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Argumentative Essay On Race And Ethnicity

623 Words3 Pages

The term race is used to classify people with similar traits that are generally viewed as inherently distinct by society. It is the process of grouping people based on shared physical, national affiliations, and even social qualities into categories. Some believe that race is a myth. This may be true when viewed from a socially constructed perspective, because race is a represented identity that was created to establish a type of cultural meaning and order. Although race may partially be drawn up from physical similarities within groups, race is not an intrinsic physical or biological quality. With this social categorization, the use of the word race itself has become problematic because race identification can produce stereotypes and racism …show more content…

While race is not biologically constructed, race is a real identification for social categories. The main confusion is that some people may have used the word race and ethnicity interchangeably in verbal communication. Therefore, before going any further, some insight with regards to the topics of race and ethnicity is helpful because both are not the same, and they have different delivery of meanings in communication. In comparison to ethnicity, “race is based on shared physical characteristics [and] ethnicity is based on shared cultural characteristics” such as the language, religion, and any aspects of culture (Writing Explained).
What is white privilege? It is associated with segregation and discrimination of colored people. Unlike the more openly individual and institutional creations of racism, white privilege is neither something intentionally created nor done on purpose by white people. It is a transparent preference or “perks” for whiteness that occurs in our society. For example, complimentary shampoos and conditioners in a hotel are seldom made for African-American hair. White privilege “creates a sense of entitlement, generates perks and advantages for white people and elevates our status in the world"

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In the reading this week by Smedley and Smedley, the differences between ethnicity and race are discussed and the terms defined. Ethnicity is described as a group of people who have a common cultural trait, share a common language, area of origin, religion, and history (Smedley & Smedley 2005). The culture is learned, and is transferable to other people within the group (Smedley & Smedley 2005). Race is defined as physical features such as skin color or hair texture (Smedley & Smedley 2005). “Ethnicity was recognized as plastic, and transmissible, but race conveyed the notion of differences that could not be transcended” (Smedley & Smedley, 2005, p. 19).

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624 Words | 3 Pages

In other words, race is understood differently around the world. According to the text book, in West Africa, people are categorized into racial groups based on the status of having noble ancestry and not physical features. Also, according to the article, “Defining Race”, race is categorized base on individuals’ social class status and wealth. Furthermore, the invention of race reflects social, economic, and political aspects in society. For example, White American who has white and black ancestry will be considered as black because black slaves are free source of labor, and white population want to increase the number of labor.

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805 Words | 4 Pages

Common Assessment Essay Race is defined as people who have differences and similarities in biological traits deemed by society to be socially significant. Throughout American history, race has played a key role in shaping the formation of America. Wars were fought over race, and many died due to the color of their skin. Native Americans endured a significant amount of hardship due to what others thought about them. They were known as savages and murderers.

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1396 Words | 6 Pages

Race is something that is used to organize groups of people to fit within descriptions, generally based on their physical characteristics or bloodline (Conley, 2017, p. 326). This organization can be used to justify personal or societal inequalities. “We all see the world through a racial lens that colors our world black, white, Asian, Mexican, minority, or “other”. How we are seen and how we see others affects various domains of our lives and the lives of others; from the types of jobs we have, the amount of money we make, the kind of friends we make, the places we live, the foods we eat, the schools we go to, etc…”(Lusca, 2008). Physical characteristics are something easily seen and generally used by most to separate people in to groups.

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541 Words | 3 Pages

In the assigned reading, Rethinking the Color Line, Snipp argues that race is a social construct. Despite the progress our country has made over the past centuries, race continues to divide and group individuals in society. The idea of race and ethnicity is important to individuals in American culture. We identify as a race or ethnicity and experience certain lifestyles because of this identity. Race has evolved to become more than just black and white over the years.

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1422 Words | 6 Pages

Whites are privileged because we are seen as the average American. We do not get second glances, because nobody suspects we are doing anything but living our lives. Though since we are not subject to this intense scrutiny we do not realize that we in turn do this to African Americans, just simply living their daily lives as well. McIntosh (1988) points out that she repeatedly forgot each of the realizations on this list until I wrote it down. For me white privilege has turned out to be an elusive and fugitive subject.

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934 Words | 4 Pages

(Cassidy & Grieco, 2001). The term race is often viewed by others as a social construct rather than biologic or genetic. Some view it as what one looks like in a physical feature or see race as a cultural difference. Race is a human Construct. Race is a made of categorization that’s based on physical appearances.

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324 Words | 2 Pages

Race and ethnicity are two terms which are used interchangeably in every day conversation, however, there is a distinction between the two. Race is a categorization of people who have been singled out as inferior or superior, often on the basis of phenotype – observable physical characteristics such as skin color, hair texture, eye shape, or other selective attributes. Race is a social construct and has been known to change with historical and political events. Contrarily, ethnicity does not necessarily provide visual clues, instead, ethnicity is categorized on the basis of a shared common culture and includes elements such as language, norms, customs, religion, music, art, literature. Ethnic Groups are developed by their unique history

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1788 Words | 8 Pages

People see whiteness because they experience its effects. A useful comparison can be drawn between the unrecognised privileges of males, and those of white people (McIntosh, 1988). It is not unusual for men to acknowledge that women are disadvantaged. With that said, McIntosh (1988) argues that white privilege is in the same manner without recognition and thus preserved. McIntosh (1988) views white privilege as an invisible collection of unearned assets that is of benefit to white people on a daily basis.

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499 Words | 2 Pages

Among anthropologists it has become increasingly clear that the concept of race having a biological basis is fundamentally flawed. There a number of flaws with this concept of race. One issue is that features attributed to race, such as skin color, very across the globe in a clinal fashion rather than in uniform groups. Another issue is that there is more in-group variation within races than there is variation between races. Finally, human variation is non-concordant.

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820 Words | 4 Pages

Although Race has become a politically acceptable way to overly classify the population of a nation, It maintains to be a socially constructed device to categorize the only species of Homo sapiens into vague groupings determined by varying hue of skin tone, while also implying a sense of superiority. What is often confused is the difference between race and ethnicity. Ethnicity is the grouping of individuals based on culture, specific geographic region, or language. However, even ethnical groupings are flawed when studying genetic diversity. Humans are unable to be categorized into geographic categories with absolute boundaries as the global clusters of populations are highly diversified and complex (AAPA 1996).

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165 Words | 1 Pages

Race is defined as the categorization of individuals based on their physical characteristics, i.e. skin color, facial structure, etcetera. Ethnicity is defined as the categorization of individuals based on their respective social or cultural groups, and is not based upon race. Both race and ethnicity are similar systems of categorization, yet, although race is on the basis on physical features while ethnicity is based on one’s social or cultural background. The concept of race was created by European imperialists and colonialists during the early 17th century, when the slave trade began. The white imperialists needed a system of categorization in order to justify the sharp uptick in the use of the African body as slaves.

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1428 Words | 6 Pages

Throughout history social scientists have been trying to examine the different parameters of race in terms of phenotypic characteristics, and cultural behaviors regarding the different groups that society construct’s. legally judges have had different rulings regarding the categorization of different ethnicities and groups within the United States. Many philosophers such as Kwame Appiah, and Scientists such as Dr. James Watson have had opposing arguments on the topic of race and whether it exists or not. In order to do so we need to examine the different definitions of race, and analyze them in order to see how race is a social construct, where people’s notions of race and their interactions with different races determine the way they perceive

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908 Words | 4 Pages

This chapter explains the difference between race and ethnicity and how they came about. It also explains the advantages and disadvantages some have due to the creation of race. Race and ethnicity have strong foundations not only within countries, but between them. Globalization has increased the individual’s ethnic identities, but has also put some at disadvantages. Having different races and ethnicities is not an issue, but ranking the different races and putting others at disadvantages creates issues.

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957 Words | 4 Pages

Race, nationality and ethnicity Race and ethnicity are seen as form of an individual’s cultural identity. Researchers have linked the concept of “race” to the discourses of social Darwinism that in essence is a categorization of “types” of people, grouping them by biological and physical characteristics, most common one being skin pigmentation. Grouping people based on their physical traits has lead in time to the phenomenon of “racialization” (or race formation), as people began to see race as more of a social construct and not a result or a category of biology.

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