Interaction at the Boundary - Essay Example

Do You Agree With Fredrik Barth That To Understand The Continuity And Constitution Of Ethnic Groups We Should Focus On Interaction At The Boundary? Introduction Human societies across the world lead their lives following a particular culture. The traditions and beliefs of the culture shape the thoughts of the people. People belonging to a cultural group follow a set of traditions and customs. These traditions and customs of a cultural group bind its members and define their cultural identity. Similarly, the members of an ethnic group share a common heritage which influences their thoughts and behavior. The members of an ethnic group speak a common language and adhere to a common set of religious and cultural beliefs. Beliefs of one ethnic group vary from another group and each group strives to preserve its culture. The members of various ethnic groups separate themselves from other groups in the world by raising boundaries around themselves. These boundaries ensure that the cultural and religious beliefs of an ethnic group stay with their group. The book Ethnic Groups and Boundaries: The Social Organization of Culture Difference by Fredrik Barth focuses on the ethnic groups and the boundaries which these groups raise around themselves, in order to exclude the outsiders from assimilating in their culture. Fredrik Barth maintains that the association of the cultural differences is an essential feature of ethnic groups. In this paper, we will discuss the significance of interaction at the boundary while studying the continuity and constitution of ethnic groups. I agree with Barth’s claim that to understand the continuity and constitution of ethnic group it is necessary to focus on interaction at the boundary, for these are the boundaries which avert the outsiders from influencing the religious beliefs, cultural values and behavioral traits of an ethnic group. Ethnic Groups In his book Ethnic Groups and Boundaries: The Social Organization of Culture Difference, Fredrik Bath discuses ethnic groups and their various features, beliefs and cultural identities. Ethnic groups are defined differently by various historians, anthropologists and scholars. The term “ethnicity” had been interpreted in numerous ways. Some think that ethnicity refers to a set of religious beliefs that are followed by a group of people while others think that common behavioral traits and language is the essential aspect of an ethical group. Although it is an accepted fact that an ethnic group consists of people who share a common heritage and culture, there are differences among historians and scholars regarding the characteristics of an ethnic group. “Attempts to find an objective set of criteria which might act as a definition for the ethnic groups have ultimately proven futile.” (Hall 76). In different countries, ethnic groups are recognized in different ways. While studying ethnic groups, the emphasis is on the cultural and religious beliefs followed by its members. The behavioral traits and the language spoken by the members of an ethnic group are also analyzed to understand the various aspects of an ethnic group. But Fredrick Barth differs from other anthropologists while defining ethnic groups. He emphasizes on “the ethnic boundary that defines the groups not the cultural stuff that it encloses.” (Barth15). His definition of an ethnic group is based on the boundaries that ethnic groups build around themselves to preserve their culture. Instead of focusing on the culture of the ethnic group, Barth stresses on the boundaries which protect that culture from outsiders. Ethnic Boundaries Ethnic boundaries, which are ignored by anthropologists, while studying the distinctiveness of ethnic groups are analyzed by Barth in his book. Barth thinks that ethnic boundary is a distinctive trait which influences the functioning of an ethnic group. To support his claim he refers to study of history of an ethnic group. He states that while studying the history of an ethnic group, one cannot focus only on the culture of the ethic group. “When one traces the history of an ethnic group through time, one is not simultaneously in the same sense, tracing the history of a culture.” (Barth 38). Barth further explains that the present culture of an ethnic group differs from the past culture, as cultural changes occur in an ethnic group, “the elements of the present culture of that ethnic group have not sprung from the particular set that constituted the group’s culture at a previous time….boundaries (criteria of membership) that despite modifications marked off a continuing unit.”(Barth 38). But the tendency of maintaining boundaries persists continuously among the ethnic groups. Barth also mentions that these boundaries aid the members of the ethnic groups in maintaining their identity. He says that the ability of the members of an ethnic group to retain their ethnic identity while interacting with persons outside the group is a criterion for the membership of an ethic group. “If a group maintains its identity when members interact with others, this entails criteria for determining membership and ways of signaling membership and exclusion.” (Barth 15). It is very significant for an ethnic group to preserve its cultural identity and to achieve this aim the ethnic groups depend on these boundaries. Interaction at the Boundary Barth also states that if we have to understand the continuity and constitution of ethnic groups it is necessary to focus on interaction at the boundary. For these boundaries are the source through which one can study the characteristics of an ethnic group. These boundaries are an essential factor that shapes the behavior of the members of an ethnic group. So it is necessary to consider this factor while analyzing the behavioral traits of an ethic group. Barth advises “the scholars to focus their attention on the boundaries between ethnic groups to see how members create and maintain their identities.” (Barth 15).Interacting at the boundary of an ethic group aids in understanding the beliefs that influence their thinking and behavior. In my opinion, Barth’s claim that for understanding the constitution and continuity of an ethnic group it is necessary to interact at its boundary, is true. An ethic group cannot be studied only by focusing on its culture and traditions, for this culture and tradition keeps on changing. In the changing circumstances of the world, an ethnic group has to make adjustments in order to survive and preserve its cultural identity. The cultural traditions which were followed by their ancestors differ in some aspects from the ones that are being followed by the present members of an ethnic group. But the process of raising boundaries has remained the same throughout the history of ethnic groups. So, instead of the changing culture of the ethnic group, the notion of boundaries which remains consistent would be more effective in understanding the constitution of a particular ethnic group. Identity The aim of any religious group, cultural group and ethnic group is to preserve its identity. The ethnic groups also create boundaries to maintain their social identity. It is the desire to an individual to define his/her social identity that makes him/her to follow a set of traditions belonging to a particular group. The members of the ethnic group are also seeking to maintain their social identities. “Within the context of cultural crisis the revival of ethnicity deserves special attention as perhaps the important legacy of the 1960s so far as usage of identity is concerned.” (Gleason). Identifying themselves with their ethnic group was essential for its members to interact within their ethnic group and exhibit their social identity to the world through their ethnicity. The social identity that is maintained by the members of an ethnic group cannot be studied by isolating the boundaries of the ethnic group. Boundaries of an ethnic group are the means through which the identity of an ethnic group is passed from one generation to another. Boundary of an ethnic group is sort of a cultural marker which differentiates the members of ethnic groups from other ethnic, religious or cultural groups. And an individual desires to adopt this cultural marker to express his/ her belonging to an ethnic group. The identity of an individual and his/her membership to an ethic group are interdependent on each other. “There is in the nature of the case close connection between the notion of identity and the awareness of belonging to a distinctive group set apart from others in the American society by race, religion, national background, or some other cultural marker.” (Gleason). The social identity of an individual is defined by his/her belonging to an ethic group while the identity of the ethic group is maintained and carried forward by its members through the process of boundary construction. Belonging to an ethnic group also helps an individual in developing a collective identity. Collective identity is influenced by the need to achieve similarities in one’s manners with the behavior of other members of the group. “Perhaps the most significant difference between individual and collective identities is that the former emphasizes difference, the latter similarity.” (Jenkins 20). And these similarities that are evident in the behavior, thought, traditions and beliefs in the members of an ethnic group are upheld owing to the prevalence of the boundaries. The individual identity of a person is influenced by his/her collective identity and vice versa. “Thus individual and collective identifies are systematically produced reproduced and implicated in each other.” (Jenkins 25). By constructing boundary, the members of an ethnic group strive to sustain their individual as well as collective identity. The boundary that the members of an ethnic group raise around themselves aids in saving the culture of the ethnic group from the external influences. It also shapes the process of exclusion which is aimed at keeping the outsiders from integrating into their culture. The members of an ethnic group live in different parts of the world and while living in countries where the native culture is far different from theirs, they have to protect their ethnic identity by raising boundaries. So while studying the constitution of an ethnic group, the measures adopted by the members of an ethnic group to conserve their culture are imperative for understanding the constitution of that ethic group. Without boundaries, the ethnic group can lose its structure and ultimately its identity. Structure of Ethnic Group Boundary construction by the members of an ethnic group is an important process which maintains the structure of an ethnic group. But this process is overlooked by many anthropologists and social scientists. While studying a group, it is important to consider the processes that influence the structure of the group. “The processes that determine the internal structures of ethnic groups or that lead to their creation in the first place are exceedingly complex and poorly understood by social scientists.” (Sandstrom 70). The true constitution of an ethnic group cannot be understood without analyzing the process of boundary construction. One ethnic group which differs from another ethic group in its culture and religious beliefs has to ensure that its structure is not influenced by the culture of another ethic group. Although the members of both these ethnic groups interact with each other, they see to it that their beliefs and traditions are not influenced by the culture of another ethnic group by employing the process of boundary construction. So the process of boundary construction plays a significant role in the structure of an ethnic group and an understanding of this process is necessary to comprehend the constitution of an ethnic group. Continuity Barth also states that the continuity of an ethnic group relies heavily on its boundary. “The nature of continuity of ethnic units is clear; it depends on the maintenance of a boundary.” (Barth 14). The culture of an ethnic group has to be carried forward by its members so that the ethnic group survives in the changing circumstances of the world. But if the members of an ethic group fail to raise boundaries around them, then their culture would be influenced by the culture of other ethnic groups, religious groups or the culture of the society they are living in. When there is mixing of an ethic culture with the other cultures, then the original culture of an ethnic group is lost and the continuity of that group is threatened. Ethnic boundaries ensure that the culture which is passed from one generation to another is retained by the present members of an ethnic group. Boundaries enable the members of an ethnic group to avert the outsiders from entering their group and influencing their ethnic culture. “Ethnic boundaries are means to create order…. processes of learning from one generation to another or through other channels of communication, simultaneously attaching cultural values and features to what appears as an ‘inside’ and an ‘outside’.” (Jorgenson).The continuity of an ethnic group is dependent on the boundaries which aid in preserving the original ethnic culture. So interaction at boundary is important to understand the continuity of an ethnic group. Conclusion Ethnic groups are studied by scholars and anthropologists by focusing on their cultural and religious beliefs. But Fredrik Barth differs from other anthropologists when he emphasizes on the boundaries of ethnic groups to understand their constitution and continuity in his book Ethnic Groups and Boundaries: The Social Organization of Culture Difference. He states that the boundaries constructed by the members of the ethnic groups around themselves are important sources for studying the characteristics of an ethnic group. The culture of an ethnic group keeps on changing but the tendency of the members of an ethnic group to construct boundaries is consistent. The culture of an ethnic group is maintained with the help of these boundaries, as these boundaries ensure that the culture of an ethnic group is saved from the external forces and its originality is preserved. Barth’s emphasis on boundary of an ethnic group is correct, as interaction at the boundary of an ethnic group reveals its constitution and continuity. Boundary construction is a process which plays an important role in maintaining the structure of an ethnic group. It ensures that the culture of an ethic group is averted from mixing with the other cultures. The boundary keeps the outsiders from assimilating in its ethnic group. The members of an ethnic group uphold their individual and ethnic identity by raising the boundaries while interacting with other people. The continuity of an ethnic group is also influenced by the process of boundary construction. These boundaries aid in protecting the culture which has been passed by one generation of an ethnic group to another generation. When boundary plays such an important role in marinating the culture of an ethnic group, it cannot be overlooked while studying the constitution and continuity of an ethnic group. Works Cited Barth, Fredrik. Ethnic Groups and Boundaries: The Social Organization of Culture Difference. Waveland Press.1998. Gleason, Philip. Identifying Identity: A Semantic History. The Journal of American History. 69.4(1983): 910-931. Hall, Jonathan. Ethnic Identity in Greek Antiquity. Cambridge University Press. 2000. Jenkins, Richard. Social Identity. Routledge.1996. Jorgenson, Bent. ETHNIC BOUNDARIES AND THE MARGINS OF THE MARGIN.14 December 2008. http://www.gmu.edu/academic/pcs/jorgens.html Stanstrom, Alan. Corn Is Our Blood: Culture and Ethnic Identity in a Contemporary Aztec Indian Village. University of Oklahoma Press.1992. Read More