Ethnicity and Nationality
UNIT 3: CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY
Session
11
LEARNING TARGETS
• Compare Ethnicity and Race
• Explain the ethnic make-up in
the United States
• Define nationality and nationstate
• Define self-determination
• Define multi-nation states and
multi-state nations
SESSION 11
Ethnicity and Nationality
• Comes from Greek word “ethnos” which refers to a unique and cohesive
group…i.e. us v. them
• Ethnicity and race not necessarily same thing
• Race = genetic traits, biologically inherited physical
characteristics
• Ethnicity involves more than biological characteristics. May
include that, but goes well beyond to include person’s social and
cultural identity….
• People of same race can form many different ethnicities
• Ethnic groups can be difficult to identify….usually self-identified and may
also be defined as a nationality (this does not necessarily constitute a
member of a particular country)
• You may call someone Chinese because they are from China, but they may not
consider themselves that.
Defining Ethnicity and Race
• Ethnicity: group of people w/ a common identity based on a
distinct but shared culture (i.e. common homeland, language,
religion, or race).
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11
• Hispanic/Latino is an ethnic group in the U.S., but not a race and not
a nationality
• For example, the three largest ethnic groups are AsianAmerican, African-American and Hispanic
• African-American: Ethnicity
• Black/African: Race because not all people of that race are from
Africa (could be from the Caribbean, South America, etc.)
• American: Nationality
• Outside of the U.S. an example…Nigeria (250 Ethnic
Groups)
• Yoruba: Ethnicity
• Black/African: Race
• Nationality: Nigerian
Defining Ethnicity and Race
• Comparing race, ethnicity and nationality can also be
confusing…
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11
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14% Hispanic
11% African American
4% Asian American
1% American Indian
(white/Caucasian not an ethnicity)….why not?
Ethnicity on a National Level
• In United States:
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11
Ethnicity on a National Level
Why are ethnic groups
distributed the way they are in
the U.S.?
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11
Ethnicity on a National Level
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11
Ethnicity on a National Level
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11
Ethnicity on a Continental Level
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11
What makes ethnicity and race different?
Why can ethnicity be hard to define? What examples
can you provide?
What is the ethnic make-up of the United States? What
are some of the largest ethnic groups?
Check for Understanding: Student Discussion
• Nation-state: geo-political ideal - a state who’s
territory corresponds to that occupied by a particular
ethnicity that has been transformed into a nationality
• (i.e. Czech Republic, Japan)
• Self-determination: idea that ethnicity has right to
govern themselves…has led to creation of new nation
states and violence (i.e. Yugoslavia)
Nationalities and Nation-States
• Nationality: a group of people who share a legal
attachment and personal allegiance to a particular
country
• is distinct from race and ethnicity, but often overlaps
• i.e. we’re all American but diff races and ethnicities
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11
• Multi–State Nations: When a cohesive ethnic group is scattered
among different countries…may have a state of their own as
well
• Kurds
• Jews
• Hungarians
• Basques
Multi-Nation States & Multi-State Nations
• Multi-Nation States: a country that contains 2 or more ethnic
groups w/ traditions of self-determination that agree to co-exist
and share power peacefully
• The United Kingdom has 4 nationalities (England, Scotland,
Wales, N Ireland)
• Russia is the largest multi-nation state with 39 separate ethnic
groups
• United States
• Canada has French and English speaking provinces
Session
11
NEXT CLASS
SESSION 12
Ethnic Segregation and
Conflict