Comparison and Contrast Between Race and Ethnicity - Essay Example

Running head: “Compare and contrast race and ethni and discuss how important these concepts are in understanding social inequality in British society today” Insert Name          Insert Grade Course Insert Tutor’s Name 26 March 2012 Outline Introduction Comparing & Contrasting Race and Ethnicity Theories of race and ethnicity Social inequality The importance of Race and ethnicity in understanding social inequality in the British society today Conclusion “Compare and contrast race and ethnicity and discuss how important these concepts are in understanding social inequality in British society today” Introduction Race and ethnicity can be compared to water and air mainly because these two aspects are around us. According to Coates (2004, p.1), race involves historical, cultural and personalities identities. Therefore, race can be defined as an individual’s appearance such as the colour of their skin, eyes, and hair, among other characteristics. These traits enable individuals to distinguish between whites, African-Americans, Latinos, Hispanics, and Africans among other races. Therefore, race is a category of individuals sharing biological traits passed on to many generations. Ethnicity on the other hand involves cultural factors, which include beliefs, language, nationality, and culture. The ethnic categorization is influenced by biological inheritance and culture. Therefore, ethnicity can be defined as a cultural heritage of a specific group pf people, which involves their mode of dressing, practices, and language among others. Needless to say, race and ethnicity can be determinants of social inequality in the society. According to Price and Feinman (2007, p.232), social inequality refers to a scenario that involves differences or lack of equal status or class among individuals in a society. These may include lack of equal education opportunities, inequality in voting rights, housing, transportation and jobs; this is a likely scenario in the British context. Therefore, this paper will compare and contrast race and ethnicity, and the importance of these concepts in understanding social inequality in British society today. Comparing & Contrasting Race and Ethnicity As earlier mentioned, ethnicity comprises of a shared history of a specific group of people such as region, dressing code, and eating habits among others. On the other hand, race involves people who are defined by biological traits of physical characteristics. Therefore, despite these two terms being used interchangeably, they are different; however, they represent people and their differences, culturally and biologically. The main difference between these two terms is the fact that an individual can only belong to one race; however, one can have several ethnic affiliations. Therefore, one cannot decide his race and has no control over it (Andersen and Taylor, 2010). In addition, no matter where an individual travels, he/she is viewed by his race, which can be offending to certain individuals. For instance, if a British couple adopts an Asian baby, this child will be introduced to the British way of life, hence adopting the British ethnicity, which involves language, traditions, and customs. However, if he travels to another country, he will be regarded as an Asian, due to his appearance and physical characteristics, despite being a British citizen. Therefore, ethnicity creates room for change, whereby, an Asian can reject his own ethnicity and adopt a British ethnicity. However, he cannot reject his race because it is visible in his appearance. Therefore, the main difference between race and ethnicity is that ethnicity can be abandoned and a new one acquired, but race cannot be altered, regardless of one’s citizenship or location. Needless to say, gender roles also fall under ethnicity, as well as language. Generally, ethnicity comprises of a small population of people compared to a race; this is because individuals can be of the same race, but adopt to different ethnicity (Andersen and Taylor, 2010). Race does not involve culture and behaviour mainly because different individuals from the same race are likely to adopt different cultures and behaviours, while their race remains intact. However, alteration in race occurs mainly when two individuals of different races intermarry, for instance, if an Asian and an American are married, there will be a change in their child’s physical characteristics. Unlike race, which can only be altered in case of intermarrying, ethnicity can be changed overnight, when an individual decides to adopt the culture of another ethnic group (Andersen and Taylor, 2010). Theories of race and ethnicity There are different sociological theories that explain race and ethnicity; for instance, functionalist theory explains that, in order for race and ethnic relations to be successful, racial and ethnic minority groups must be absorbed in the society in all aspects such as socially, culturally, and economically. This in return will contribute to a harmonious and stable society (Andersen and Taylor, 2010, p. 245). On the other hand, symbolic interaction theory addresses the role of social interaction in the reduction of racial and ethnic hostility. Secondly, functionalist theory also discusses how race and ethnicity are socially built; it seeks the results, which occur when two individuals of different races come into contact, and how hostility can be reduced. Contact theory addresses the interactions between whites and minority groups. This theory argues that, such interactions reduce prejudice between the two groups (Andersen and Taylor, 2010, p. 245). On the other hand, conflict theory argues that race and ethnicity are attached to class conflict, and therefore, in order to reduce racial and ethnic conflict, class conflict must be curbed first. Social inequality Social inequality can be defined as the differences in class, ethnicity, and education, health care and financial status among other factors. Social inequality is influenced by various factors such as an individual’s citizenship, location, or level of one’s education. Social inequality is on the rise in most countries, Britain being among them. This is according to OECD (2011, p.21), whereby, income inequality is notable in the United Kingdom and the United States among other countries. Social inequality between races is common, but varies among countries. The main forms of this inequality include gender, racial, and wealth inequalities. Racial inequality involves treating individuals of a specific race differently in regards to their skin colour or physical appearance; this leads to unequal treatment and few opportunities for this specific race. In this form of inequality, stereotyping and discrimination is common, which is unjust. According to Neckerman (2004, p.245), when lower income families are subjected to low quality care, this is a disparity that yields to social inequality. In addition, minority groups in the society are likely to stand at a disadvantage in the job market; therefore, the ethnic minority groups such as the Africans are likely to be over-represented in crimes. Giddens (2010, p.135) explains that gender inequality is also a form of social inequality, which discriminates against women, making them second, especially in male dominated environments here, their main role is assumed to be that of housework and child care. Ethnicity is commonly associated with inequalities, for instance, in the United Kingdom, Asians and blacks are over-represented in prisons. However, they are under-represented in well paying jobs and better education, a form of social inequality. Therefore, social inequalities are a form of injustice, which offends the victims, thus denying them the chance for better opportunities as deserved. According to New Statesman (2010), 24% of black graduates are likely to face less pay compared to the white graduates. Needless to say, this is demoralizing for the black graduates, who are bound to get desperate and engage in criminal activities. The number of blacks in Britain prisons is higher compared to United States; this is because the blacks are generally imprisoned five times higher than the whites are. Higher income inequality denies the low-income earners the chance to access the best education or quality health care facilities. Therefore, the rich continue getting richer as the less privileged continue living from hand to mouth, and as a result, the level of crime will continue to rise. This is an un-foreseen danger that can cost lives in case of armed robbery. Therefore, there are notable forms of social inequality in Britain to date; the gap widens even for the schoolchildren from low income families, who are less likely to attend private schools or prestigious universities. However, the main victims of social inequalities are children, who are innocent, but are exposed to harsh living condition because of their parent’s low income. According to Kent (2011), social inequality impacts negatively on children from low-income families. These children can hardly perform well in school compared to their peers in prestigious schools. Needless to say, most of these children become a lost lot after school, hence they are prone to crimes and drug abuse. Generally, some children from less privileged families struggle to attain a brighter future. Poverty is the biggest barrier to achieving academic excellence; however, if the gap can narrow between the rich and the poor children, a lot of success can be achieved. The importance of Race and ethnicity in understanding social inequality in the British society today In Britain, majority of blacks are arrested compared to whites. The blacks are considered a minority group mainly because majority of the blacks are not well off compared to the whites. New Statesman (2010) argues that black graduates are likely to be paid less compared to their white counterparts, which is a sign of discrimination considering the excellence of a student. According to Rowlingson (2011, p.5), the United Kingdom faces a high level of social inequality, especially income and health care inequality; this is a dangerous situation, as it places the individuals on stressful situations. Needless to say, when the black minorities earn low incomes, they are not in a position to provide for their families, and therefore, infant mortality among the blacks is high as well as mental and physical problems. Therefore, health inequalities are likely to lead to low life expectancy. New Statesman (2010) adds that, there is not enough effort to curb the problems faced by the blacks, who are mostly affected by poverty. Social inequality is demoralizing when the blacks struggle to work hard in school, only to be rewarded with low incomes. Needless to say, health inequalities are notable within the British context, whereby, there exist health differences between different ethnic groups. Moreover, the ethnic minorities are prone to harassment and racism. According to Nazroo and Karslen (2001, p.3), south Asian people are prone to heart diseases compared to the white. Generally, the socio-economic status of minority groups determines the health outcomes of individuals. Needless to say, racism acts as a center stage for ethnic inequalities in health; indeed, racism can affect an individual’s health, as a result of stress. Figure 1: The effect for socio-economic status on odds ration of reporting heart disease or severe chest pains, for minority groups. (Nazroo and Karslen, 2001 p.4). The figure below explains the percentage of ethnic minority, who reported for fair health or poor health; the state of their health is determined by racism, harassment, and discrimination. Figure 2: prediction % of ethnic minority respondents reporting fair or poor health. (Nazroo and Karslen, 2001 p. 4) Therefore, race and ethnicity are a determinant of social inequalities in some countries with high levels of immigrants such as Britain; however, this should be avoided, and equality should be attained for all ethnic groups. Race and ethnicity in Britain brings about the different challenges and opportunities experienced by different ethnic groups. Therefore, the experience of ethnic minorities in Britain has not been positive or amusing; many have experienced discrimination, stereotyping, and prejudice among others. Needless to say, individuals from certain races face discrimination as well; however, it is important to understand that one does not choose his race, rather, he is born in to it. Therefore, the social inequalities in Britain affect minority groups and specific races, more so their education, health, and opportunities in the job market. Conclusion Race can be defined as an individual’s appearance in terms of say colour of their skin, eyes, and hair; on the other hand, ethnicity is related to the shared culture, traditions, and religion, which are adopted by a certain group. Race cannot be altered; however, individuals from the same race can adopt different ethnicity. In Britain, the level of social inequality is rising; this is evident in terms of inequality in job market where the black minorities are subjected to fewer opportunities and low incomes. This ethnic group cannot afford the best education, or high quality health care due to low income. In addition, the south Asians residing in Britain are subjected to high levels of heart diseases, which are related to economic stress, a situation that is contrastingly minute among the whites. Therefore, social inequalities are likely to affect a certain race or ethnic group. A common case is Britain, whereby, blacks are five times higher in prisons compared to the whites. Equality in the society is important, it reduces stress, hence promoting good health. Therefore, crime rates may reduce when equal opportunities are easily available for all, which also leads to abolition of discrimination. As a result, people should not be treated as a race; they should be treated as human beings, as this will curb racism and inequality. Reference List Andersen, M., & Taylor, H., 2010. Sociology: The Essentials. Sixth Edition. OH: Cengage Learning Publisher. Coates, R., 2004. Race and ethnicity: across time, space, and discipline. MA: BRILL Publisher. Giddens, A., 2010. Sociology: Introductory Readings. Cambridge: Polity Publisher. Kent, T., 2011. Social inequality proved to impact educational performance in UK. (Online). Available at: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2011/aug2011/scho-a31.shtml (accessed 26 March 2012). New Statesman. 2010. New report shows shocking racial inequality in Britain. (Online). Available at: http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2010/10/black-report-times-less (accessed 26 March 2012). Neckerman, K., 2004. Social inequality. Russell Sage Foundation Publisher. Nazroo, J., & Karisen, S., 2001. Ethnic inequalities in health: social class, racism and identity. (Online). Available at: http://www.lancs.ac.uk/fass/apsocsci/hvp/pdf/fd10.pdf (accessed 26 March 2012). OECD. 2011. An Overview of Growing Income, Inequalities in OECD Countries: Main Findings. (Online). Available at: http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/40/12/49499779.pdf (accessed 26 March 2012). Price, D., & Feinman, G., 2007. Archaeology at the Millennium: A Sourcebook. NY: Springer Publisher. Rowlingson, K., 2011. Does income inequality cause health and social problems? (Online). Available at: http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/inequality-income-social-problems-full.pdf (accessed 26 March 2012). Read More