By The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica | View Edit History. minority, a culturally, ethnically, or racially distinct group that coexists with but is subordinate to a more dominant group. As the term is used in the social sciences, this subordinacy is the chief defining characteristic of a minority group.
Who is considered a minority person?
A minority person is a citizen of the United States who is African American, Hispanic, Native American, Asian Pacific, or Asian Indian. African American is a US citizen who has origins in any of the African racial groups of Africa, and is regarded as such by the community of which the person claims to be a part.
What are the different minority groups?
But in the 1990s, the term “minority” usually refers to four major racial and ethnic groups: African Americans, American Indians and Alaska Natives, Asians and Pacific Islanders, and Hispanics.
What are the 6 characteristics of minority groups?
6 Basic Characteristics of Minority Groups
- Physical and cultural traits: Members of a minority group share some physical and cultural characteristics that distinguish them from the dominant (majority) group.
- Unequal treatment:
- Ascribed status:
- Solidarity:
- In-group marriage:
- Subordination:
What is the concept of minority?
An ethnic, religious or linguistic minority is any group of persons which constitutes less than half of the population in the entire territory of a State whose members share common characteristics of culture, religion or language, or a combination of any of these.
What do you mean by minority category?
a group that is different racially, politically, etc, from a larger group of which it is a part. Violence against minority groups will not be tolerated. Jews constituted the largest minority group within the university population.
Which group of people are in majority?
In the United States, white, or Caucasian, people are considered to be the racial majority group. White people have historically been the most powerful race in terms of representation in the media, business positions (like owning companies), or representation in politics.
What are the different types of minority groups?
Examples of minority groups 1 Ethnic minorities. 2 Involuntary minorities. 3 Voluntary minorities. 4 Gender and sexuality minorities. 5 Disabled people. 6 Religious minorities. 7 Women as minorities.
What is the legal definition of a national minority?
There is no legal definition of national minorities in international law, though protection of minority groups is outlined by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities.
What are some examples of involuntary minorities?
In the United States, for instance, it includes but is not limited to Native Americans, Puerto Ricans, African Americans, and native-born Mexican Americans. For reasons of cultural differences, involuntary minorities may experience difficulties in school more than members of other (voluntary) minority groups.
What are the effects of cultural differences on minority groups?
This often results in variations in language, culture, beliefs, practices, that set some groups apart from the dominant group. As these differences are usually perceived negatively by, this results in loss of social and political power for members of minority groups.
