All the inhabitants of our big planet are very different: for example, the highlanders do not at all look like islanders. Even within the same nation or country, there may be separate ethnic groups that differ in their cultural characteristics and traditions. In fact, an ethnic group is part of an ethnos, a kind of community that has formed historically on a certain territory. Let us consider this question in more detail.
History and origin of the term
Today, an ethnic group is an important object of research for such sciences as history, population geography, and cultural studies. Social psychologists are studying this issue in order to prevent and resolve various ethnic conflicts. What is the origin of the term?
The etymology of the word "ethnos" is very interesting. From the ancient Greek language it can be translated as "not Greek." That is, in essence, an “ethnos” is a stranger, a foreigner. The ancient Greeks used this term to refer to various tribes of non-Greek origin. But they called themselves another, no less famous word - "demos", which means "people". Later, the term also migrated to the Latin language, in which the adjective "ethnic" appeared. In the Middle Ages, it was also actively used in religious meaning, being synonymous with the words "non-Christian", "pagan".
Today, "ethnos" has become a purely scientific term that refers to all kinds of ethnic groups. The science that studies them is called ethnography.
An ethnic group is …
What is the meaning of this term? And what are its features and distinctive features?
An ethnic group is a stable community of people that has formed in a certain territory and has its own distinctive characteristics. The signs of such a group will be discussed a little later.
In science, this term is very often identified with concepts such as "ethnicity", "ethnic identity", "nation". But in the legal sphere it is completely absent - there it is often replaced by the terms "people" and "national minority". The lack of clear definitions of all these concepts is a serious scientific problem. Many scientists believe that each of them hides its own specific phenomenon, therefore they cannot be identified. In defining the concept of “ethnic group, ” Soviet scholars often abused the categories of sociology, and Western scholars abused psychology.
Western scholars identify two very important features of ethnic groups:
- firstly, they do not have their own statehood;
- secondly, having their own history, ethnic groups are not active and important historical subjects.
Ethnic structure
All existing ethnic groups have approximately the same structure, which consists of three main parts:
- The core of the ethnic group, which is characterized by compact living in a particular territory.
- Peripherals are part of a group that is geographically separate from the core.
- Diaspora - this is the part of the population that is geographically dispersed, including, it can occupy the territories of other ethnic communities.
Key Features of Ethnic Communities
There are several signs by which a particular person can be attributed to a particular ethnic group. It is noteworthy that the community members themselves consider these characteristics significant for themselves, they underlie their self-awareness.
Here are the main signs of an ethnic group:
- kinship by blood and marriage (this symptom is already considered somewhat outdated);
- general history of origin and development;
- territorial sign, that is, reference to a specific locality, territory;
- mutual language;
- their cultural characteristics, as well as traditions.
The main types of ethnic groups
Today, there are several classifications of ethnic groups and ethnic communities: geographical, linguistic, anthropological and cultural-economic.
Ethnic groups include the following types (levels):
- A clan is nothing but a close community of blood relatives.
- A tribe is several genera that are interconnected by common traditions, religion, cult, or a common dialect.
- Nationality is a special ethnic group that has been formed historically and united by one language, culture, faith and common territory.
- A nation is the highest form of development of an ethnic community, which is characterized by a common territory, language, culture, and developed economic ties.
Ethnic identity
An important indicator of the level of formation of a social ethnic group, in particular a nation, is ethnic identity. This term is one of the main in the psychology of the groups we are considering.
Ethnic self-awareness is a feeling of belonging of a particular individual to a particular ethnic group, ethnic group, nation. Moreover, a person should be aware of his unity with this community and understand the qualitative differences from other ethnic groups and groups.
For the formation of ethnic self-awareness, it is very important to study the history of one’s people, as well as the cultural characteristics, folklore and traditions that are passed down from generation to generation, thorough knowledge of their language and literature.
