Question

Write a 2-3 page double-spaced paper using APA format to answer/discuss the following topics:

Discuss and describe the differences and similarities between the terms “race” and “ethnicity.”

Compare and contrast the terms “discrimination” and “disparity.” Explain why this is important to know if one is to become culturally competent.

Identify and discuss the “melting pot” concept.

Answer 1

Discuss and describe the differences and similarities between the terms “race” and “ethnicity.”

Race refers to a person's physical characteristics, such as bone structure and skin, hair, or eye color.

Ethnicity, however, refers to cultural factors, including nationality, regional culture, ancestry, and language.

You can have more than one ethnicities but you are said to have one race, even if it's "mixed race".

For example: You can identify ethnically as Irish and Polish, but you have to be essentially either black or white.

The only similarity between race and ethnicity is that these share an ideology of common ancestry.

Compare and contrast the terms “discrimination” and “disparity.”

Disparity is a difference in treatment or outcome that does not necessarily result from intentional bias or prejudice.

Discrimination, on the other hand, is differential treatment of individuals based on irrelevant criteria, such as race, gender, or social class.

Discrimination is any bias that will result in contradiction of opportunity or any unfair treatment for example in the transfer, promotion or selection.

Discrimination is happening in ethnicity, political belief, sex, religion, race and age. While Disparity refers to the difference, which seems unfair.

Explain why this is important to know if one is to become culturally competent.

These are important to know if one wants to become culturally competent because:

1. It helps you to learn about yourself. It helps you to get started by exploring your own historical roots, beliefs and values
2. It helps you to learn about different cultures, races and ethnicities and how you are associated with them.
3. It gives you opportunity to interact with diverse groups.
4. It helps you to attend diversity-focused conferences.
5. It helps you to motivate and support your culture and community.

Identify and discuss the “melting pot” concept.

The melting pot concept is a monocultural metaphor for a heterogeneous society becoming more homogeneous, the different elements "melting together" with a common culture, or vice versa, for a homogeneous society becoming more heterogeneous through the influx of foreign elements with different cultural backgrounds, possessing the potential to create disharmony within the previous culture.

For example: Historically, it is often used to describe the cultural integration of immigrants to the United States.