1. What are Race and Ethnicity their interrelations?
H607: Ethnicity, Context and Family Dynamics

2. Overview for Today Conceptualizations of Race and ethnicity
Overview of impact on families
Some “Unkowns” for future research

3. What is race? Is it socially constructed? Is it biological?No
Yes
Does race have meaning beyond, its proxy for ethnicity/culture?

4. Connotations of Race
The concept of race is dated and no longer a tenable or useful (e.g., 3-5 Races)
Applied to people groups which shared history or culture (e.g., Jewish race)
Synonymous with Species (e.g., Human race)
Groups differentiated by innate physical characteristics

5. Evidence of Race Effects (not ethnic effects)
Differences in genetic predisposition for hypertension, sickle cell, skin cancer between races
Racial differences in effectiveness of heart disease medication (e.g.,Johnson, 2008; Taylor & Ellis, 2002)
Differences in serotonin levels resulting in differences in depression & effective treatments (e.g., Varner, Ruiz, & Small, 1998)
Differences in the health risk associated with obesity (e.g., Fontaine et al, 2003)
In the social sciences, experiences due to phenotypic characteristics

6. Plausible Origins of Race Differences
Geographic
Isolation
Time
Genetic
Distinctiveness
Suited for Context
Racial
Differences +
Time
Mobility
Sustained
Cultural
Practices