What Is An Ethnic Group?
A person is basically a plurality of people regarded as a distinct entity, like an ethnic community, state or the community of a particular polity. The citizens of a nation are generally of the same race and/or tribe, although members of other cultures or nationalities are also admitted to the citizenship. It must be kept in mind that a person has the inherent right to self-determination, which can be exercised by peaceful and legitimate means. Self-determination does not mean independence from other nations; rather, it refers to the right to maintain one’s independence and at the same time to enjoy the benefits of association with other nations.
Ethnicity A people noun referring to a particular group of people. It comes from the Greek word autos which means “of a particular ethnic group.” It was first used in the modern era by ethno-culturalists and neo-Nazi groups. In France, the National Front has been described as an ethnic group and many other organizations that espouse a similar position in Europe and elsewhere in the world.
Social Class An important concept used to describe an inherited, hereditary, cultural or political position based on genetic aptitude, education, occupation, reputation, or achievements. Usually denoted by a Greek word pathos, meaning “of a certain social class.” In the United States, however, the concept of a social class is not used to refer to an ethnicity, but rather an occupation, educational or religious background, residence, or other traits common to a group of people who share a certain heritage or other common history. Within a country or state, people can be grouped into different classes based on their legal status, residency, ancestry, occupation, religion, political beliefs, or any other traits common to a particular culture or society.
Common ancestors A collective group of people descended from a common ancestor. From the term peopling, it has come to denote the process of migrating or immigration, though there is some debate as to when migration in fact began. The group most frequently associated with migration is groups of people from Europe who migrated westward across the Alps and into Italy, Spain, France, Germany, and other European countries. However, even within Europe, there are nationalities (for instance, Italians and Spaniards) who identify as one group or another, despite the fact that they’ve lived alongside each other for centuries.
Origin The root of an ethnic or cultural group is most likely a place of origin, or a place where people began to form and build communities. In terms of an ethnic group’s relationship with other nations, an area of origin can be considered its homeland or cradle. The people who settled in a given area would then collectively be called a people, for the time being, until the area was inhabited or settled by more technologically advanced peoples. After a sufficiently long period of time, however, these newcomers would leave their homeland for other areas, establishing new communities and sometimes families. For example, early Greek colonies in Egypt and Mesopotamia were often referred to as “the peoples of the desert,” because they left their native lands and traveled through Israel and Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea, eventually reaching Rome by boat.
Development Of A People Like any other natural phenomena, the development of an ethnic group or community follows the path it was destined to take, given the circumstances that brought it into existence. There are times when ethnic groups are fairly quick to form into collectives or nations, while there are times when such collective efforts go nowhere. But in general, the longer an area of origin remains unoccupied, the more developed and interconnected it becomes as a political entity. This is especially true in today’s world, when people have become much more connected through technology than they have ever been before.