White people is a term denoting a specific set of ethnic groups and functions as a
color metaphor for race.
The definition of "white person" differs according to geographical and historical context. Various
social constructions of
whiteness have had implications in terms of national identity,
consanguinity,
public policy,
religion,
population statistics,
racial segregation,
affirmative action,
eugenics, racial
marginalization and
racial quotas. The concept has been applied with varying degrees of formality and internal consistency in disciplines including
sociology,
politics,
genetics,
biology,
medicine,
biomedicine,
language,
culture, and
law.