Final answer:
Ethnicity is based on shared cultural practices and beliefs, including language, religion, and traditions, and is self-defined rather than solely based on biological traits or language.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept of ethnicity is often misunderstood and incorrectly conflated with race and national origin. However, unlike race, which is a social construct based on physical characteristics, ethnicity is based on shared cultural practices, norms, values, and beliefs. These may include elements such as language, religion, and traditions. Unlike biological traits, ethnicity encompasses aspects that people define for themselves and can encompass a variety of cultural expressions within a common cultural identity.
Notably, the concept of ethnicity changes over time and can be self-identified in complex or contradictory ways. For instance, diverse groups such as Irish, Italian American, and Jewish could all be considered part of the "White" racial category, yet they have distinct ethnicities. Furthermore, markers such as language can often categorize people into ethnic groups, even though language itself does not provide a stable marker of ethnic identity.
Therefore, D is the correct statement about the concept of ethnicity is that it is based on shared concepts that people define for themselves, not solely on biological or genetic traits, or exclusively on language.