Race and ethnicity
How do you even begin to talk about race and ethnicity? And, specifically in a social work context, how do you broach these topics with clients, families, and communities? In 1994, eight American men of various backgrounds (African, Asian, European, and Latino descent) sat down together in a room to talk about race. What followed was a raw, emotional, and difficult conversation that peeled back the layers of racism’s impact. Although the Color of Fear film is decades old now, the need to talk about race remains.
For this Discussion, you view one such conversation among faculty and then analyze what you observed, considering the various perspectives and how they may inform social work practice.
Sample Solution
Human ancestry is divided into two concepts: race and ethnicity. “A category of people that shares some distinctive physical qualities” is how race is defined. “Large groupings of people classified according to common racial, national, tribal, religious, linguistic, or cultural origin or background,” according to a more comprehensive definition of ethnicities. “Race” is frequently tied to biology and physical features like skin color or hair texture. Cultural expression and identification are linked to “ethnicity.” Both, however, are social constructions that are used to identify and characterize populations that appear to be separate. The human genome does not contain any information about race or ethnicity. Humans do have genetic differences, some of which were previously linked to ancestry from various parts of the globe.
