Why is the study of race and ethnic relations important in multi-cultural societies?

Many people use the terms race and ethnicity interchangeably, however the distinction must be made. Wilkinson (1993) defines the term, race as “a category of persons who are related by a common heredity or ancestry and who are perceived and responded to in terms of external features or traits,” whereas ethnicity often refers to “a shared culture and lifestyle.” It must be noted that race is social construct rather than biological concept. The fact remains that different societies construct different systems of race classifications and these systems change over time. Ethnic group maybe distinguished on the basis of language, form of family, structure and role of the family members, religious beliefs and customs, forms of artistic expression such as music and dance and national origin. Two individuals with the same racial identity may have different ethnicity for example a black American and a black Jamaican have different culture or ethnic backgrounds. Equally, two individuals with the same ethnic background may identify with different race example Hispanic maybe black or white.
In a multicultural society, when society is studied it may be discovered how races and ethnic groups are treated or how they should be treated. The disparity between the ideal and the normal occurrence will allow us to see how the society functions. It would then be impossible to study the society without emphasizing on the relations between the various groups. Observing these groups will highlight key information. All these race and ethnic groups in the multicultural societies help us to see the importance of studying all the different groups and, their interaction with each other. Race and Ethnic Relations can influence or cause actions in the wider society. If Race and Ethnic relations are bad or