Political resource of ethnic identity in the conditions of transformation of the modern world structure

Abstract

The subject of this research is the problem of politicization of ethnicity. This trend is substantiated by actualization of ethnic identity, which received the name of “ethnic renaissance” that affected the majority of population in different countries and continents, and became a natural response to the challenges of globalization. The author examines such aspects of the topic, as the analysis of politicization of ethnicity in the scientific discourse, process of political mobilization of ethnic communities and its stages, types of secession movements and their characteristics. Special attention is paid to the problems of ethnic separatism and ethnonationalism, which are the result of politicization of ethnic factor. It is noted that in the conditions of ambiguous global transformations, ethnic identity activates the political resource, successfully used in the conditions of informatization of society at various levels of sociality: macro, mezo, micro. Methodological framework is comprised of constructivist paradigm that allows viewing ethnic identity as the method of organization of sociocultural being of commonality based on delineation of its “symbolic” boundaries. The acquired results allow to theoretically substantiate that ethnic identity possesses strong political potential, which creates the centers of tension and conflicts worldwide. In the conditions of transformation of the international system and new round of geopolitical confrontation, the political resource of ethnicity is fully utilized. The process of political mobilization of ethnos includes the following stages: 1) formation of political consciousness among the representatives of ethnic group; 2) ethnopolitical mobilization; 3) organization of ethno-national movement. At first two stages, the paramount role is played by political elites, and at the third – by ethnic ideology. In the current conditions of nonlinear dynamics of world system, the emergence of a large number of geopolitical actors following various goals, as well as usage of information technologies, ethnic identity is an effective instrument for consolidation, as well as deconsolidation of groups by ethnic grounds, obtains its political agency.