Ethnicity

 Unlike race which is primarily seen and understood on the basis of skin colour and physical
features, ethnicity does not necessarily provide visual cues.
 Ethnicity is a concept referring to a shared culture and way of life which provides the group
members with a common identity.
 This can be reflected in language, religion, material culture such as clothing and cuisine, and
cultural products such as music and art.
 The cultural elements that define a particular ethnic group are taught and not inherited.
 Ethnicity should not be confused with nationality which refers to citizenship.
 Ethnicity is a person’s cultural inheritance, heritage or ancestry, whereas citizenship refers
to the membership of a nation or his / her legal identity.
 Boundaries between ethnic groups are somewhat fluid allowing for individuals to move
between groups, for e.g. children from one ethnic group adopted into another, religious
conversion, acculturation (a native group forced to adopt the culture of a dominating host
group).
 Different ethnic groups use different criteria to define group membership. One may
emphasize on a shared language, while another might emphasize on religious identity. Thus
ethnic groups are self defined.
 The food that one eats, the tradition that one practices, the language that one speaks are
essential aspects of ethnic identity.
 Members of ethnic groups see themselves as culturally distinct from other groups.
 Different characteristics serve to distinguish ethnic groups, the most usual ones includes,
language, history or ancestry, religion, and styles of dressing.
 Through socialization young people assimilate the lifestyles, norms and beliefs of ethnic
communities.
 Ethnic groups are also marked by exclusionary practices such as prohibiting intermarriages,
that serve to sharpen and maintain culturally established boundaries.
 Ethnicity provides a thread of continuity with the past and is often kept alive through
cultural traditions.
 The usage of the word ethnic could be sometimes be tricky and problematic, especially
when contrasted with the term non-ethnic. For e.g. in Britain and the USA, the word is
applied to anything that is non-British non-American. This produces a division between “us”
and “them”.
 Ethnicity is an attributed possessed by all members of a population.

In an age of globalization and rapid social change, the rich benefits and complex challenges of
ethnic diversity are confronting a growing number of states. International migration is
accelerating with the further integration of the global economy; the movement and mixing of
human populations seems sure to intensify in years to come.

Ethnic diversity can greatly enrich societies. Multiethnic states are often vibrant and dynamic
places that are strengthened by the varied contributions of their inhabitants. But such states
can also be fragile, especially in the face of internal upheaval or external threat. Differing
linguistic, religious and cultural backgrounds can become fault-lines that result in open
antagonism between ethnic groups. Sometimes societies with long histories of ethnic tolerance
and integration can rapidly become engulfed in ethnic conflict- hostilities between different
ethnic groups or communities.

Meanwhile, ethnic tensions and conflicts continue to flare in societies around the world,
threatening to lead to the disintegration of some multiethnic states and hinting at protracted
violence in others.

MODELS OF ETHNIC INTEGRATION:

There are three primary models of ethnic integration that have been adopted by multiethnic
societies in relation to these challenges: assimilation, the 'melting pot' and, finally, cultural
pluralism or multiculturalism. it is important to realize that these three models are ideal types
and are not in practice easy to achieve.

Assimilation: It is a process by which cultural groups become more and more alike. Assimilation
is most often discussed in terms of immigrant groups adopting the culture of the majority and
becoming like them in terms of values, ideology, behavior and practices. It can be forced or
spontaneous, rapid or gradual. that immigrants change their language, dress, lifestyles and
cultural outlooks as part of integrating into a new social order. In the United States, which was
formed as a 'nation of immigrants', generations of immigrants were subjected to pressure to
become 'assimilated' in this way, and many of their children became more or less completely
'American' as a result.

Thus, assimilation is a linear process by which one group becomes culturally similar to another
over time. Taking this theory as a lens, one can see generational changes within immigrant
families, wherein the immigrant generation is culturally different upon arrival but assimilates,
to some degree, to the dominant culture. The first-generation children of those immigrants will
grow up and be socialized within a society that is different from that of their parents' home
country. The majority culture will be their native culture, though they may still adhere to some
values and practices of their parents' native culture while at home and within their community
if that community is predominantly composed of a homogenous immigrant group. The second-
generation grandchildren of the original immigrants are less likely to maintain aspects of their
grandparents' culture and language and are likely to be culturally indistinguishable from the
majority culture. This is the form of assimilation that can be described as "Americanization" in
the U.S.

Assimilation is a process that will differ on the basis of race, ethnicity, and religion. Depending
on these variables, it may be a smooth, linear process for some, while for others, it may be
impeded by institutional and interpersonal roadblocks that manifest from racism, xenophobia,
ethnocentrism, and religious bias.

Assimilation is a process that will differ based on the economic standing of the minority person
or group. When an immigrant group is economically marginalized, they are likely to also be
socially marginalized from mainstream society, as is the case for immigrants who work as day
laborers or as agricultural workers. In this way, low economic standing can encourage
immigrants to band together and keep to themselves, in large part due to a requirement to
share resources (like housing and food) in order to survive. At the other end of the spectrum,
middle-class or wealthy immigrant populations will have access to homes, consumer goods and
services, educational resources and leisure activities that foster their assimilation into
mainstream society.

Melting Pot:

In sociology, a melting pot is a concept referring to a heterogeneous society becoming more

homogeneous with the different elements “melting together” into a harmonious whole with a
common culture. The melting pot concept is most commonly used to describe the assimilation
of immigrants to the United States, though can be used in any context where a new culture
comes to co-exist with another.

Rather than the traditions of the immigrants being dissolved in favour of those dominant
among the pre-existing population, they become blended to form new, evolving cultural
patterns. With its attractions for a diverse range of ethnic groups, the USA is often said to
exhibit the pattern associated with the idea of a melting pot. Not only are differing cultural
values and norms 'brought in' to a society from the outside, but diversity is also created as
ethnic groups adapt to the wider social environments in which they find themselves.

Many have believed that the melting pot model is the most desirable outcome of ethnic
diversity. Traditions and customs of immigrant populations are not abandoned, but contribute
to and shape a constantly transforming social milieu. Hybrid forms of cuisine, fashion, music
and architecture are manifestations of the melting pot approach.

This term is often challenged, however, by those who assert that cultural differences within a
society are valuable and should be preserved.

Multiculturalism:

The third model is that of cultural pluralism, in which ethnic cultures are given full validity to
exist separately, yet participate in the larger society's economic and political life. A recent and
important outgrowth of pluralism is multiculturalism, which refers to policies that encourage
cultural or ethnic groups to live in harmony with each other.

One advocate of multiculturalism, political scientist Bhikhu Parekh (2000: 67), puts forward its
central argument, arguing:

The cultural identity of some groups ('minorities') should not have to be confined to the private
sphere while the language, culture and religion of others ('the majority') enjoy a public
monopoly and are treated as the norm. For a lack of public recognition is damaging to people's
self-esteem and is not conducive to encouraging the full participation of everyone in the public
sphere.

The crucial task for multi-cultural societies in the twenty-first century, according to Parekh, is

'the need to find ways of reconciling the legitimate demands of unity and diversity, of achieving
political unity without cultural uniformity, and cultivating among its citizens both a common
sense of belonging and a willingness to respect and cherish deep cultural differences’.

People often confuse multiculturalism with cultural diversity- they talk about living in a
'multicultural society' when they mean that society is made up of people from many different
ethnic backgrounds. Others think that multiculturalism is about separatism, or cultural
relativism. But, according to this view, we simply have to accept that there are many different
cultures across the world and within societies and that none can have primacy over others. This
implies leaving all groups to follow whatever norms they like, regardless of the consequences
for wider society.