Stable cultural patterns shared by families with the same historical roots are referred to as?

The correct answer is ethnicity because it encompasses the shared cultural patterns, traditions, and historical roots that define a group of people. Ethnicity is not solely based on race but involves a combination of language, customs, beliefs, and values that are often passed down through generations. Families who share the same ethnic background typically have common experiences and cultural ties that influence their identities and ways of life.

Race generally refers to physical characteristics such as skin color, and while it can be associated with certain cultural patterns, it does not encompass the broader range of shared historical and cultural ties that ethnicity does. Cultural beliefs pertain to the ideas and values held by a group but do not specifically indicate the shared historical roots that define ethnicity. Symbols are objects, signs, or images that represent specific meanings within a culture but do not reflect the collective identity of a group rooted in shared history or tradition like ethnicity does.