Race and Ethnicity
What is it?
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Race : A category of humankind that shares certain distinctive physical traits
Ethnicity : Large groups of people classed according to common racial, national, tribal, religious, linguistic, cultural origin or background.
Where we see the impact
Racial and ethnicity affect the distribution of wealth, power, and opportunity, and create enduring social stratification. Unfortunately, the diversity and distribution often accompany gross human rights violations, such as genocide and crimes against humanity, followed by economic decline, state failure, environmental problems, and refugee flows.
These involve ethnic conflicts worldwide. Violent ethnic conflict leads to tremendous human suffering
Types of ethnic groups
Not all ethnic groups are politically active or under related conflicts. The minorities at Risk Project at the University of Maryland began tracking ethnic groups, and categorized them to 6 types.
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Ethnonationalists
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Indigenous people
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Ethnoclasses
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Communal contenders
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Religious sects
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National minorities
Causes of ethnic conflict
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Structural factors
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Political factors
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Economic / Social factors
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Cultural / Perceptual factors
