Introduction

In this assignment there are detail explanations about

ethnicityby conceptualizing with in social process and there are
more detail description about ethnic groups in different view
point of anthropologist
And about ethnic identity and relation between ethnic group
and ethnic identity/construction of ethnic identity to categorize
and label the group.
And there are high light history about ethnicityand about origin
of the word ethnicity.

ETHNIC GROUP AND IDENTITY

Some Social anthropologists use objective way to define ethnic groups

and others use subjective way to define ethnic groups.

Earlier conception of ethnic group

According to max weber(1978) ethnic groups are those human groups that
entertain a subjective belief in their common descent because of
similarities /physical type or when people think that they have come from
the same race .they are the same race when they meet in their own
language, When they communicate in their own language and form their
own government.

Anderson(1983) ethnic groups are those human groups that have unique
triats,traditinon and customs (character or quality )passed down through
generationthat construct social based on shared culture,lingustic/historical
attributes even if geographically dispersed.

Schermerhon(1996) define ethnic group as a unit of population having

unique characteristic that are binded with there common language and
history of ethnic allegiance.

Bateson (1979) ideas, Erikson explain contact and interrelation ship

between groupshe argue that ethnic identities are dynamic and shaped
by relation ships as the sound ofone hand clapping is impossible and
ethnic groups in complete isolation is unrealistic because groups are
inherently linked to each other through historical ,social and cultural
exchange.
F Barth(1969) ethnic groups are self defined groups so values are chosen
from their past history /existing condition and ethnic groups are aware of
and in contact with other have significant role in shaping and defining
their own ethnic identity.

Abbink(2004) ethnic groups are members of group keep their social

unity /solidarity based on communalities like language ,myth,shared
cultural entities.

Kasifin(1976) dual nature of ethnic identity construction where both

outsiders and insiders play role in defining and shaping the identity of an
ethnic group.outsiders who do not belong to the group and perceive the
group as different from their own and use these perceive difference to
categorize and label the group .on other hand insider members of ethnic
group also contribute to construction of their own identity by emphasizing
shared cultural markers, tradition. Sooutsiders and insiders have role in
shaping ethnic identity and role of solidarity in driving political action.

Hutchinson and smiths(1996) identify 6 main features /criteria to say that

people are assigned to a tribe /definition of ethnic group predominantly
consist

(1common proper name:-It should have a name that describes the identity
of the community. Ex chala and James

2) Myths of common ancestry:-ideas of common origin on time

(3shared historical memories:-shared memories of common past including

events ,heroes

(4common culture:-one or more elements of common culture which need

not be specified but normally include religion, customs and language.

(5 link with homeland :only it is attachment to the ancestral land and it is

not necessarily physical occupation.

(6Asense of solidarity:-it is on part of some section of ethnic population.

Ethnic identity

There is no widely agreed defination of ethnic identity.Ethnic identity is

affiliative construct /association between peoples and the way individual
viewed them selves and by others as belonging to ethnic or cultural
group. Affiliation can be classified by racial,natal,symbolic and cultural
factors.
Racial factors:-involveuse of physical character(physical appearance)and
physiognomic(external bodyappearance)

Natal factors :- It is a reason for the indigenous people to form a union

Symbolic factor:- When a person finds a person who is similar to his own
culture and shares his culture, he is motivated to associate with that
person.exfood, clothes

Cultural factors:- When people have the same / close cultural language
value, they are quick to form a union.

there are two aspects of ethnic identity 1)objective(external)aspect:-

Ethnicity:identification and social categorization

After end of world war words like ethnicity,ethnic groups,ethnic conflict

and nationalism have come terms in English language.during the 19890s
and early 1990s the growth of scholarly publications on ethnicity,ethnic
phenomenon and nationalism a cross different discipline with in social
science.

Ethnicity: A brief historical overview:-Ethnic and ethnic relations have

recently been the focus of social science and have central role in social
science with dominant discourse replacing class structure and class
conflicts.this influence is based on the universal discipline of social
anthropology,political theory/philosophy and history.in this regard the
academic and public use of the term “ethnic” is fair ,modern.according to
john hachinson and Anthony smith(1990)the word ehnic is relatively
new,first appeared in oxford English dictionary in 1953.

The term it self ethnicity:-The term ethnicity is connected to the term

ethnic which is connected to the term ethnic which has been in use since
the middle age. the word ethnic is derived from Greek term ethnos so
ethnos in turn derived from the Latin word ehnikos.

Ethnicity -Ethnic-Ethnos-Ethnikos

Ethnikos means agroup of people with the same culture,traditions and

language but ethnos refers to a collectivity of humans lived and acted
together which is typically translated to day as nation.the Greeks used
ethnos to describe non Greek people who lived among them.in ancient
times the Greeks where called hallenic and this word comes from the word
hellazein which means to speak Greek/to combine it with the Greeks.the
word ethnicity comes after the world warII before that the term tribe was
the choice for pre modern societies so after that the term race was used
to refer modern societies.north American used the term ethnic for
minority group(jews,Italians,Africans..) those who live in their country and
European use the term ethnic for 2 nd class peoples or for non-citizened/for
immigrant minority(Pakistan, west indian...). before the world war II
European used the term ethnic group/nation hood.

Conceptualizing Ethnicity

None of the founding fathers of anthropology and sociology with the

partial exception of max weber granted ethnicity much attention. so
weber give definition for ethnicity and ethnic group as we defined
according to weber about ethnic group in the first page ethnic group is
common descent shared by its descent, extend beyond kinship may be
this is because of colonization and migration. more significant part of
weber argument is that “ethnic member ship doesn’t constitute a group”
means it is only facilitates group formation of any other.
The next great contributer to our understanding of ethnicity is
anthropologist,named Frderick barth.

Barth began with what actors believe or think: Ascription and self
Ascription

Ascription:-when we describe a person from the background of the story.

example:-the family, language, religion, in which he was born.

A categorical ascription:-when we divide person from his identity and

divide him in to ethnic groups.

Barth focused not upon the cultural characteristics of ethnic groups but
upon relationships and cultural differentiation and specifically upon
contact between collectivities thus differentiated us and them.

The cultural content of ethnic dichotomies(signs)would seem analytically

to be of two orders.1)overt signals :-the diacritical features that people
look for and exhibit to show ex:- dress, language

2)Basic value orientations:-the standards of morality and excellence by

which performance is judged. In most general notion for barth ethnicity is
seen as a social organization of cultural difference.

Barth explained cultural difference in “outside in” it is our interaction with

the community that makes us have a culture. Barths research established
a foundation for understanding ethnicity in univerasalist rather than in
particularist term.since culture and social groups emerge only through
interaction with others.

In Barths owns words the critical focuse of investigation from this point of
view becomes the ethnic boundary that define the group,not the cultural
stuff that it encloses.

Summary
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Summary