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    Cohen Ronald Ethnicity Problem and Focus in Anthropology PDF

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    Carla Fabiana Costa Calarge

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    ETHNICITY: PROBLEM AND 99619, FOCUS IN ANTHROPOLOGY Ronald Cohen Depa of Anthology an Plt Science, Northam Unies, © vaso no 201 ‘Quite suddenly, wit te commeat or ceemony, cnc isan ubigaitous ese vena bef ance throh les of books and monograph ver the pat ew yeas indeats teal accelerating acecptance and appa ton ofthe terns ethnic” and "eta offer o what was before fie ‘bstmed under “ult” ealtual" otal” New journal hve ap. peated wig the ters ia hr le, and pil programe fen staes re shoving up in unverty ctaogs. Almost any clra-eocal unit Indeed any ter deeibing particular sructres of conning socal rel ons, or ete ofeglrzed events gow canbe refer foam "ehni™ ‘hiro that Thiag be en in the proliferation of ies desing with tie rs, cele weaiy, ee boundaries, elle conf, etic cooper ‘ion of competion, enc pois, ethic tratiaben ec ineaton, ‘ethnic conciousness, and $0 on. Name it and thre i inal ead Someone who bs written cai wing “ethnic or “they” gules to Arsene is or her special appeoach to the top Ts ia fa? Is it spy old wie Calture) in new ote? fit merely a eanspatent em by antropoogite to adapt to “eh” i, op ingles ike "te bcase tore meaty End tion hen sped {othemscves? tn making such an adjustments anthropology simply etic soning its own tains to save is rapport? Ts in other words, not anything ore than 2 means shin gon 0 achieve old ens? Or ‘tas Krocter once sid dsparagingly of structure” when it bust onto his ‘ene years ao, at we ike the sound ofthe words—"ebi”" "ehcy™ ital they connotea posture toward or work or ome hoped for achee cnt we ae svg to make part of ovr menage ovr qos!” Pci it ial of the. Bat Kroeber was wrong about “trace” i sss jata momentary fod. went on to each er erm pater” Sd deteloped ino a props the etal concept of the sii. Some- thing aboot "strctre™reeted more adequately what we ha previously Inca by paltern timp the newfound gr of deta el oe in the 1940s and 1950 and diated the iections toward whch we ete tnoving Soto. belive, with ethic Certainly i encmpases prods infos from the pst. Bait does mor; repens newer foc nt ely quatale ro elder emphases, not simply conditioned by the same factors (Oht"prodoce” or “cau” or make upeutue spd tre "Eth." hike “trctre” before it represents Shit omard pew thera ad emi ‘al cancers im anlvopalop. In Use sense, etn” Sigal change ‘at shouldbe understood fem Several angleshstoncal theoreti and esogia Tir y ‘The Problem in Perspective ‘Wt aly a few expos (2, 21, 32, 48, 48, $0, antvoplgst tave idoun sede ay seal cones with problem! Des fre (eas sail) ol he lading ets of atop rom {oie to 197 and found no index isgs for etc” "ete pop” Eas, noes yo, bt enc” ape aa 8 wie. Stason oslient importa tobe gen an nds ey. Ar 97, however thingschnge Bat & oj) an Mars (2 beth bende, ens mening “cha nd Swson f ae” ad ete repulsion.” gerahy ee “Analg thi; Depres (1) hae speed htt maybe eo sheimpact of Bari) ioe ok omen roup an ound ‘orth og the guesion, Why shold Bar (1) and hers (123) have tern well eed when ere and nna wots tt came cat tater were aside cored pepe oe major het on {Sim of ie Spin? ee erly was ofr wan ofc" ewer pao the 1sitan Skew hy wr dealing wh oat wenew elec oops jo they know they re fen ting are) a arial ane ‘5. Ths was cpl oe amon he twat ppl sha the Tv ihe Now or fe Tale In sch etc sd thy se the jy, he Shuey edarbn he rsh ealdo rcenmefarheibe™ ‘Ren when the oop faded pect ina other rae ous mee ot ess simran was been up into named subgrospig® tha ad strong srethey feng iin them Such problems were pry resolved byt once ofthe states teity with He pnentacyepposton teween internal divsions that could write (ariosy) against outside fey thea { Stieantrenain in eposton afereards However, hat tot psshie ‘uur aiferenes tener intra dvsons? What about alan an ‘postions and obligations that eut arose the named etic enty ito | gE eshte brag at [Atmore comple levels fsa the same problem appear in reves abet Iss severely The multe astre of complet chisisinces tod Sates was t00 obvious to avoid Sill many oft were led by theese ‘concen to underpay the mltitaiequalty of the societies we ates ‘and cine one dominant etn loup a oa main oovs Thus, wrote of ‘he Kana of Born (7), knowing and reporting that ety Sf hs always ben of ofthe denis of ail rank in the sity (2). Whee this as atthe eas, swith Leah's (8) work on Highland Bora ora ‘suis of modem interactions in mulietn soetes,such works mee i 1 sense peripheral to the traditional thst of te dacplne Ths wast es understand assumed homogeneous tcc iss entes tbe relations ofthe parts tne smother and tothe whe, ante felts of he whole ad is parts o thei phys andsoncetaral environments “Those who didnot ook for oe efat homogeneos ting O oad pe! ere fred by ther daa to admit that mttniity wa ceil fo the Understanding of social process nd stricture a they ha veorded tia te field But throughout the 19405 and 1950s and into the 19608 sucht ‘ete sli the minority within anthropology. Te main concer ma © ‘derstand non-Western ace alts isograpy)ers 4 ve= of sch units (eressculural comparison. | Bur shngs change and ethics moving onto center stage The eases ase comples, but I would choose two as major deciaante. Tie ae the unit problem and seondly the pblem of context = int a above, the uni prbiem biggie what bers (14, 23,3147) ‘sipdaw hae calle the subjective objet ise in iat theory. Shoal etanie “7 ni be isolated dete basi of iat ateporis and analy? Or | should they be seen a8 valid when they relsrt only those loyalis and ‘scriptions made bya people about hemlves In traditional ehnopaph, ‘hs sue oie ated, then bypsed By contract opt op te ‘utton of categorization by nonmembers (he objerist empha) a leppeet wo pesn's own Ment ot deneaion with parle vp (the sobjectvst emphasis) Some worker () srs the bjt Perspective ethers (20,31) try tine both cteorization and Wty 2 "The ued ig ihe ean Dg pI a trcs pen Dap tn pre el te ot seepage re wheha an cnest ag 4 382 cOMEN in thir conceptusiation. Categorisation ie what antropaoges do when they name. “tbe” Ii also done by al outsiders. Group X may seal {A inperifie ccumstanes and We labled a Bby thers A to B are invariably elated bot not necessarily congruent Thus, Kans people refer to congeis of ton Msi popes to the southeast ab Kir. But Kind see themscves 454 number of gute dsinctve elie group. The problen | becomes mote complen we ti rele thts Kanaeominates towne sich people fen acep the dominant gro's term and cai they ae Kid Oniy mich clover quetoning ete ther home-bied wbjetive ‘Beniseatons. Erhnogrphers 98 otsiers must aso extegorize. Eater Sldworkers sss on the bas row train, tha there probly ad {he Usteuton of ultra trate in a repon wo were and were at Dh, ‘Tr, Dogri, Nuer or Kanu The views of te engl a 10 wo they mee ssa recorded and some atemg was ade ok the ewer’ ato the ical conception. However, here a slack of agreement twa ote tea large ignered d In crawrulfal tecareh, eoblems ssoated with soceclural anise have become a ental sethadolopeal sige Narll (37, 38 has ied fo sone two's (20 aking what factors are ually cated with the Seworker’ abt deineaon 3 “clamt” ans) by deve. ‘oping evnighe for coping wth sation in which separ aad ad ‘Sere unis ae in fst Merely mame outgrowths of a common ‘stu. The later cans auoeoreltonal ero (Galtocs probe) that Baral els mst be deat wih f als peneralsatons age emerge om rosalurl sareylecaques Gatos’ probe nudes the nocon shat an ethnography seer does rotated unique stem or ane that sucenlyaeretated 0 bea Sepufate unit But then, what does! To resolve this sue, Sarl (3) as ered factor fom te workafenographers based on he ton of tats generally wed for categonzing, nately, politcal ergaazaton, Tanguage:eologeal adjustment, terntorialcontgut, sod oat comms fy strtute, These lamsare the most often sed corer of ieren- tated ulna" But st of eter tal ene Tote they vary with Scie complet, repoal and continental contents, the einographer, {ou pecably with time sa wll Inthe end, Nara crtea do ot tle the problem They are stad well technuges hich atept ost com ‘estore coding an comparing cater What he realty ata of ch “Scatonés™ how they feito a changing word and developing a heopolgicalepatenolgy, Ie wrested. “The problem is mest dramatcly fied by Southall’ (24) tempt 0 recralune the velit of Net amd Dinka He veins how Evans | | | T | eniictry 385 Prichard (16) chose the name beaut t mas “hallowed by 2 century of ee" (p43) bt wasn fact a em ard bythe Dik to eet the Nace ‘ho in acual et al themselves Naath. The Dink call hess eng, fndboth ofthese are made up of number omamed groups whose ga ‘nd cultural uity and diversi stl uawn. Nor do we know enough out them to ktow whether there as eer» sense of ete oy tht evaded all Nee oral Dinka "unl the colonial adminitration ld them (ho) they nee" (46, p46. People from one Nuct (oe Dina) sbgroup aes cd at kaw themes ofa othe bgroips nthe owt ‘ee uit and could be treated alien strangers ben among one ofthe ‘her groups af the cater Southall hen gs of ah how Dinka and BNuer might have diferente from one sot and rom cach thei own sugroupngs- By using 3 stjectiveapposch o wily ascetd eth ne or “tal enites, he shows them tobe both inpsel om ete sm tobe the ral of compiex process of diferetnon alo hich wet tnremarked because Evans Ptchard and Lenard bth adopted thes ‘eped cola labels attached to roupngs of ppl inthe southern, Sedan “The ui problem then has made we amare that thea tents we acep, fen unthinking, as bse gies inthe lratue ae often atbiranly of eve worse, accurately Inge. Bart' (1) contbtion “tas in secing this pecblem and deciding to view enicy a abjestioe Foes of poop entiation in which pope we ete be w ene ‘hemelvs and the interaction wih ther Southall (6) weat even fue the o suggest thatthe coneron over etal able should pve key tothe evolution ofsaciaclurldierences I oughta, hetlre, to be ‘losed over by ang convention oa set of coving ehniqesInatead, the ety concep sugges that thee fa problem bere nose sltion lake us torard an understanding of pci cltre stoner ang gen (al evolutionary processes of culture growth and change, ‘The contest problem s both ideological and storia. Anthropology bas lays sessed contest a bse methadolagal tenet. Beha mater caltre, bebe, values, boos, ar all to be anerstod in the waco texts otherwise thee meaning aod sigsance ecapes at Once the nes state of the third world emerged, once Amensan Indian poupe, Inu (Eskimo) and others sa thenssives a art of largerwbols ad wed this 241 major festa oftheir owe group entities, then malice coatens became een othe undentanding of thre groupe, The older wn. culture, tbe and Soom had been exc fom content bees (2) they bien tere iad (need the more othe beter) and (8) we msamed 30 Salogy between the "nba unit and an aboriginal culture of the se Structral ype The astmption was wil nl til for sompacative id “ voluionary ties. But the ay of contemorary peoples nx complex Slerid is now cleat shifted fom ec Blate, “res” you wil to nen which te ltereltion between sich groups in rural. ues, nd indvsial setigs within and betwern atoraatesit ake, psu heey enti ther ves, In weologeal tems “bes” are # fundamentally colonial cocept ered rom te Lata er imbue meaning barbarians athe borden of he tepire Ths etymology flected elias the sgicance ofthe word fe Wester clr. nk to perils expnsionsm an the ase {nd vergeneralizes dichotomiation ofthe morl's peoples into evn wa uciized—the “row” and the “cooked” of human storia exper fe, Unfotunaely artvoplog has become te Wester ehacabsit- te vehi for the development of th invidious diction, dexccbing ‘abun and geneaiang aout he "aw" sie fhe dichotomy Tn more ‘cent times the pooeatve and stave quality of the word hasbeen ‘je by thd world scholars who cal anthropologist 0 ask fr having scepied such a distinction inthe st pace From ther perspec they Si lle ference between ther om tral wocioulture sons and Mos of the mesh socees. Yet ete divisions in their socees are etal” thot in ure ae “tie” A anal, more comparable snd & sre etable word demands of us oe term to dere mar tine tone scroll cities, In he table below the sii shown in utie form. The “boundary” and "ester" etre the hit ae ote theoreti! ad ae del ith inthe dsusion to follow. The able sows, however thatthe shit ree "ite" to “ethniiy” ivolies fundamental changer in anthro perspectives Irs much more reaching chang haa 3 simpli rom ne term toa more acceptable ge i) ur SS aca F| Seecrnas eas ‘eject empha of eacena a! | ser | Seber emi ger ie enisicy 3s The Definiional Problem The guts dice shove me prtefnioal owha I fer to an “porous rp ve they tbe sump abt a hema J eyo wpes of polem Th ewtenedo cemonsre at {he shi om betes odes oe nang change {tear an partes nd postu ocemng he area sage oF igs wey roo sa tore much seat a by i a Mot pope ving the rsh” Sa ions vem ug os Inge Geka a 6 of ety in sol dst ood ya ey uence bce ‘tetane writen ler pane tat he a ett ‘sed pooping angel ot byte tobe wi us Memb Shpintach rp inc! abet ander cj aretha sbowe tolae neki reels ih ont mare depen erate) We lsum cy ly ad pnt sect peso ‘Bhat rd etn Top ahh cee dis major st opto nom, eit psn a fear xr it are ee op om | nse Max Weber G2) dod tan be of common Scent ‘xen bend Kp, pla soa vs ler oop nd Comino coon, Mngt eg, aes moray, md oq Servos, Bath sna troppo ely Kise ene elope sie peganig popnion2= + | Skier aoa om 3. id commenter nite. | fom spn thei an edb her ears (tig «Sconce tom he negro tee pe He |< seks fr big std te ec ot cep s0 at cal ed Bal ome ons ee el acon of oa lp dha Tirso some id af coy of he Sits enig on me ads eatin parr ston. Emp Cay hy ty oS re wih aetna ed sal we “oe ond th Bah (p12) es the “mon gee dey prcspincy dered by ig snd bccn Ei rou een ve wat alec wld mats of entation ‘iz sna ang an tives ooge Tae ao so eon ‘etic maemo nt scoring Sf vcnch ad testy Vat (0) sng Ween defn fon Sout Kroyer cra cement By feng mre see fey npc eb shee wt Fd (ou Seay SS RTT Oy a = coun ote for the concept “ibe” Eta nota “mos oneal” of wide Sealed ienty Bu father i ean benaromed or Broader! in Bounds feims in elation tthe specie neds of political mabliaton. More recently. Kunsactec G8) has tried to diferente types of eh city Using ehnicity a a gene noton, he dinate the vets thie group. ete entity, and etic category. By etiniegrovp he Inenns 8 eto ledividuals with met snes based on shared ues: Standings and common ales, How much fshased i an empieal que ‘on and common ineests may leat a degre ofopanzsen. By ene nits be felts to 3 process by which inal ae aged to one ‘shine gtoup oF anther Te thereto ines boundaries, th erie, ‘maitenanet, and change. Ethie catego, ays Kunstadtes, ae daset oF people tase 0 real or pres ealtra estures I inves more at les standardisation of behavior toward the category by other in the = ty, Ethnic categors may or ay not correspond to ese povps er ‘shen thy share the ame name, depending on where 29d whe he aes Fston i being mode, and by whom (1d). “Antheopologsts have not, nthe conceptulination of ethnic, takes up the Winhisn (53) trastion in which the ladiators of ebay ae sped wie a rl Tnstead. echt is Sen a one among eves sulsomer of group nterctons in wich thee diferent power bere ‘Ssminant and minority groupe From his perspective ehmisy Sam ape ‘fsteaieation rather than 3 problem on teow (43) At we sl =, ths is more a theoretical tae thon a dfnional one To summarize, ethniy 5 presely used in anthropology expres tutto mulicaltorah multi tractive contests a wich stenton 9 focused an enity—the en roup—which is marked by ome degree of cltural and soci cammonlty, Membership entega by ember nd foumembers may of may not be thes, andthe efeston tad mate ‘ance of the etme Boundary witha which members ply aesordingf2 sia and eontnaingeules (1) a major aspect ofthe phenomenon “he structural features howevec, ae sll there. Terma ike “prop.” ‘estegory.” "boundary." connote an actual entity, and Bat’ concern ih taintenance tends to tefl mre. On the other hand, Vine (G9) earn us that i inherenty a mera Bency tha evades ales ‘iis topped and rumed toa thing The situational quality apd maple ‘sentes sociated wth ethnic lead met see a st fecal acres which define a share entity Fr members and nonmembers. The ‘acrtce mont olen ved are those deste by Lstes 20) nts aa ofthe rots and eis of etait ie the modern world (phys pei. nce name, language. history, religion, nationality), tbh o be ore (oct the variety, aumers, snd kine of such markers are Meru 3s my a hhumanking’s capac 0 attach sgncance to any and al bets and tchonort that prone some coemon characters for pup menbe “To pt rand the eication problem, woald dene icity 9 sre ot tevingicotomsations of inclvecis and ecixvenes. The procs ST isigning person to goupe bth wbjetive and objective, cared out by sel and other and depen on what asc ar edo deine en bership. The nesting gant is smart that of soil distance len | sich greater sesame of asia markers the loser one ge to 2 paral perce and/or is kin group. I ifs Goma sacl dance Setlebesue eine an hstoncly derive lmping fen of dacriet Searing distances autward from the eran 90 ha each of thse amp Ings ata potenti boundary or nmesble grouping that canbe et fed wih or refered in ene tems, sve the proper conditions 1 sie oa socal distance cle, however, in tat the numberof dices ‘ecrne nner wih thecal ofinstasvense Diaries tht kein the largest umber of people wed atthe most inusive level of eae, wae those ar distinguish a lower see levels beome move important whee ‘moc loaned or male sae dintinctions ae being mace Toe don ito an exisive grouping is always done in retin to sgicat eters sthose exclusion stay parla level of sale cess the we/tey dh ony, a ‘AS writer ine Maz Weber have note thedasies lays have about them an aura of decent! Even men acguired by assinlton, they are ‘gochy incorporated nt the microclare of adsl and fries as Far oftheir own erage and identi. Once asc by whatever pres Sich ident thes pase dows the gesratins orang 2 the pou as ome vale sigufcance fo members and nonmembers. Ethniy, he, a eof dscept based cultura enti wsed toasgn persons to groupings that ipa ad coauact ia inverse relation to the al ofncasenest and excusivnes of the membership. The important it stat ede boundaries are oot, 5 Bath (1) impli, sable and ong They sy bein ume cases and may tbe nother Tey are ‘motile and incl velpping sete of ripe loyalties hat ake for ‘ull dents G0, 23) ‘Situational Ethnicity Tn his recent attempt to develop a thay of ethnicity, Despees (iad that far conceptions and theories ae foo amguoss ogo much yond Bard's) formulation Asaleady noted, Barth ses etiy a4 ont ing scription which clair apes i er of is most genera, mos incase deny, I trartares interaction between ctnisl bewee f coun reson of ifeet ethnic groups and is dependent on cut dieenis| {Bac persist. The problem with Burt's conception hae aledy bem fated Group Asan be label Ain ration to B,C, and D. Bot among ‘demieleey A peopl are keenly auaze of sebgroup Sierences in which [rou X,Y, an l understand the etn incon mon theme Sr the posty of peter ot les diferences in the Tatu, epening Son lage fnge of ators Ethnicity Gt and foremost stuavional (ef 20, 36, 39). Using out efron, the inerscve stvton is major deterinaat of the level of Felusivenes emponed in ibn ef and oer. As already noted, "the “Sie rom canbe ategorizdaecording to diferent cer of revance in ierent stasis" (20, p 192). In ate stuatin I ay te ocupation, in another edoctn. i atid, ey. The label ar applied i he Sutin in oie fxn behavior A puricular atone appearance 1 fefered 10 as" or meaning ated fo acces because of te {thn abel avoir appli. This label hen ashe etry ‘cated characeoce and provides sn explanation, a engi in sch atom and tesa concerig the Seaman of aeons A sar set of| puis can e Suid on nnetini ibn. ef eazaton or oxeupa+ Vion. The sale el of confrontation inthe station generally deteraines ‘he sale eve of timc nlsveess. The label Sed proves self and ot others with ase of nutes that expla what 0 expe were sich bee favor ces fom. and fen ot How one shou rao sich 3 rome “The pobiens oselsate in Ac settings in hich segmental named prouins based on dese cut aos "bal nis based on ol iy. Working Buaspeaking aes of northeast Niger have found two major suet groups, Pair (centralized) and Bur ascents), that tational shared mast bot nota theca tot (10, ach ‘sbdivded no cae and ajo segments with ptatve eet ie becom ing distant and simmer wits creed scale Clans are suongly Went.ed ‘hi atop that a tres cem oie wih nrger entegorn suchas ab ‘ura, Kanan. Hin or Margi Yet le out aro presently acepted| eric us enn and wee to itlons miratory patens werd feom the Cameroon mounting atnated with populiton expansion, To- day the major oun ofthe area, Bi, beaming otanted Locale lo tak ‘of Bio people” 362 special category who have common iaerests and 2 ‘evelopng commonality of emimndcraed says. At these time the oniemporay period hss witnessed great changes in the tadional Bara religious bane so tht Pabe ate (aly) Muslin and Bara (sty) sian Islan spreading, however, ate eens of Christy, and the divsion ofthe ares isa seen in rio terme that have any a staniciry 389 curl covelaes bt which are not clearly congruent wih Pabie/Bura ‘Setnctione If we ake ako account the steady apead of Hause lnguage nd rest patterns in the 1960s an 7, the station becomes ever more ‘cme Depending upon the situation, peso om the aes ca, among ‘ters net iationed here deny himself as Pabi of Bur, by lan of fel o minor Kieage segment, by vilg o towa, by religion, By mi leat as nate Min worthy or by nrteoer asthe rer ‘Nigerian seting inflation to southerners. Tropersoeal ters situational thy can be observed in theatre \ ton of two or more persons rom separate poups i which aes ae wed tosigily the sociocultural aifrencs between them. Ie esuls em lt plemembersisindierenily sealed soiocstvral groupings, on of which ‘Sued to gy the dlerence between acters i he stun, However, the stoationa characte ofehnsit is nly starting point for theniing AAslongas we believe tat the emergence and persstence of eta de. foes isnot random eves in any particular stance, we must be prepared {ok what tor determine Gules td varaton Ethnic Relations 1, Ethics has no existence apart from teen relations Is inthis sease ‘at Hoetnk (23) eseres as “segmentry since the use of le abel pends upon pckimal diferenee between gre Some wre (eg 13) sug tha the abelng recs polite elatons wen roupseompere for sate resources. Others guy tht pint (eg. #9) by noting that for ‘ne most prt etnicity dos ot come it Play in interactive SRuaons because tenn oon’ inet to uz hs prt orm of as Aline. Th depres to which tay enter it intergroup elaons i therefor a varable What determines the secs of hs quty ad ow iin tm acts itrproup slaons is what defines the Bld fi teenie reins ; Leaving ie forthe moment how and why sence cus, the tno ‘raphie record includes bewildering ray of interethicelaton te ming fom “slat tade" 0 eoonat expansion ane the incorporation of mgr! populations. To simply these tera, we can clas the ond tos of interaction in tery of the nau ad Segre of contact between thea andthe lative power avaible to each nthe iterative situation Iii of revit, we ede tee varios to dichotomous ates ten ibethnie relations can be ested as ragmened,indret, bal anced, and sified a5 seta in Table 2. These pola typ at dstnetives ‘ferent but asthe clasifcaton eter change eg Pom unequal equa, or fom Bes to more contac, then interment types or contort of Imertetion ae reported cones nsec ton taal rapeted say Between ete groupe OScur when the groups saslved have litle no necessary reson or interaction, Condiins oe ‘ich wolation ae low population denny and sel-utcincy within acl fHoaps Empirically, only hunting bands and camp groups apprcac sch Sone Kesh eats na ol pep ain resofsocal stance ated on mariage and descent af thee ine Ine mists, sty, a ear te greater the dstinetions batnen ours ‘a isceultiral terms Relations among Eskimo groups ad belwees Ee ‘ino and Tnion aoups were of hs srt 5 were relations between Sho- ston’ and Pans popes, . Tnditect rations err when groups re unequal and contacts betacen ‘hem are inresunt In rch nance, he prope ve in cee separate and mally oned contexts reiting to one another trough speci ‘tsition or funstonare tht allow for peas nterchange The sme stations aso resin the dominance capes ofthe songz oup ‘roving the meer proup mith more autonomy than woul there be the cae he prope ere in ontact ae frequently. The "sl fade’ of est Aft exemple such relations Im Bor, the dominant Kanuri had sch relations nth Budduma peoples of Lake Chad. The ater ved 6m sands inthe ake and traded only itermitently with Kanu Kasur over was rested benatse they eld not eo Badu home villages ‘nthe waters of he ake, and much ofthe trade and other relations mere Carid out through afew Budduma "big mea” lca che whoemereed inthe nineteenth century when the Kamar apt moved owe To the the o ‘oluced rations betnen coi roup oscuinequitia ations of yon and omeostc interactions deterbed Bld workers ia the {laste srecurefenction made of analyse Relations bene nomad osoralists and agricultural, between coastal ad tear peoples in New Guites, ot smog and between slander in Mele, oe between ‘oasain Kos deley im Ugenda and Amba lowlanders oe Between enaNIciTY 391 erent agscuural peoples of the Nigerian mide belt (Kagoro and ‘Facer al cacy wich reations In theoreteal terms, the elements {Ne tenarhably sf. The group invlved ve neat eachother or share the sume terotry. Each has tome datncve subsistence and productive practices dv to histaraly determined clu dferenes or ecology or (eth This results ena based renal product that spon ading rele advantages to ll onceraed. Each goup mata 8 nic distinctive ad then tades with neatbygrups for goods nt frodoced a home, Crostini blood brothel, joking relations, in Fesed trading purine extension of ce taboos to tadig Pare, fights, dates, and prvleps of sanctuary, al tha and more develop to ‘sta he tlanced rntone at these ae described ‘Unguctonbly,ethnicy i (paral) susaed by mutually ovat courexchnge relatos among and betwen sparte ethnic groups. How. er hela fie sept in these stuces andthe tendency tab ‘MTeschange rations a equi stations reectng equality becween the [osoes gave them an unreal quaity—the sovalledeographie present pic what fe oberved ata point eine i turned int a rctonles and imeiess “system” whe paral function to sustain the whole. There beta rented problems here Fst groups that exchange mally advan {agsous goods and/or services may oF may not be equal in power, The ‘rchange by il sys ite or nothing stout power difeceness Secondly, the relationship eineen the groupe change over tie depending pon Factors fing the rade and power relies between the groups Scaled Symbotelaton between Plan and Haus (2) or alanis Bornoans (> broke ito open sont ance population presues and migration fers increased te number of pastoralists relation oarieulturaliss (ly. This produced ieresed demand for psturape and increased exc ‘ons bythe sedentary owner ofthe lan, fesling ultimately in warfare ‘Sd word tongues ofthe region. Salzman 1) ha noted sir proces for Baluchistan in which aca to water ecame the bie Sure of exfit feng toa sar confit and a sifar resol. Thos. changes inthe ‘ations becwecn ein group over acest esures can produce eon- sand lina ain the reveals inthe power relations between them By ar the most commented upon relations tween ethnic groups ar shone sed on diferent pomer Unequal rations between ele BouPs ‘ners when memblthip helps snisanl 16 determin access to sere Feoutes By routes. {mean any and al isiremeatalies ved 9 satty ‘akurlly defined needs and deren Examples wool be meas of bss fence, ean of sca matliy such jb, edn, Foie, medi Jia aed other government services, nd wath, Leal ofthe goods, Ke conn services and soil satus dened as scaly desirable in # mhithc foe. Yeus af, Lous Wir (53) theoraed that ens was a eco teed dtineion between groups based on inegualty in which some ae omit and others are "minoies” Le they are consent depeved of Secon wel rou The anton hee th he he ‘ity beewen group emi erences are acing in pneaes Wirt ‘Esloped he wear fom an American del ia which he aw asination| 5 theultimate goal and "ainoity” tlio sa sail problem. AS we Ive noted however, 2 more eose eo bela si, cultural rationalization for the legimacy ofthe ‘ublaed grouping ae ssivey sought for and reted by thow invaved ‘Tu the Nenu created 3 new and ute Stional but funcional gin myth tling of ther putative and cetraied pies! organization in ‘recoona times a a stpporting argent for ther claims oan indepen: ‘ent “nal” organization in the 190s The Fang of West Afton were ‘nekened and dispersed by colonial conquest which divided them betwe=h Gabon and Cameroon. They developed 3 realy with the bate educated pone peoples ni thes began revising nd realirming stones of he a come past unity and restos. The emerping “ito” wat part rel pa fancy ‘Today they have amscended older (rarou)disons flan a an [age and support esead 3 Fang-dominated modem pital movement {3}. Horonite 25) notes that similar legends have tend to dramatize tewly discovers einic arty among Lor, Bakongo, B2 Kono, #nd "Yovbs peoples in Ac, Kurs inthe Neat Eat, Bagues in Spin 2nd mong Sikhs in Tia. “The lene ethnic liatios sal dependent upon hae sha they often anedate ter seorporative contents. Kuper (32) ts that ee oop member fin recopize that they have an hora fe 10 oe Sher hat precedes os extera thos sce inch they now Bnd thomslve? This oe ls eefeced in a cocmon ngage tat facies onumuniaton and maintains soanty and informs offal Meant Socal oveaizaion dat make group members fel common ot shared ‘aderstatidng of inerpersona lan. In fet, salience. function af Sather or ot us can be tasltd ino a shared tof meanings sad 2 consul et of responses in which the emi pouring ses ab unt inthe mie lc content. The degre to whieh hiss possible Ieisute of ow mich mobilization cn be predic fo any parslar ‘the group and to the degre to which ehacy is an inporant fee She Sosy 363 whole The Context of Ethnicity ‘without fctsing Upon it psi, the dicusion of thi oar bas Implied mletbicy 25 the arena within which etc emerges 25 2 ‘elvan category of human grouping The em mos often welt gerbe this quality pluralism or plural Society (14, 3, 33, 4,43). Phralsm fefers toa society with diese pole inerest groups that mayor maj aot be ethnically dcfoed while plural secietie gene refx oones in whch tically diverse scrents are orgies int piel relevant wnt. Following Furia ng bang on Bis work, MG. Sth has renee the conept to those ithe soceses whose pats ave separate isi tions or srctres held together hough soem of fread aconcomi- tant stem of sacl steateaton Discussions the ferences in se andthe ity of pracy” or plats ae now whdespead inthe iterture (1, 3,40, 48) lay Se the ete controversy dow fo whether of at we need spat fet to apply to situations in which ethnic seatcaton& the primary horace o's oc sytem If the "parley" a ed by Smith (25) a thers (1) probably the est conceptual vei ode Tagan eee emixicrty 399 senbesueh a guality My problem wt his iterator the obvious empiri fal fst tat almoat"Eery modern society i melee. Ineaocia Foluonary tem the emergence of the centralize Hate ot cin fies) cares wath it the potential for "plural soe" Thesiferettion of {hepa sector asa em or whol specialized stv tha! secompanis sttehod requis tha groups with the state ene Lt pltally b 2 cites. Tis diferetnton allows for cltrallydiinctve groupe fo Fetia the etni dference at longa hey accep he roverigty athe Central goveroment (11), Modern ration-tatsBave cloned and cdies ‘izes oles. However, both eary and modern sates qute cecal fora matthsc population ‘Plraien thus a concept that Wigs the gap been the sstetons cesuing rm the casi anibropleialpesumption of “ual” unfra ity and solaton and tat ofa mula and therfore moe etc eotes If we accept ar eevee me the notion tht “ba sockets never rely exsted in prtnewolaonecepin a wey few ou-otbe-way places that fen as at its entity was pened by the anthropologist, nd that muletbicy ia quality ofsllsoitesin thio contet then the "pluralist soit concent (s nw ane) suite superRanue. Icon tras with etme homogeney and iolation which were aver rly so bomogeneoaso lated or antary as our pradigas equed nd sues them foe The chang from "ibe to etn pes csuring in out terminlegy meas an accepted of maleic, plurals you wil {S4 majrletre of cultural dsinevees and idenieaton Only i we feain the (anreal) pespective that srs “Ua” society a6 unary and isolated ome then equa concept hat describes Somethin diferent ‘mulethnic and worsted or pla In ther words, plurals” helps to ores for oder mistaken notions, we choose to hep yesterdays ers {spar othe contemporary paradigm or an anthrepologial epistemology. Tf. the other hand, we admit that holated “tea” ort were probly lays rare phenomenon, an if we bod ob t what was valuable the ‘der tration (ce. the excelent etographic descriptions sod analyses), then terms lke soit, poly, and ethnic ssume varying degree of ‘mulucthneiy and interethnic relation at» given pct fal soa si ‘ons: Param then an understanding and perspective cde in ll four bas terme Plural sstety a8 special term foretell strated societies with separted vocal stations slew easy to evaluate The lapel est of eonepua ferentiation is independent vation equiing a separate toc of they fr explanation af he variance in each concept Do eth ely sail sactie dilersgnieanly from thes? Arete sto foe: tors that explain any particular instance diferent fom thos ha explin ‘tes fms of socal Stratfcaton? Os thi simpy one typeof soca ‘conen

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