Definite race and ethnicity explain the differences between them Free Essay Example, 2000 words

In doing this, it is significant to suspend our personal biases and to assume a cultural relativity method. Definitions Ethnicity Ethnicity is the chosen cultural and, at times, physical traits utilised to categorise individuals into categories or clusters regarded to be considerably different from others (Graham, Taylor, & Ho 2009, p. 5). Some of the commonly acknowledged ethnic groups are Asian British, Black British Chinese British, Latinos, American Indians, African Americans, Chinese and European Americans, among others. In some situations, ethnicity concerns only a loose group recognition that even lacks even one common cultural tradition. This is case with a lot of Irish and German Britons or Americans. In comparison, a number of ethnic groups are coherent subcultures that have a shared body of tradition, as well as language. Newly arrived immigrants normally fit this pattern. It is significant not to confound the word minority with ethnic group (Solomos & Back 2000, p. 53). This is because ethnic groups might either be a majority or a minority in a certain population. Whether a group is categorised as a majority or minority is not an absolute fact, as well, but relies on the point of view. We will write a custom essay sample on Definite race and ethnicity explain the differences between them or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now For example, in some areas along the eastern boarder of the United Kingdom, people of Irish ancestry are the overwhelming majority population and control a majority of the political and social institutions, but are still described by the national and state governments as the minority group (Collins 1990, p. 40). In small homogenous societies, such as those of hunters and gatherers and pastoralists click this icon to hear the preceding term pronounced, there is essentially only one ethnic group and no minorities. For most individuals, ethnic classification means a link between culture and biological inheritance. They claim that biological inheritances influence much of someone’s cultural identity. However, if this was factual, for example, African Americans characteristics such as â€Å"black English† would, thus stem from genetic inheritance (Collins 1990, p. 40). Therefore, culture and biological race is not one and the same thing. Th e groundbreaking English anthropologist, Edward Tylor, might have been the initial scientist to comprehend this realty and also confirm it in print publications (Mirza 1997, p. 99). In 1871, Tylor claimed that cultural characteristics are only learned (Mirza 1997, p. 99). Therefore, a child can be placed into another culture following his or her birth and can be fully enculturated to that culture, in spite of his or her skin colour, shape of the body and other set racial traits.