Suchergebnisse

Ethnicity is broadly defined in terms of group identity based on race or geographic origin, ie, as a sense of belonging related to ancestry, origin, religion, & common language. Econ factors are seen to contribute in a complex manner to ethnic definitions & identity maintenance. A schema classifying the polarities of conflicts & accommodations in loyalty & a sense of belonging is traced. The relationship between ethnicity & individual mobility is discussed under reference to US concern with loyalty & the general uneasiness over the legitimacy of a claim to be 'Amer.' As occup'al discrimination is more & more eliminated, primary group participation is becoming more ethnic-oriented. A shared soc self-identity is used to overcome, internally & externally, the negative soc definitions which have been internalized accommodatively by large numbers in the past. It is insisted that an 'emic' or psycho-cultural approach to an understanding of soc belonging is a necessary vantage point in considering soc behavior. A conflict approach in particular is more productive in understanding change than one based on formal structure alone. The history of soc life in any culture is a continual rhythm of conflict & accommodation of groups to one another, both externally & internally. Stratification allows for accommodation. Ethnicity must be seen in the context of modern man's search for meaningful & ultimate units of soc belonging. M. Maxfield.