Abstract

Theories of ethnicity and identity formation in Sub‐Saharan African appear on a continuum between primordial and constructivist perspectives. While primordialist theories attest to the lasting nature of ethnic identity, the constructivist approach opposes the notion of ethnic rigidity by recognizing the relative historical context at work in shaping perceptions of self and racial identity. In response to claims that the primordialist–constructivist dialectic fails to supply foundational knowledge of ethnic identities, a third, syncretistic, stream of research in racial identity avoids the epistemological deadlock by including both constructed and essential aspects in ethnicity.

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