Chapter 11
In this chapter, we will look at how
culture affects our perception of marriage
and family.We will consider various ethnic
and racial groups in the United States,
particularly African-American, Hispanic-
American,Asian-American, and
Native-American cultures.We will examine
the challenges created by cross-cultural
marriages, as well as the impact of income
level, social class, and disability on the
family structure.Among the most volatile
relationship issues in recent American
history is the same-sex debate, which we
will include as an adjunct to our study of
cultural diversity. Finally, we will offer a
Christian perspective on cultural variations,
explaining how God wants us to live in a
multicultural society.
The Terminology of Ethnic and
Cultural Variations
Chapters 2 and 3 of this text include
introductory material on cultural
variations as they relate to the early
history of this country. Throughout this
chapter, you will find frequent references
to the termsraceandethnicity. What is the
difference between these terms?
The Difference Between Race and Ethnicity
Race is an ascribed status—it is an
intrinsic part of a person’s genetic makeup.
It is not an internal issue but rather a
political issue which serves to privilege one
group of people over another (McGoldrick,
2003). Aracial groupis a group of people
who share a common biological heritage,
resulting in distinct physical attributes.
Racial variations include observable human
differences, such as eye color, skin
pigmentation, and hair texture. Earlier in
the 20th century, schoolchildren often were
taught there were only four primary racial
groups: black, red, yellow, and white. Even
in the 1950s, many official American
documents listed only three or four
categories under the subheading of race.
(The same was true of the category of
religion; often, people filling out an official
form could choose from only three
categories: Catholic, Jew, and Protestant).
This is quite a contrast to today’s multi-
category documents.
Over the course of time, particularly in
America, racial mixing has resulted in very
few who can claim they are “completely
white” or “completely black.” Most people
are a mix of genetic material from a
variety of races, sometimes making it
difficult to distinguish among racial
groups. Thus, ethnicity often becomes a
more important factor than race.
Ethnicity refers to a group’s common
ancestry which has evolved shared values
and customs transmitted over generations,
primarily through the family
(McGoldrick, 2003). Anethnic groupis a
group of people with a distinct cultural