The Central Concept of the Readings: Ethnicity and Race
The central concept of the readings is on ethnicity and race. The readings also emphasize on appreciating anthropology. Given the aspect of cultural identity, members of an ethnic group share specific values, beliefs, customs, and norms which is attributed to their common background. Ethnicity is drawn from the cultural similarities, which is the identification of a particular ethnic group. Ethnicity refers to identifying with and having the feeling of being part of, an ethnic group and exclusion from certain other groups because of some particular level of affiliation.
Connection between Race and Ethnicity
Race and ethnicity are connected from the fact that when an ethnic group is presumed on a biological basis, it is referred to as race. However, similar to ethnicity, race is classified as a cultural category but not a biological reality. The concept of appreciating anthropology discusses the social formation or construction of races for instance during the colonial era. An underlying emphasize evident in the readings is that inequalities between racial profiling are not consequences of biological inheritance, but the outcomes of either social, economic or political conditions.
The Rule of Descent and Racial Classification
The rule of descent explains the underlying principle of assigning social identity based on ancestry grounds, though it is unusual outside the contemporary United States. Racial classification in the census is a political subject that involves the accessibility of resources including jobs, and programs designed for the minorities. In the United States, an individual’s race is considered as an ascribed status, citing that it is automatically assigned by hypodescent and is not subject to change. However, in Brazil, racial identity is flexible and is termed as an achieved status.
Role of Ethnicity and Ethnic Groups in Society
I believe ethnicity and ethnic groups in our societies help in defining individuals or help people from a particular society associate themselves with specific values, customs, beliefs, and norms. Ethnicity and ethnic groups signify a change in the degree of importance attached to an ethnic identity which could reflect political changes. Moreover, individual life-cycle changes could be triggered by ethnicity. Given that ethnicity is a basis of group identity, it brings about the element of cultural differences which are associated with class and religion. The central concept of this reading help enhances the understanding of the different shifting status prevalent in our present-day society. For instance, people of ascribed statuses have limited or no choice about occupying them. Age is an example of an ascribed status, explaining why people have no power to choose age. Race and gender also fall under the category of ascribed status, which is why people are born members of certain group. On the contrary, achieved status are not automatic like ascribed status; one acquires it is by choice, action or accomplishment. Besides, achieved status could be either positive or negative.
Insights into Race, Ethnicity, and Ethnic Groups
The readings central concept provides meaningful insights on the issue of race, ethnicity and ethnic groups. An examination of the idea of the race shows that the opinion of biological race is dependent or influenced by the physical phenotype and how a person conducts. Concerning the current world system, racial classification systems of some regions in the world are changing in the framework of international identity politics. The strong States around the globe have played a significant role in homogenizing their diverse pre-modern populations into a collective national identity and culture. A dominant group has the ability to terminate the cultures of other ethnic groups.
