Ethnicity theory

Ethnicity ( v. Greek ethnos ἔθνος, [ foreign ] people ',' folk ') is a term used in ethnology and anthropology to classify cultural identities. According to Max Weber 's "ethnicity " is a concept of a group of people, which is constituted by a belief in common ancestry and culture, thus forming a homogeneous group identity. In this case, certain cultural elements such as language, dress, customs and religion as well as outwardly visible delimiters are used. In contrast to earlier primordial, essentialist explanations which fixed and immutable saw dictated by biology and the geographical conditions ethnicity in endogamous groups of homogeneous cultures, meanwhile, has become the constructivist approach that the subjective perception of the actors attaches a central role, rather enforced. He describes the more or less purposeful actions of individuals and collectives, and is often referred to as " social construction " (social constructivism) or as a " choice decision " ( rational choice theory ) in the social science theories considered. To categorize ethnicity social structure Ethnos is the term applied demos as a political and legal concept of people as opposed to ethnic folk term. In many cases, ethnicity is erroneously equated with nationality. A setting that primarily refers to their ethnicity from the standpoint of their own culture and its associated value standards is called ethnocentrism.

Theories of Ethnicity

Kößler and Schiel

Reinhart Kößler and Tilman Schiel different ethnicity according to their dimension, their appearance and their function.

Dimension: horizontal ethnicity

In the horizontal ethnicity they appear:

• As a strategy for ideological justification of resources, claims and rights,
• As social closure to justify exclusion and forced restrictions. These include citizenship, access to employment and other dispositive order,
• As " cultural creativity " with back-references to old traditions and in the form of demarcation of a " modernization shock".

Dimension: vertical ethnicization

In the vertical ethnicization they appear:

• As " Great " versus "little Traditions " to the positive emphasis on the " visible at one " (local, regional ) compared to the "National and Great "
• As nationalism versus tribalism. Here provide regional "ethnic force fields " ( tribes ) a national order in question,
• As centralism versus regionalism. Here, for example, operates a central government against the autonomy movement of a region.

Dimension in the depth and intensity

In the depth and intensity they appear:

• As ethnic segregation in the form of ethnic nationalism. The argument with the ethnicity serves as a strategy to legitimize a political autonomy and secession.
• As " cultural richness " to safeguard regional characteristics within a "national culture".

Science

In science, it is pointed to the increasing de-contextualization, hybridization and popularization of technical terms such as " ethnicity" in the public parlance. "Ethnicity " describes namely in the true sense certain properties, but a relationship - it is This is thus a relational and no substance-related term.

Andre Gingrich in this context in his article ethnicity for practice seven theses:

• Ethnicity refers to the particular relationship between two or more groups, under which dominates the view that they are culturally different from each other in important issues.
• Just as every person is sometimes more, sometimes less selfish and it has different credibility, so also tend ethnic groups in certain circumstances to ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism is sometimes unavoidable, but it is rarely correct.
• " Ethnic " is not talking cosmetic disguise for " racial " or " nationalist ". To absolutise Ethnic differences can easily lead to racism, to ignore ethnic differences but also.
• Ethnicity and nation are not identical. Nations are political communities who want to live or live in the same state federation permanently. Ethnicity, however, often exceeds national and state boundaries.
• Ethnicity is not the same culture. Ethnicity as relationships updated only certain aspects of the cultures involved in this mutual relationship and combines this with outside influences.
• Ethnicity changed over time and over again. As it is now, it does not remain.
• Ethnicity varies depending on the circumstances. Just as it is here, so it's not anywhere else