Which term generally refers to groups of people with common ancestry and physical characteristics?

Which term generally refers to groups of people with common ancestry and physical characteristics?

• A. Ethnicity
• B. Race
• C. Culture
• D. Discrimination

Answer: (B)

Grouping people by common ancestry and physical traits is the idea behind race. This concept uses visible characteristics such as skin color, facial features, and other inherited traits to categorize people thought to share ancestry. While genetic variation is complex and categories aren’t fixed, race remains a widely used way society describes broad groups. Ethnicity, in contrast, is more about cultural factors—language, traditions, nationality—than just physical appearance. Culture refers to the beliefs, practices, and values a group holds. Discrimination describes unfair treatment based on someone’s group identity, not a descriptor of the group itself.

Grouping people by common ancestry and physical traits is the idea behind race. This concept uses visible characteristics such as skin color, facial features, and other inherited traits to categorize people thought to share ancestry. While genetic variation is complex and categories aren’t fixed, race remains a widely used way society describes broad groups.

Ethnicity, in contrast, is more about cultural factors—language, traditions, nationality—than just physical appearance. Culture refers to the beliefs, practices, and values a group holds. Discrimination describes unfair treatment based on someone’s group identity, not a descriptor of the group itself.