, its meaning in contemporary society, and its use (and abuse) in public policy.” (Omi, Winant, p. 11). On the other hand, ethnicity comes from someone’s biological heritage and family roots (Module 2, p.1). For example, this can include cultures, rituals, etc. (Module 2, p.1).

Ethnicity: ethnicity defines people and groups who share characteristic such as language, religion, dress, and origin. Discrimination can happen when people consider the ethnic characteristics of other people inferior to their own.

Ethnicity is the “identity of a particular racial, national, or cultural group and observance of that group's customs, beliefs, [and] language” (Dictionary.com, n.d.). This definition beautifully points out that it’s a way a person identifies who they are in reference to a specific group. (Dictionary.com, n.d.). It’s also important to note the way individuals identify the race that they have chosen to be apart of. Race is “a group of people of common ancestry, distinguished from others by physical characteristics, such as hair type, colour of eyes and skin” (Dictionary.com, n.d.). Identity and race are fundamental factors that need to be taken into account when addressing a patient. These characteristics are not generic and will bring knowledge

James M. Henslin defines race as “a group of people with inherited physical characteristics that distinguish it from another group” (2014). Meanwhile, ethnicity “refers to cultural characteristics” (Henslin, 2014). The difference mostly relies in a similar argument to the classic nature versus nurture argument. Race is what a person genetically inherits. Whether it may be skin tone or anatomical features, they are dictated by something outside of a person’s personal preference. An example of race is that a person could be caucasian or latino. They do not get to choose, they are simply given the traits of that race through their bloodline.

Ethnicity and Race are very difficult to define. The two words are so closely related and often times used interchangeably.

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

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.

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

Ethnicity and racism, depending on what aspect you are looking from, each may have advantage and or disadvantages. When explaining ethnicity, it refers to the act of favouring or preferring a person or a group of people because they come from the same ethnic group as you. As side from ethnicity, racism is the act of favouring a person or a group of people because they come from the same race or they have the same skin color as you. An example is when myself a young, Mexican woman applies for the same college a white girl does, we meet the same requirements, same GPA and both able to afford the tuition. The college ends up choosing the white student, which then stems from the phrase White privilege which is,” an institutional (rather than personal) set of benefits granted to those of us who, by race, resemble the people who dominate the powerful positions in our institutions” (Kendall,2002). The same example can be used in order to explain what it is meant by ethnicity, meaning when you are in same situation and a person from the same ethnic group as the person interviewing for the college is chosen over me even when my qualifications were exceed, that would be the meaning of ethnicity. (TCO 5).

Very few of us accurately describe the difference between ethnicity and race, simply because we define them as the same. While the meaning of both words can appear very similar, there are differences.