Cultural Differences Between Race And Culture

Race and culture are terms that are often used interchangeably, however there are distinct differences between these words. Often, one’s culture is assumed based off their race, yet culture is not always a direct result of race. Race is constant and cannot be changed, and comes with birth. Culture on the other hand, is adopted, and is the result of one’s surroundings, friends, home, and beliefs. While it is true that races are often associated with a certain culture, being of a certain race is not a prerequisite to being part of that culture, and one’s culture may not necessarily follow what is typical of one’s race.
Individuals use many different aspects to define themselves, often race and culture are part of what makes up a person’s identity. …show more content…
507). This a social construction, the reality of how society is expected to be. The concepts or practices that different cultures perceive are natural and obvious to one, but that is only because they have been exposed or open minded about it. But most of the time, in reality, people are not open about the idea how one that identifies themselves as a specific race but practices cultural belief that are not associated with their race is not okay. Cultural system is made up of the values, norms , and ssymbols which guide our choices as well as limit the interaction among persons (Appelrouth, Edles pg. 813) it is an invention or artifact of particular culture of society. Most Americans claim that to be an American you have to practice …show more content…
In the article, “Go Back to Black” by K.A. Dilday, Dilday explains that, “scientists have shown that black means nothing as a biological description, but it remains an important signal in social interaction (pg. 515). The term ‘Black’ is often used to describe one’s race, despite the true color of their skin. In today’s society, Black has become an important term when describing ciltures. Dilday went on to explain the name changes for Africans. Initially they were referred to as African-American, then Afro-American while being Black in Britain, and eventually circling back to African American. She touches on the subject of using a race as a requirement to celebrate a culture. “It’s hard to understand why black Americans ever tried to use the term African-American to exclude people. The black American community’s social and political power derives from its inclusiveness. Everyone who identifies as black has traditionally been welcomed, no matter their skin color or date of arrival. In Britain, in contrast, dark-skinned people who trace their relatives to particular former colonies can be cliquish” (pg. 515). Just as cultures vary across geography, the opinion on them varies as well, and while one does not need to be of blood descent to be able to celebrate a culture, some of society feels protective of their culture, desireing to make it excluisve to their