Often people use the terms race, ethnicity, and nationality interchangeably, especially when trying to find out where another person is from. That is not right. Even though race versus ethnicity and nationality have a meeting place, there are distinct differences between the three. Also, in this day and age when people get easily offended, it’s important that you get it right the first time.
Importance of race, ethnicity and nationality
- Run
Race refers to the main groups that people can be classified into. This classification is primarily based on physical attributes such as hair texture, facial structure, eye shape, skin color, etc. Recently, some scholars have argued that race has no biological or genetic basis, but rather a is a social construct. They argue that there is no single bundle of genes that distinguish one breed from another, but that they have overlapping traits. From this they conclude that race is a social construct developed by Europeans to further their quest to conquer and dominate new territories and new peoples in the 15th century.
- ethnicity
Unlike race, which is based on physical or biological attributes, ethnicity is based on cultural attributes. Ethnicity is the state of belonging to a social group that shares a common culture and way of life. Such a group is known as an ethnic group. They share a common ancestry, history, language, mythology, style of dress, food, art, folklore, etc. While some ethnic groups are based in a specific location, others are spread across different countries. A very good example is the Yoruba, who are one of the most important ethnic groups in Nigeria. They are not only found in Nigeria, but also in Benin, Togo, Ghana, Sierra Leone and the Ivory Coast.
- nationality
While ethnicity is based on culture, nationality is a legal creation. Nationality is simply the status of belonging to a particular country or state. It is the legal relationship that exists between a person and a specific country. This relationship gives the state authority over that person; The individual is obliged to this state and is in turn protected by the state, which also guarantees his rights. Nationality is psychological and as such inspires feelings of national pride and patriotism. Citizenship is most often acquired from birth. However, it can also be acquired through marriage and naturalization.
Race Vs Ethnicity Vs Nationality: Are There Differences?
Race is the main division of humans and as such we only have 5 races of humans. On the other hand, we have thousands of ethnic groups in the world. Citizenship depends on the country with which you have a legal relationship. There are approximately 156 countries in the world and as such 156 nationalities.
A person’s race is based on their physical attributes like skin color, hair texture, while ethnicity is based on the cultural identity of the individual like language, style of dressing. Citizenship, on the other hand, is a legal and mostly psychological creation. People of different races can be nationals of a country, for example Black Americans, Chinese Americans, etc.
Ethnicity refers to belonging to a specific ethnic group, while nationality refers to belonging to a specific country. An ethnic group does not necessarily have to be based in a specific geographic location. On the other hand, one of the indispensable attributes of a state is that it must have a defined geographic location. As a result, people of the same ethnic group may come from different countries. For example, the Maasai ethnic group can be found in both Kenya and Tanzania. Therefore, a person from the Maasai ethnic group can hold either Tanzanian or Kenyan citizenship. On the other hand, people of the same nationality can come from different ethnic groups.
Types and examples of race, ethnicity and nationality
Nigeria has no fewer than 250 ethnic groups. These include the Hausa-Fulani, Igbo, Ijaw, Ibibio, Kanuri, Tiv, Efik, Igala, Nupe, etc. Other examples of ethnic groups include the Zulu tribe in South Africa and the Maasai tribe in Kenya.
Examples of nationalities are Nigerian, Indian, Pakistani, American, British, Dutch, Brazilian, Norwegian, etc.
On the other hand, there are four different types of human races today. They are listed below.
- The Negroid Race
This is commonly referred to as the black race and is commonly found in Africa, specifically sub-Saharan Africa. They have a very dark complexion because the skin is rich in melanin. This melanin protects them from the harshness of the sun, which dominates where they are located. In addition, they have kinky hair and also relatively wide noses and thick lips compared to people of other races.
- The Caucasian race
Mainly found in Europe and the Middle East. They have light skin tones, relatively thin lips, and pointed noses. The light skin tone is due to the lack of a lot of melanin. In this way, they can easily absorb the solar radiation present in their region.
- The Mongoloid race
This type of breed is mainly found in East Asia. They usually have almond-shaped eyes protected by puckered eyelids. Also, unlike people of other races, they have the lowest rate of body hair and body odor.
- The Australoid Race
This is native to Southeast Asia and Oceania. They are darker in complexion than Caucasians and are relatively shorter.