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Social Sci LibreTexts

8: Ethnicity and Race

  • Page ID
    382115
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    Learning Outcomes
    • Understand: the differing bases of ethnic identity
    • Explain: the relationship between ethnicity and personal identity
    • Describe: the degrees of relevance of ethnicity in a society
    • Connect: ethnicity, race, and class as they relate to political power

    • 8.1: What Are Ethnicity and Race?
      This page examines the intricate relationship between ethnicity and race, highlighting the distinction between learned behaviors and inherited traits. It emphasizes their geographical implications and social impacts, discussing theories like amalgamation, acculturation, and assimilation in the context of majority and minority cultures. The content specifically addresses the overlap of race and ethnicity in the U.S., using African Americans and Hispanics as examples of a multiethnic society.
    • 8.2: Relevance of Race and Ethnicity in the United States
      This page examines the evolving significance of race and ethnicity in the United States, emphasizing historical shifts in identity definitions and the impact of societal and policy pressures. It discusses ongoing racism, the formation of ethnic enclaves, and environmental justice in marginalized communities.
    • 8.3: Ethnicities in The United States
      This page outlines the ethnic distribution in the U.S. influenced by historical migrations. African Americans mainly live in the South, with recent reverse trends. Hispanic populations are found in former Mexican territories, especially near borders. Asian Americans predominantly reside in the West. American Indians and Alaska Natives constitute about 2% of the population, primarily off reservations, while Native Hawaiians are a minority in Hawaii due to historical changes.
    • 8.4: Relevance of Race and Ethnicity in Other Places
      This page explores the social implications of race and ethnicity in the U.S., South Africa, and Brazil, focusing on power dynamics and historical legacies like apartheid. It contrasts Brazil's mixed society stratification and examines ethnic violence in Rwanda and Yugoslavia. Additionally, it discusses immigration's influence on ethnic diversity in Europe and the U.S., emphasizing the varying significance of ethnicity across cultures.
    • 8.5: Summary
      This page discusses ethnicity as a key element of identity influenced by historical, national, linguistic, and religious factors, which can create belonging but also exclusion and discrimination. It examines the connection between ethnicity and race, noting how they're used to categorize individuals. The upcoming chapter will delve deeper into human identity, emphasizing nations and nationality.
    • 8.6: Key Terms Defined
      This page outlines essential concepts in culture and social dynamics, such as acculturation, discrimination, and diversity. It addresses issues like enclaves, environmental justice, and ethnic cleansing, while also covering terms related to ethnicity, immigration, and historical contexts like Jim Crow laws. The distinctions between majority and minority populations, as well as themes of race, segregation, and xenophobia, are discussed.
    • 8.7: Works Consulted and Further reading
      This page presents a diverse array of scholarly works discussing culture, ethnicity, migration, and geography. It includes various books and articles exploring themes of identity, media's impact on cultural changes, and intercultural interactions in immigrant communities. The references reflect interdisciplinary approaches to social issues, emphasizing geography, sociology, and anthropology.
    • 8.8: Endnotes


    This page titled 8: Ethnicity and Race is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by David Dorrel & Joseph P. Henderson (University of North Georgia Press) via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.