Are people's characters determined by their ethnic group?

Answer 1

My short answer is somewhat and indirectly.

The longer answer:
A person's character is mostly shaped by the environment where s/he grew up and his/her caretakers with environment being the dominant factor. Any child in an unstable environment would likely to develop a characteristic that is less trusting of others regardless of his/her ethnicity.

However, an ethnic group has its own culture factors that establish a baseline for acceptable behaviors. These behaviors are communicated, either verbally or non-verbally, from caretakers to children and thus help determine personal characteristic.

Take immigrants for example. As each generation is born, ethnicity stays the same and yet children exhibit less and less ethnic characteristics. This is an evident that environment is a stronger influence for personal characteristics than ethnic group.

Psychology would tell you that people develop characteristics for survival. Whether it is to hide (being shy) to avoid being picked on by brothers and sisters, or talk loud and fast so to be heard; personal characteristics are results of individual’s skills for survival in his/her interpretation of the environment.

Answer 2

I have previously thought that culture (as in ethnicity) is a major part in determining characters of individuals, but I have come to realize that ALTHOUGH it is a part in determination, sometimes it's just not appropriate in relying on stereotypes, the more people you meet, you more you feel that humans are similar in a way. As in, you may think that people from one race are generally laid-back, even to the point of being lazy, but then you turn around and see exactly the same traits in people who are from a different race....so I guess culture does affect our personalities/characters, but it doesn't dominate it. Other factors e.g., family background, personal experiences, etc play important roles too.

Answer 3

I would say that it is at least partially determined by ethnicity.
My wife is ethnic Chinese and I have noticed that Chinese tend to value things such as education, thrift, and hard work. Some ethnic group (name withheld) I was familiar with in the Army seemed to value education, thrifty, and hard work not at all. There are sometimes underlying character traits which every culture values. Since the character traits are valued in different ways, it is impossible, IMHO, for someone to objectively evaluate the character of someone from another ethnic group.

Answer 4

Ethnicity may determine character only superficially. If characters were determined by ethnicity then members in the same ethnic group would exhibit pretty much the same character. On the other hand there are good men and evil men in all ethnic groups, and the same goes for generosity and selfishness and so on and so forth.

Answer 5

Short answer: No.

Better answer: People's characters are shaped by their environment, and a person's ethnic group is usually, but not always, part of his or her environment.

Answer 6

Nope.

People's characters are determined by their *vision* for the world they live in. People of no vision usually think that their behaviour has no consequence on the future so therefore they behave any way they want.

People of vision can usually predict what consequence their behaviour has on the world and they behave accordingly.

My brother, it all boils down to intelligence !

The ethnic group you come from matters very little.

Answer 7

For the majority yes. I was different. I was raised in a poor neighborhood but I was motivated to have better. Education was the key despite being critisized by my friends for being an egg head. Most of them now have a fairly drab life. I on the other hand am very successful. I own my own business and have a BA in elemenatary education a BS in African American Studies, a MS in music and a PHD in sociology.

Answer 8

Just look at the Poster Boy for hate, mayhem, death, Hell and the grave! Osama and his dear sensitive Mama!

Muslims steeped in Islam develop a cold blooded, merciless, intolerant, sadistic nature. They abuse women, beating wives in public, stoning them for "suspicions" of infidelity, intellectually AND physically castrating them by mutilating their wives genitalia on their wedding night no less.

The evidence is overwhelming ! Islam is a curse and it's barbaric teachings inculcated from childhood leave their horrific mark!

Rewards for murder...72 Virgins to be raped through all eternity and re-raped while Allah looks on approving!

Ahhh the joys of Isalm and the blood soaked character it produces!!

Bombs, Blood and Burkas!!

Answer 9

I don't know about everyone else, but I can tell you that blue people are all alike. The only good blue people, are dead blue people. You might say " whoa dude, that's pretty harsh", well the world is a harsh world, my friend, and the damn blue people aren't making it any easier. If any blue people are reading this, all I got to say to you is **** you, blueie!

Answer 10

Maybe to a degree, but not really. Someone with a reputable character could come from parents with a questionalbe character and vice versa.