psychological aspects of a group level
The article tries to identify the psychological aspects of a group level and groups them in three identities, which are minority status, ethnic identity, and culture. Minority status comes from the different experiences one encounters by being a minority group in a larger population. In the case of African Americans, this comes in the form of stereotype judgments from other races and segregation. Ethnic identity is present in how one group himself in their ethnic group. African Americans will find themselves identifying with one another by calling each other brother or sister. This form of reference shows how they identify themselves with members of their racial type. When it comes to culture, it is all about sticking to the existing norms and beliefs of one’s lifestyle.
For one to understand the identity of African Americans, they must dwell on the cultural and ethnic identities that get rooted in Afrocentric values. These values include collectivism, spiritualism, communalism, and belief in self-knowledge. Communism comes by prioritizing the goals of the ethnic group and the roles of the family, whereas spiritualism gets driven by believing that spirits are the basis of every existence. Communalism is the cornerstone of their societies since it identifies human relationships by distinguishing the value of every community member and how they stand out from the rest. All these perspectives are not limited to African Americans only since they originate from their motherland, Africa. They get directed to them because of the diversity in American society, with African Americans being the ones who adhere to them the most.
One point that is not clear from the article is the precise definition of ethnicity in a society with diverse races. In the United States, the many races present cannot group themselves as ethnic groups since each race gets subdivided further into different nationalities of origin. The only track that stands out is the African Americans since one of them can claim citizenship of birth. The contradictions psychologists have on the issue are evident, with none of their definitions overlapping at any particular point.