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What is the difference between the culture you are born into/grow up in and the culture you inherit as part of your ethnicity/race?

User KarstenF
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Final answer:

The difference between the culture one grows up in and the culture inherited from ethnicity/race lies in the distinction between learned behavior and inherent traits. Culture includes learned practices like language and customs, while ethnicity involves genetic traits and is often tied to shared culture and national origin. Race is a social construct that, along with ethnicity, shapes identity and social interactions.

Step-by-step explanation:

The culture you are born into and grow up in consists of practices and norms you learn after birth, such as language, religion, and customs. This is what is typically known as your culture, which varies depending on geographical location and can be changed by individual choice. On the other hand, your ethnicity is related to your genetic background, physical features, and place of birth. Ethnicity is often tied to a shared culture and national origin and involves traits that individuals are born with, which are less subject to change. Minority groups are defined by their lack of power within society, not just by ethnicity or skin color.

Race and ethnicity, while frequently conflated, are distinct concepts. Race is fundamentally a social construct that usually concerns physical characteristics, and like Ethnicity, it informs individual identity and may affect how society interacts with a person. Questions about race and ethnicity are common, and people might experience pressure to identify themselves in overly simplistic terms due to political or social structures, even though these categories can be quite fluid and change over time and space.

Furthermore, cultural elements such as eating habits, personal space preferences, and even the assumption of what beverage a person might drink in the morning are examples of cultural differences. These aspects are not inherited at birth but are acquired by living within a particular culture. For instance, an American might typically be drinking coffee, whereas someone in England might prefer Earl Grey tea, and in Tibet, it could be Yak Butter tea. These preferences illustrate how culture can shape behavior and tastes rather than inherent qualities.

User Chris Grimm
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