Ethnic and Cultural Diversity in Families Essay

Ethnic and Cultural Diversity in Families - Essay Example Before we proceed to explore the diversity in race and ethnicity in families, let us try to find out the meaning of ethnicity, race and culture. Ethnicity, race and culture do not have the same meaning and it is very important that these terminologies are explored separately. Socially ascribed and constructed statuses mirroring broader political and socio historical influences are constituted by ethnicity and race. Nowadays a lot of emphasis is given to immigrant families and hence it becomes very important to separate culture and immigration status. Culture is a practice which is constantly changing, dynamic and reciprocal. A person learns to adapt to the ongoing changes taking place due to the influences of history, politics and sociology. The terminology, socio cultural has been coined to show the influence of the above mentioned multiple agents. (Chao & Otsuki-Clutter, 2011). The Study Group on Race, Ethnicity and Culture has suggested defining these terminologies. According to t hem, race can defined as the phenotypic disparities which arise as a result of biological or genetic dispositions like color of the skin, texture of the hair, etc. Ethnicity can be explained as the perceived membership of a group of people depending on the ancestry, nationality, or both. Culture has a broad connotation. It considers the individual discrepancies in families in relation to the beliefs, practices and values. Culture also takes into account the roles of an individual in the family, affective styles, pattern of communication and interaction and values with regards to individualism, personal control, collectivism, religiosity and spirituality (Murry, Smith & Hill, 2001). Educating children about ethnicity and race Socialization is a means adopted by all families in order to educate children about the meaning and result of race and ethnicity. This is the way in which children are enlightened about the