Select one topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Select one topic - Essay Example Hence the term â€Å"ethnicity†. This paper looks behind the deep issues involved in the rise of the term â€Å"ethnicity† and why social scientists now prefer to use the term â€Å"ethnicity† over â€Å"race†. Various data and irrefutable information will be presented coming from peer-reviewed journals, books, and appropriate websites in order to explain how the change from â€Å"race† to â€Å"ethnicity† took place over the course of time. A look into the history of the study of human race and its evolution will show that the concept of â€Å"race† is something that can trace its early roots to the European slave trade. The concept itself is the result of a scientific revolution that emerged during the time of European imperialism and colonization. Due to the influence of people from various parts of the world upon European culture and social conduct, Europeans began to suspect that there were marked differences in the physical, social, and cultural awareness of human groups. It became their opinion that some human beings from particular parts of the world were of a higher physical, social, and cultural background than the rest. Therefore, a division between the people must exist. This division was meant to connote the higher group of people from those deemed more inferior. The term â€Å"race† was then coined in order to create a semblance of control over the African slaves using a type of mind conditio ning related to the term used to describe them or their â€Å"race†. With the widespread use of the term â€Å"race† across the globe, it became clear to social scientists that the term was used to define the real or imagined physical differences between people. The differences could be based upon visible and obvious differences such as skin color and physical appearance. Once a person is defined by his â€Å"race†, it then becomes his social identity which tends to influence social