Ethnic Identity in Social, Political and Economic Life - Coursework Example

Ethnicity and Nationalism 1. Introduction The continuous changes in social, political and economic conditions worldwide are often considered as threatening ethnic identity of populations with different ethical and cultural characteristics. There is also the opposite view, based on the argument that ethnic identity is just part of a group of identities which characterize individuals in the context of the international community. At this point the following issue appears: is ethnicity a key element of modern social, political and economic life or it is just a social characteristic of minor importance, the power of which is limited under the pressures of various social, political and economic interests? The value of ethnic identity in the context of social, political and economic life is reviewed in this paper. Efforts are made so that the influence of ethnic identity on ethnic affiliations is clearly described. The various assumptions developed in regard to this issue, as identified in the relevant literature, are compared. It is made clear that ethnic identity is a core part of modern social, political and economic life but its power to influence key social, political and economic decisions worldwide is differentiated, a fact probably related to the different perceptions of people in each state in regard to the context of ethnic identity and its requirements, meaning the terms under which ethnic identity can be considered as secured. Also, different levels of freedom exist internationally in regard to the potential limitations of ethnic identity, a fact leading often to severe social, political and economic conflicts, either in the internal and the external environment of modern states. 2. Ethnic identity in todays social, political and economic life The representation of ethnic identity in a variety of social, political and economic activities is extensive. Moreover, the literature published in this field leads to the assumption that the forms of ethnic identity in social, political and economic life can vary. Reference can be made for instance to the relationship between identity and language. In accordance with Fishman and Garcia (2010), identity is reflected in a series of identity practices, including specific linguistic choices (Fishman and Garcia 40). These identify practices, if viewed as a unit, constitute ethnicity, as a social phenomenon (Fishman and Garcia 40). The level at which ethnic identity can intervene in the social life of each region depends on the principles on which social behavior across the above region is based. More specifically, in areas where local culture is characterized by individualism, personal interests are expected to be served first, while the public interest follows (Newman and Newman 45). On the contrary, in societies the culture of which is based on collectivism, the public interest comes first; in case of conflicts between the interests of a group and personal interests, the former need to be addressed as a priority (Newman and Newman 45). The above issues are made clear through the following example: in New Zealand, individualism is rather promoted, instead of collectivism, as a criterion of social behavior. Indeed, ‘in schools across New Zealand students are required to work as individuals rather than as members of a group’ (House, Kasper and Ross 192). The above trend is in opposition with the culture of Maori people, ethnic minority in New Zealand, who promote team working in most social and economic activities (House, Kasper and Ross 192-193). The above example also reveals the potential differentiation in regard to the forms of ethnic identity within each country worldwide, meaning that it is possible for different ethnic identities to co-exist within the same country. The relationship between ethnic identity and social life is reflected in the following fact: in the context of each society, social groups with common culture and traditions are likely to have common ethnic identity, meaning that ethnic identity is related to culture (Eriksen 73). Although the above view can be characterized as justified, it suffers from the following controversy: ethnic identity is promoted through culture but the power of culture to define clearly the characteristics of each ethnic group is not extensive; in this way, ethnic identity is often regarded as ambiguous, being influenced by the history and the culture of each social group (Eriksen 73). From a similar point of view, it has been explained that ethnic identity can be related to the political life. The above relationship can be made clear in the case of utility. More specifically, ‘the competition over scarce resources can lead to the formation of ethnic political organizations’ (Eriksen 73), a fact that verifies the dependency of ethnic identity on political decisions. In many cases, the personal choices of people, as members of group, can be involved in political decisions (Boling 137); for instance, the claims of people who protest against discrimination in the workplace, based on the race or cultural background of employees. In the above case, the will of persons can become political, linking ethnic identity with political life (Boling 137). In accordance with the above, ethnic identity is strongly related to political life. This relationship has been also revealed in former Yugoslavia, as also in many African states; the failure of local leaders to manage ethnic conflicts within their state has led to severe political turbulences, which have been continued up today (Peterson and Sayari 1). Through the above cases it has been made clear that understanding ethnic identity is a key requirement for political leaders worldwide. The problem can be intensive in developing as well as in developed countries, such as Canada or USA, where the oppositions of ethnic minorities to critical political decisions has prevented stabilization in these country’s social and political framework. Ethnic identity can be also related to a region’s economic life, but under certain limitations: in the context of the modern market, economic activities have become independent from culture and politics. For example, the prospects for profit depend rather on the area in which a business is based and on the conditions of the local economy, rather than on local social ethics and culture (Coe, Kelly and Yeung 2007). On the other hand, ethnic stereotypes having been proved as having a decisive role in the prospects of people in the workplace (Roberts, Finnegan and Duncan 167), showing the close relationship between ethnic identity and economic conditions. In practice, it has been proved that certain ethnic groups are likely to develop their ethnic identity even if their power to influence the political or economic life of a particular region is quite limited (Eriksen 73). This fact leads to the following assumption: ethnic identity is related to political and economic life but it can also exist independently; such assumption is difficult to be made in regard to the relationship between ethnic identity and social life. Ethnic identity cannot be considered as viable away from society or of the cultural framework, which defines the key elements of ethnic identity, as explained earlier in the study of Eriksen (73). 3. How are ethnic affiliations affected? In accordance with the issues developed above, the forms and the power of ethnic identity within each society are likely to be differentiated, compared to other societies of similar social, political or economic characteristics. The specific view is further supported by the following fact: ethnic identity can be used for serving different social, political and economic needs and for this reason its power within each society cannot be standardized. In accordance with Fenton (2010), ethnic identity is likely to have three, different, forms; it can be circumstantial, being changed under the influence of the local social, political or social environment; it can be situational, being influenced by ‘the social situation of each individual’ (Fenton 82). Finally, it can be instrumental, used as a means for achieving specific social, political or economic goals (Fenton 82). Under these terms, ethnic affiliations are difficult to be standardized. In fact, it could be noted that in countries which incorporate a high range of ethnic identities, as representing the culture and the ethics of minorities, ethnic affiliations can be threatened, but only if measures are not taken in advance for securing the ethnic identity of the major part of the local population. Also, in social, political and economic contexts that are characterized by continuous conflicts, the protection of ethnic identity can be a challenging task. 4. Conclusion Ethnic identity is closely related to social, political and economic life. The terms under which the above relationship exists is, however, not standardized. Indeed, it has been made clear that the power of ethnic identity in each country is different. Moreover, countries that incorporate a range of ethnic identities, as represented in minorities established locally, are likely to suffer from social conflicts, as a result of the lack of effective policies for supporting the exchange of culture and ethics between people of different ethnic identity. In any case, the identification of all aspects of ethnic identity is a rather challenging task. It is clear that ethnic identity is not adequately protected in countries worldwide. Despite its involvement in all aspects of a country’s life, as described earlier, ethnic identity is still a controversial issue; its protection is often opposed by the need for securing also the rights of people with different ethnic identity. At this point, concepts like nationalism would be applied ensuring that justice and equality are adequately promoted. In any case, if conflicts in regard to the prioritization of political, social and economic interests appear, meaning the conflict between people with different ethic identity, then the measures taken should not violate the rights of locals, as representing the majority of the country’s population; this means that national ethnic identity should be protected in priority reflecting the promotion of public interest as opposed to the interests of individuals. Works Cited Boling, Patricia. Privacy and the politics of intimate life. New York: Cornell University Press, 1996. Coe, Neil, Kelly, Philip, and Yeung, Henry. Economic geography: a contemporary introduction. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2007. Eriksen, Thomas. Ethnicity and nationalism. London: Pluto Press, 2002. Fenton, Steve. Ethnicity. Cambridge: Polity, 2010. Fishman, Joshua, and Garcia, Ofelia. Handbook of Language & Ethnic Identity: Disciplinary & regional perspectives. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010. House, Juliane, Kasper, Gabriele, and Ross, Steven. Misunderstanding in social life: discourse approaches to problematic talk. Essex: Pearson Education, 2003. Newman, Barbara, and Newman, Philip.Development Through Life: A Psychosocial Approach. Belmont: Cengage Learning, 2011. Peterson, Lois, and Sayari, Sabri. Democratization and ethnic conflict: summary of two meetings. Washington: National Academies, 1992. Roberts, Bryan, Finnegan, Ruth, and Gallie, Duncan. New approaches to economic life: economic restructuring, unemployment and the social division of labour. Manchester: Manchester University Press ND, 1985. Read More