According to anthropologists, ethnicity has numerous implications with respect to race, nation, class, etc. In many ways it is also conceived as a fairly modern phenomenon. According to Gregory Bateson, in the early twentieth century, many social theorists believed that ethnicity and nationalism would decrease in importance and eventually vanish as a result of modernization, industrialization, and individualism. This never happened. On the contrary, ethnicity and nationalism have grown in political importance in the world, particularly since the Second World War as a defense against globalization or to differentiate against onslaught of larger nation or ethnic group’s cultural homogenization. A main insight from anthropological research has been that ethnic identities, instead of being radically opposed to modernity and the modern state, are frequently reactions to processes of modernization.
What is ethnicity anyway? It has to do with difference and it takes at least two to create a difference. Although the use of the word “ethnicity” is fairly recent, the word “ethnic” is much older. The word is derived from the Greek ethnos (which in turn derived from the word ethnikos), which originally meant heathen or pagan (R. Williams, 1976: 119). It was used in this sense in English from the mid-14th century until the mid-19th century, when it gradually began to refer to “racial” characteristics.
A great many internal conflicts of 20th century, violent or non-violent, are based on ethnic issues. From Sri Lanka to Northern Ireland, from northeast India to Quebec, there have been a great upheaval to maintain ethnic identity. The erstwhile Soviet Union has split into many ethnically based states. So, ethnicity has a major role in nation building.
Initially, ethnicity had a connotation of racial minority. Although that is true to a degree even today, even larger groups are beginning to consider their ethnicity with pride. Euro centric writers who at one time used to refer to ethnic groups as tribes (with an implied categorization of inferiority) soon realized their biases and began to address these people as ethnic groups. As Europe moves closer to form European Union for economical, political, as well as integrated ethnic identity, many smaller European countries fear loss of their ethnic and national identity.
One has to remember the difference between nation, state, and ethnicity. A state is a political and administrative unit which may be made of one or many ethnic groups, where as a nation typically identifies itself with ethnicity. A nation of Islam or an Indian (American) nation does not have a political and geographical unit. Ethnic identity can be maintained even within a multi-ethnic political unit. Generally it requires a critical mass (population, resources) to support individual ethnic identity. Many times a multi-ethnic political unit provides that that critical mass with political clout and resources (human, natural, and other) for these small ethic groups. For such a political unit to work for all, the state must work towards uplifting all ethnic groups (large or small) and their language and culture. This requires that all such ethnic groups’ voices are heard for greater good and to maintain a healthy unity in diversity. It is not uncommon to have an ethnic or national anthem in addition to a state adopted anthem and one should learn to respect that. Many times people unknowingly make use of the word nation or state erroneously. United Nations, for example, represent the political states and it does not have ethnic or national representation per say.
Ethnicity refers to aspects of relationships between groups that consider themselves, and are regarded by others, as being culturally distinctive. Although ethnicity tends to concern itself with sub-national units, or minorities of some kind, majorities and dominant peoples are no less “ethnic” than minorities. In the context of ethnicity, race exists as a cultural construct, whether it has a “biological” reality or not as defined by racial divisions of humanity. Discrimination on ethnic grounds is spoken of as “racism” or “communalism” in many parts of the world. Biological race or skin color is not the decisive variable in every society.
Ethnic distinction relates to a group’s language, art& culture, dress habits, food habits, and lifestyle and thought process. Perhaps language is one of the most important factors in ethnicity as it directly affects communication process. Ethnic pride gives individuals a sense of belonging or a cultural root. Without that there may be individuals, but no group. As a social animal, each individual belongs to a group with similar lifestyle.
What are the pride and prejudices of ethnicity? Ethnic pride can be stronger than religious practices or allegiance to a state. If religion were a supreme binding force, all Islamic countries would have been one country. Erstwhile West Pakistan and East Pakistan practiced same religion, but they were totally different ethnically (i.e. in their life style, food habit, dress habit, language, art and culture). These two places could be held together only by force. It was just matter of time that that state based on religion alone would not be able to live amicably. So, Bangladesh happened. It is this pride (and obviously other minority status) that drives the Sri Lanka Tamils.
It is this pride that also holds people of different religions together. When we talk about the Assamese of northeast India as a threatened ethnic group or nationality, we talk about Assamese Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, and others with a common thread of ethnicity. What holds them together is their lifestyle. Yet, they feel threatened subconsciously and consciously by the invasion of Hindi (Bollywood) culture and the onslaught of many new immigrants who are not willing to adapt to such lifestyle and thereby making ethnic Assamese a potential minority with fear of loss of their identity. This along with economic backwardness, unemployment, and loss of political clout has created frustration and despair resulting in resentment and mistrust for those who are ethnically different.
Such threat can come from within as well, when a larger ethnic group fails to embrace a smaller ethnic group and unknowingly or knowingly ridicule such groups with their prejudiced views. Just like the term “nigger” was used in a derogatory sense of racial prejudice, terms like “wetbacks”, “dagos” were used for ethnic prejudices in America. In the same token, people from mainland India used to call the people of remote northeast India “Junglee” (meaning uncivilized) and Indian history as well national leaders very cleverly either omitted or ignored the contributions or sacrifices of these people. By the same token, some past Assamese chauvinists subconsciously used terms (referring to the surrounding hills people) like “Garo Khong” (anger like that of a person from Garo Hill), or “Naga Ghaon” (a wound that won’t heal was referred to the Naga people), etc. This kind of behavior alienates people and fragments ethnic identity. Obviously, others exploit these for political gain and make things even worse by creating a major division among people by playing on their emotions. In the larger context of ethnicity, members of such a group must recognize such exploitation and reconcile their small differences for the benefit of the group.
In any case, ethnic pride and prejudices play a vital role in unrest, violence, political divisions, hatred, etc. Re-emergence of many east European countries after the fall of Soviet Union is an outcome of ethnicity along with worsening economic conditions. India, by the same token, is a country of nations or ethnic groups. As India tries to establish its political identity as a republic or a nation, the ethnic groups (especially the smaller ones) are trying to identify themselves with their ethnicity or nationality. If political leadership fails to recognize and protect such ethnic pride, India may continue to see ethnic strife in addition to communal divisions in many parts of the country. Insurgency in northeast India and violence in the Middle East may have different roots, but the outcome is the same. One must investigate the cause and effect of such turmoil and not suppress or ignore with a simplistic approach. The large Hindi speaking ethnic group must learn to respect the small ethnic groups and not impose, directly or indirectly, their way of life or so called “Hindutva” which may be alien to many frontier groups.
By nature, ethnicity tends to resist any form of pseudo globalization giving rise to unrest. Western culture and in particular the newly evolved American culture may influence other cultures on a global scale, but it also must learn to respect and contend with other diverse ethnicities. As the subtle Americanization (blue jeans, McDonalds, Hollywood) is copied by certain groups, it also causes resentment among others and they resist such transformation by identifying more seriously with their own ethnic heritage. On a slightly smaller scale, the same applies in a country like India consisting of many ethnic groups or nationalities where subtle Indianization by the dominant group undermines smaller groups’ ethnic pride.
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