RACE VS ETHNICITY

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RACE VS ETHNICITY

• BY
• Jay Barrett

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Whats the Difference?

• RACE Traditionally, race has been used to
  classify people based on BIOLOGICAL
  characteristics skin color, eye color, hair
  texture, and body shape
• Scientific justification for such division has
  proven elusive
• Despite the scientific difficulty of defining
  race, people have experienced the social effects
  of race and have formed communities and cultures
  based on racial experiences ( discuss White
  Flight)

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Importance of Race

• Race is an important signifier for many people
• Racial identity can influence communication in a
  number of ways
• For example, African Americans, Mexicans, and
  others may use codeswitch by altering their
  linguistic and non-verbal patterns to conform to
  the dominate culture, or
• They may adopt communication forms unique to
  their race, depending on the topics or
  co-participants in a conversation

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Ethnicity, Whats it all About?

• ETHNICITY is a classification of people based on
  shared national characteristics such as country
  of birth, geographic origin, language, religion,
  ancestral customs, and traditions
• People vary greatly in terms of the importance
  they attach to their ethnic heritage and the
  degree to which it effects their attitudes,
  values, and behaviors

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Language

• Language or mother tongue" is an obvious
  influence of ethnicity on communication
• Immigrants bring the language of their country of
  origin and may or may not speak English when they
  arrive
• Even after they learn English, many choose to
  speak their mother language at home, live in
  proximity to others from their home country, and
  interact with them in their native language

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Impact on Communication

• The United States is considered an English
  speaking country
• However, it has the third-largest
  Spanish-speaking population of any country in the
  world
• Research shows that 70 of Latinos in the U.S.
  speak mainly Spanish at home
• Many business and government agencies offer
  automated phone services with bilingual menus and
  employ bilingual customer service personal