Racial & Ethnic Differences - Essay Example

This distinction is based on the cultural and the biological factors. In the US today group distinction is mainly based on race, gender, and ethnicity which has the most far ranging impacts on us as groups and as individuals. Ethnicity refers to the selected cultural characteristics and sometimes physical characteristics used to make classification of people into groups or the various categories seen to be significantly different from the others. In America, the commonly recognized ethnic groups include; Latinos, American Indians, African-Americans, Chinese, Caucasians, European Americans, etc.

  In some instances, ethnicity only involves a loose group identity with little or no cultural traditions that are in common.  This is the scenario of many German and Irish Americans.  In contrast, some of the ethnic groups are coherent subcultures with a shared language and body of tradition (Hawkins, 2003). On the other hand race refers to the biological sub species that consist of a population possessing some anatomical traits that clearly distinguishes it from the other races. The human races are the cultural creations basing on the assumption of the facial characteristics, hair texture and skin color.

This has led to the classification of the ‘black’, ‘white’ and the other races. . These sub cultures are proving to be a menace to the federal government as they have led to a surge in crime, violence and insecurity in the name protecting their neighborhood. These sub culture affiliation led to the death of two musicians Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G due to the conflict that arose from musical bands and gangs associated with them. The subcultures have a defined way of doing things with a certain affiliation to a particular group creating lots of social division and conflicts especially to the youth and teenagers.

Indicators of subculture are identity, commitment, autonomy and consistent distinctiveness. It is argued that certain subcultures have values and attitudes that are appealing to crime and violence. These groupings had distinct styles of clothing, punks and bikes. As the society is about interaction of people, the subculture which involve members of the same ethnic class they becomes more substantive, distinctive and independent, and members would become increasingly dependent on each other for social contact and validation of their beliefs and way of life so that they can watch each others back (Urbina, 2011).

The African-American society mostly experienced social and racial prejudice were just victims of discrimination at the institution levels the foundation of group differences in the material conditions and power. This is because it came to my mind that as their children grow and develop, they acquire inference making skills learning about attitudes and stereotypes regarding the groups in their society resulting in negative perceptions of their own ( Peaditrics, 2009). The noted ethnic problems (or ethnic harmony) in the African-Americans society is that they are mostly viewed as slaves therefore face a lot