Suchergebnisse

One drawback of aggregate data in the study of ethnic pol Is the necessity of assuming the presence of ethnic identification. Survey res presumes to rectify this deficiency, yet some attempts, measuring Identification on the basis of degree of group commitment, may not be satisfactory. Survey res conducted in Buffalo, NY, studied the determination of ethnic Identity by survey res. In addition to revealing how more direct measures of the components of ethnic identification can be made, data are presented suggesting that (1) while identification & saliency are related, non-saliency is not a, good predictor of nonidentification; (2) if group influence (commitment) is measured by sensitivity to criticism by fellow-group members, 'one must call into question the assumption that ethnic identity necessarily entails the concept of `group commitment'.' AA.

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The contributions of the 'plural society' approach to the understanding of ethnic relations in Africa are examined. Most African states are ethnically extremely heterogeneous. They are nearly all successor states to colonial territories which were pol'ly dominated by the ethnic minority belonging to the foreign colonial power. Most African states continue to be multi-nat'l ones, but now they are often ruled by a Westerneducated elite drawn from several ethnic groups. Great disparities in access to educ, power & wealth continue to exist between ethnic groups as a consequence of the accidents of colonial conquest, missionary activities, geographical location, ED & other factors. These disparities contribute greatly to internal conflicts in those states, & frequently threaten their pol'al existence. The term 'tribalism' applied to ethnic sentiments in Africa is invidious & misleading. What is called 'tribalism' in Africa is in fact nat'lism, & what is called 'nat'lism' in Africa is in essence the preservation of pol'al unity for the benefit of the multi-ethnic ruling mandarinate. The fluidity & relativity of ethnic boundaries in Africa raise complex analytical problems. The definition of ethnicity differs situationally. Diff issues activate diff lines of ethnic cleavage & diff levels of ethnic consciousness. The relationship between the objective cultural criteria of ethnicity (who speaks what language, adheres to what customs, etc) & the subjective definition of it by the persons involved is also problematic & complex. Furthermore, -there is often lack of consensus, both within & between groups, as to where ethnic boundaries are, & what the relative salience of various levels ethnicity & subethnicity is. All these complications make ethnic relations in plural societies more difficult to analyze than in Western societies where most res on the subject has been conducted. AA.

IN THIS REVIEW ESSAY, RECENT SIGNIFICANT WORKS ON THE SUBJECT OF COMPARATIVE ETHNICITY ARE SITUATED IN THE BROADER CONTEXT OF CULTURAL PLURALISM AS AN EMERGENT INTERDISCIPLINARY FIELD, THE REASONS FOR THE CRUSTALLIZATION OF CULTURAL PLURALISM AS A DISTINCTIVE FIELD OF INQUIRY ARE EXPLORED. THE RISE OF ETHNIC STUDIES WAS OBVIOUSLY TRIGGERED BY THE GROWING SALIENCY OF COMMUNAL CONFLICT IN ALL REGIONS OF THE WORLD. THE LOW VISIBILITY OF SUCH CLEAVAGES IN THE EARLY POSTWAR YEARS MAY BE ATTRIBUTED TO CONJUNCTURAL FACTORS. IMPORTANT LONG-TERM TRENDS INCLUDE THE BROADENING AND DEEPENING OF PATTERNS OF SOCIAL COMMUNICATION AND COMPETITION THROUGH URBANIZATION, EXPANDING LITERACY, MASS MEDIA, AND POPULATION MOVEMENTS; THESE PROCESSES ARE APT TO PRODUCE HEIGHTENED COMMUNAL CONSCIOUSNESS AND POLITICIZATION OF ETHNIC CLEAVAGES. THE GREAT EXPANSION IN THE SCOPE OF STATE ACTIONS RISES THE STAKES IN ISSUES OF DIVISION OF THE NATIONAL PRODUCT AND DOMINATION OF THE STATE APPARATUS. A LARGE CONSENSUS HAS EMERGED IN THE LITERATURE AS TO THE SITUATIONAL, CONTEXTUAL, AND CIRCUMSTANTIAL NATURE OF ETHNICITY. WITHIN THE COMPARATIVE ETHNICITY LITERATURE, AN IMPORTANT DIVISION HAS APPEARED BETWEEN "INSTRUMENTALISTS," WHO STRESS THE PURSUIT OF COLLECTIVE ADVANTAGES, AND "PRIMORDIALISTS," WHO FOCUS UPON THE ASSUMED GIVENS OF SHARED CULTURE AND THE PSYCHOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF ETHNIC CONSCIOUSNESS.