Construction Of Ethnic Identity Research Articles

Normative changes in ethnic and American identities and links with adjustment among Asian American adolescents.

Identity development is a highly salient task for adolescents, especially those from immigrant backgrounds, yet longitudinal research that tracks simultaneous change in ethnic identity and American identity over time has been limited. With a focus on 177 Asian American adolescents recruited from an emerging immigrant community, in the current study, we used hierarchical linear modeling and found that ethnic identity tends to remain fairly stable across the 4 years of high school, whereas American identity increases over time. When ethnic identity and American identity were examined simultaneously, consistent with existing research, ethnic identity was positively associated with positive relationships, high self-esteem, academic motivation, and lower levels of depression over time. Although American identity was not significantly associated with depression, positive links with relationships, self-esteem, and academic motivation were found. Both identities were interactively associated with academic motivation. Acculturative implications and the importance of considering the dual construction of ethnic identity and American identity in light of adolescent adjustment are discussed.

Emerging Ethnic Identities and Inter‐Ethnic Conflict: The Guji–Burji Conflict in South Ethiopia

AbstractThe politics of ethnicity was formally institutionalised in Ethiopia in 1991 with the introduction of ethnic federalism. This study deals with emerging ethnic identities and the dynamics of the inter‐ethnic relationship between the Guji and Burji peoples in south Ethiopia. The article argues that, following the enunciation of ethnicity as a leading political order in 1991, identities have been articulated in such a way that past historical incidents and memories have been reactivated and old labels have been redefined by ethnic entrepreneurs for various motives. This promotes (re)construction of ethnic identities and inter‐group polarisation. In the Guji–Burji case, it is this fragile relationship that is easily changed into inter‐ethnic conflict as a result of competing interests over resources. The article concludes that while the cause of the current Guji–Burji conflict is primarily economic in nature, it took on an ethnic dimension within the context of politicised ethnic identities that hardened group boundaries. Synchronising past relationships – both conflicting and harmonious – with the contemporary scenario, the article tries to shed some light on the dynamics of the Guji–Burji relationship, focusing particularly on the post‐1991 political order in Ethiopia and its local implications.

Diaspora grecque et identités hybrides : Perspectives transnationale et transgenre dans deux romans, Loaded de Christos Tsiolkas (Australie) et Middlesex de Jeffrey Eugenides (Etats-Unis)

There are numerous texts in modern Greek literature, or literature written by authors of Greek descent, in which migration is related to the issue of identity. It is the subject of multiple, especially cinematographic and literary, representations. The aim of this article is to examine this problematic question through the comparative analysis of two novels: Loaded, Christos Tsiolkas’s first novel published in 1995, and, the more well-known, Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides, winner of the 2002 Pullitzer Prize. Both novels narrate a quest for identity undertaken by their respective protagonists, Ari and Calliopi, both of Greek descent, the former living in Australia and the latter in America. Exploring the experience of a radical rethinking of identity, the two writers associate ethnicity and gender in the narration. In many ways, both characters, Ari and Calliopi, seem to be caught in a series of identity dilemmas, governed by a seemingly binary dialectic: Greekness versus Americaness or Australianness, multiculturalism versus hellenism, man versus woman, homosexual versus heterosexual, normal versus marginal, essentialism versus constructionism and existentialism, determinism versus free will. By comparing the two novels, the article analyses the construction of gender and ethnic identity and highlights the conceptions on which they are based.

Marching for God in the global city: Public space, religion and diasporic identities in a transnational African church

Taking the London-based brass band of a transnational Congolese church (the Kimbanguist church) as a case study, this article explores how the sonic, visible and embodied experience of religion in the public space is linked to the politics and poetics of diasporic belongings. These public performances enable Kimbanguists to claim a place and a space in the city while ‘emploting’ a particular vision of self and others in the pluralised environment of the diaspora. After discussing the literature on urban religious parades and processions, the article addresses the wider implications of the sacralisation of space and public performance of faith in terms of urban but also post-colonial centre/periphery dialectics. Finally, it reflects on the construction of diasporic and ethnic identities as well as the reinterpretation of Kimbanguist religiosity among second-generation Congolese youth in the British context.

Daugiakalbystė LDK: realijos, politika, žaidimai

The present article analyses the formation of multilingual society in medieval Lithuania. It aims specifically at investigating the origin of multilingualism in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and its implications on the development of Lithuanian society, political and cultural peculiarity, linguistic diversity as well as the construction of ethnic identity. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania, a nationally and linguistically diverse, multireligious state, had to turn to multilingualism for internal and external communication. Firstly, multilingualism was encouraged by the aspiration to integrate the state of Lithuania into the Europe of those days in the cultural, economic and political sense (even in the pre-Christian period). The Grand Duke Gediminas in his letter, dated on 26 May 1323, addressed to the Franciscan monks, requested sending four brothers who knew Polish, Semigalii and Russian to Lithuania. Multilingualism flourished exceptionally in the internal communication of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania: at least six languages were used for the purposes of script and literature alone. The same number of languages was used in everyday communication among different ethnic groups. In the 16th century, the strengthening of linguistic policy manifestations enabled the formation of at least four cultural information dissemination codes that survived until the 19th century. All of them were based on signification of a different language as the aspect of cultural development. As the study revealed, the origin of Lithuanian multilingualism can be associated with both the geopolitical situation of the ancient Lithuania and internal political framework of a multinational state. Cultural, religious and political processes determined a specific situation of communication in the country which manifested itself by almost parallel use of several languages in societal life. Languages exerted impact upon the formation of four different cultural information dissemination codes, discerning the models of Lithuanian, Latin (Roman), Byelorussian and Polish or Sarmatian culture. Politicization of language performed in 1697, when on the basis of the law of Coequation (Coaequatio iurium) the Polish language was entrenched in state offices, indicated essential changes in the state language policy: the Polish language became one among the equal languages of the GDL . Still the multinationality and diversity of confessions were maintained in cultural communication, literature, religion and science. Multilingualism disappeared from the state offices to emerge in public paratheatre events and was firmly anchored in creativity for special occasions and sophisticated poetry where it was mainly expressed by multilingual greetings of sovereigns and the noble. Welcoming speeches (Gratulationes) form a specific genre of literature, directly related to traditions and habits of public life of the nobility. Welcoming speeches at large belong to the area of occasional creativity and illustrate linguistic literacy of the society and tendencies of imperial or political impact of those times. Apart from Lithuanian, such languages as Latin, Rusini (lot. Rutheni or old Byelorussian), Church Slavonic, Polish, Latvian, German, Italian, French were used; also other, rather exotic languages (in the case of GDL ) such as Syrian, Hungarian, Finnish, Belgian, English, Scottish, Irish, Spanish, Czech can be found. Playings by languages and sometimes by alphabets were popular in a private setting as well. A number of such manifestations can be found in marginal printings (letters, notes of friendship, book proveniences and etc.). Although in the sunset of the Grand Duchy the societal multilingualism became narrower, it still existed owing to ethnic diversity and new emerging political tendencies in the country. Texts in several languages became a new form of communication. A colourful linguistic diversity of the Grand Duchy was evidenced by rich literary heritage, for instance, the macaronic (Latin macaronicum) style of poetry where poems written in Latin were intertwined with the words of national languages to reach a satirical or amusing effect. The conclusion is drawn in the study that Lithuanian multilingualism, closely related with societal multiculturalism and development of ethnic identity as well as religious tolerance of the ancient state, outlived the Grand Duchy of Lithuania: a new political situation in the 19th century failed to impose monolingualism both to private and partly to public life. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7220/2335-2027.1.4

Locating Ethnic Identity: Russian German Identity Construction in Ul’yanovsk

This essay presents a micro-level analysis of ethnic identity construction among ethnic Germans resident in Ul’yanovsk. The essay explores the local and trans-local situation of this group within a historical framework which informs the group's understanding of how to ‘be German’. It shows respondents’ participation in ‘return’-based, family-orientated diaspora networks. Analysis of the divergent discourses that emerge around the theme and experiences of mutual visits and travel to the Federal Republic of Germany and the differing identity outcomes which result are discussed. This reveals the ways in which transnational links can be utilised by non-movers both to problematise and to augment their local identities. This, in turn, uncovers the continuing relevance of issues around post-Soviet ‘returns’ for contemporary identity-construction and highlights the potential for analysis of non-movers as participants in migration networks.

Ethnicity and Early Childhood

Dominant discourses in Germany portray children with a so-called “migration background” implicitly or explicitly as “the Other” in relation to a normative image of “German children.” Family origins, language, and physical appearance act as important criteria in this process of ethnifying children. Embedded within this discursive framework, my research focus, however, is on the perspectives of the children themselves and how they participate in the social construction of ethnic identities. The paper is based on an ethnographic research in a day care center in Berlin with children from four to six years of age. Participant observation and symbolic group interviews were employed to explore the children’s practical enactment and use of ethnifying identity ascriptions in the context of the peer culture. I argue that ethnicity is not a pregiven fact, but practically accomplished and negotiated in children’s social interactions. Thus, the research contributes to our understanding of children’s agency and competence as well as of the relationality, provisionality, and context-dependence of children’s identity constructions.

Where Do Our Children Fit In?: White Mothering of Asian Children and the Construction of Racial and Ethnic Identities

This research investigates white adoptive mothers' mothering related to their adopted children's racial and ethnic socialization. Drawing upon in-depth face-to face interviews with thirty-eight women who have adopted children from China, South Korea or the Philippines, this paper first examines why white mothers de cided to adopt an Asian child and then explores mothering strategies for deal ing with their children's racial and ethnic identity formation. The study contrasts "colorblind mothering," which I also call the "assimilative fitting-in strategy," and "color-conscious mothering," also referred to as the "birth-culture fitting-in strategy." This study also found significant variations in color-conscious adoptive mothers' mothering based in part on the level of the family's embracement of the adopted child's birth culture and on the level of social networking with and outreach to not only other adoptive families but also Asian or Asian American communities. Finally this study critically reviews how race matters to white adoptive mothers.

Identity Constructions and Negotiations Among 1.5- and Second-Generation Nigerians: The Impact of Family, School, and Peer Contexts

Past scholarship on immigrant racial and ethnic identity construction tends to ignore the processes by which social context influences identity at the individual level. In this qualitative study, Janet T. Awokoya presents a complex understanding of 1.5- and second-generation African immigrant youths’ identities. Awokoya explores how three major contexts—family, school, and peer groups—affect the ways in which African immigrant youth construct and negotiate their racial and ethnic identities. Further, she contends that the ways in which African immigrant youth are expected to conform to ideals of what it means to be African, Nigerian, African American, and Black, which dramatically shift across contexts, significantly confound the racial and ethnic identity constructions and negotiations for these youth. The article concludes with a discussion of practical and theoretical implications for identity development among Black immigrant youth.

"Os charruas vivem" nos Gaúchos: a vida social de uma pesquisa de "resgate" genético de uma etnia indígena extinta no Sul do Brasil

Este artigo explora a articulação entre uma pesquisa de ancestralidade genética e a construção social de identidades étnicas no Rio Grande do Sul. Isso é feito através da análise da vida social de um projeto de pesquisa conduzido por pesquisadores da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). Tal investigação estabeleceu a continuidade genética entre a população Gaúcha contemporânea e os presumidamente extintos Charrua, uma etnia indígena que vivia na região do Pampa do estado. Ao longo do desenvolvimento do projeto de pesquisa, a ideia de continuidade genética passou por diferentes configurações, a depender de contextos específicos, sendo afirmada com diferentes níveis de certeza. A presente análise enfoca as condições sociais e genéticas que possibilitaram o estabelecimento de tal continuidade, assim como a afirmação da especificidade genética dos Gaúchos. Finalmente, são explorados os impactos sociais dessa pesquisa, em particular as suas articulações com construções de uma identidade regional diferenciada.

Invisible boundaries in the construction of ethnic identity: A systemic development perspective

The study of the construction of an ethnic identity is the central theme in the research carried out by Haan and Leander (2011) . They analyze the dialogical relationships that occur in social spaces, which serve as mediators for forging the identity of children and young people. Analysis allows them to characterize the social representations and patterns, which provide information on the personal positions (and counter-positions) constructed among different ethnic groups. However, we, being situated in the systemic perspective of development, offer a route which does not oppose the proposals of the authors, but on the contrary, we consider that it could be complementary for the understanding of this phenomenon, since we assume that the development of each person is open by nature and that it is in constant interaction with other systems (family, academic, social and cultural). This interaction generated its own dynamics which makes new forms of organization possible and contributes to the construction of identity. We support our reflections with cases of Latin American students who recount situations related to the construction of identity. Our conclusions are directed towards recognizing that this phenomenon is complex and requires analysis from different points of view, which contributes to its understanding.

Am I a genuine Mapuche? Tensions and contradictions in the construction of ethnic identity in Mapuche adolescents from Temuco and Santiago

This article examines the particular ways in which Mapuche adolescents from Santiago and Temuco dynamically express and give value to their Mapuche identity. We analyze the means by which they value themselves and others and how they represent their accounts of experiences in their communities to adjust concepts of identity and express degrees of affiliation. We investigate using an appraisal framework which provides analytical tools to explore interpersonal meanings instantiated in discursive choices of attitude and graduation. Among the linguistics resources to express graduation, we postulate that the subsystem of focus constitutes a key evaluative resource that Mapuche youths use to manifest their contradictions and tensions regarding the construction of their identity in a country that historically has discriminate indigenous people. We attempt to demonstrate that Mapuche adolescents negotiate naturalized ideological positions about their identity and what is considered ‘normal’ in their urban communities of Santiago and Temuco.

Name and Ethnic Identity: Experiences of Korean Women in Japan

Koreans living in Japan, so-called Zainichi Koreans, were historically forced to use Japanese names during the annexation (1910–45) and have been using them until today. While most Zainichi Koreans use Japanese names in public, some use Korean names all the time or only when they associate with fellow Zainichi Koreans. Zainichi Korean women have been marginalized not only by the dominant group, the ethnic Japanese, but also by their own group. This paper explores experiences of Zainichi Korean women and examines how using Japanese or Korean names has impacted their identity. My research design utilized qualitative interviews, and was particularly inspired by feminist oral history. This study showed the need to be conscious about keeping harmony and not to stand out, especially when they use Korean names. At the same time, use of Korean names can foster their ethnic identity and help construction of intercultural identity.

Development and Negative Constructions of Ethnic Identity: Responses to Asian Fisheries Investment in the Pacific

This article explores ethnic identities in representations of tuna fishing and canning companies in Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. One point raised by the analysis is that while national identities in these countries are often disrupted by subnational ethnic identities, strong nationalist discourses pervade representations of these companies. The nationalism apparent in responses to these companies is negative, reacting against perceived exploitation by foreigners through narratives of corporate wrongdoing. This article investigates the significance of this style of identification and questions whether the national identities entailed in negative representations of foreign investment constitute resistance against development or a disempowering victim identification that reifies a subordinate position in the world political economy.

Circulating Food and Relationships: the Movement of Food (and Other Things) Between Brazilians in Boston and Brazil

Abstract: In 2009, I conducted fieldwork about the culinary practices of Brazilian immigrants in Greater Boston, USA. I assume that food is a good way to understand the migration process, because it is related to the construction of ethnic and national identity, as well as gender, power and class relations. In this article, I emphasize that food is used by Brazilian immigrants in Greater Boston to strengthen social relations with family members and relatives who stayed in Brazil. There is a circulation of many types of goods, such as laptops, computers and cosmetics, between the participants of social networks in the USA and Brazil. In this flow, I highlight the role of food, that maintains through its sensuality (specially smell and taste) the connection of the immigrants with their place of origin.

The construction of ethnic identity: Insights from identity process theory

Ethnicity has received much empirical and theoretical attention in the social sciences. Yet, it has scarcely been explored in terms of its relationship with the motivational principles of identity. Here it is argued that there is much heuristic and predictive value in applying identity process theory (IPT), a socio-psychological model of identity threat, to the substantive literature on ethnicity. The paper explores the potential psychological benefits of ethnic identification. Key theoretical strands from anthropology and sociology, such as the ‘relational self’ in ethnic identification, are discussed in relation to IPT. The intergroup dimension of ethnic identification is explored through the discussion of ethnic ‘boundaries’. Finally, the paper discusses the construct of ‘hybridization’ in relation to social psychology. This paper attempts to reconcile psychological and sociological perspectives on ethnic identification, advocating a multi-methodological approach. Key theoretical points are outlined in the form of testable hypotheses which are open to empirical exploration.

The Construction of Ethnic Identity in the Military—From the Bottom Up

This article examines how ethnicity is created, maintained, and perpetuated in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Research studies on ethnicity in the Israeli army have examined ethnicity while focusing on the macro, emphasizing the way the structure and the policy of the army, alongside its reciprocal relations with the greater society and the state, maintain and reproduce ethnicity. It focuses on the micro point of view, hitherto neglected, which emphasizes the soldiers' experience and interpretation. Using a case study of two Israeli infantry brigades, the article demonstrates how ethnicity is produced, maintained, and reproduced by individuals through practices, behavior, perceptions, and observations.

What is in a Name? The Predicament of Ethnonyms in the Sugpiaq-Alutiiq Region of Alaska

Aleut, Alutiiq, Sugpiaq, Russian, Pacifi c Eskimo, Unegkuhmiut, and Chugach Eskimo are all different names that have been used to identify the group of Native people living on the Lower Kenai Peninsula of Alaska. While most of these ethnonyms are par- tially based on particular characteristics, they also carry specifi c social-political agendas that are embedded in the names themselves. Names are a powerful medium in communicating meaning about historical context and the actors who move within specifi c historical events. In this paper I draw on historical and ethnographic information to shed light on the different nomenclature used in the past, as well as currently in this region. By organizing names into a schema through an historical overview, I highlight the signifi cance of the relationship between historical legacies and contemporary articulations of ethnonyms. Furthermore, after exploring the origins of ethno- nyms and analyzing the different implications that are closely associated with them, the paper concludes with a better approach for understanding agency in the politics of ethnic identity construction.

Producciones artesanales, construcción identitaria y dinámica de poder en poblaciones mapuches de Neuquén (Argentina)

In this article we deal with certain handcrafts production processes of the mapuche communities in the Province of Neuquen, Argentina, making reference to an instance of commercialization, taking into consideration such activity in its double changing symbolic and economic dimension, and in connection with the processes of ethnic identity construction. We firstly present the contextual conditions in which the existence of these groups is inscribed, as well as general characteristics —such as demographical, legal, economic— that refer to the situation of these communities at present. We then analyze the handcrafts production process, examining the special features and dynamics of such, considering that this field has been instituted in one of the spaces where the conformation and legitimacy of the ethnic identity of mapuche producers is discussed. Furthermore, we explain the intervention of state agencies and non-governmental institutions in these processes, understanding that such are inscribed in a frame of inter-ethnic relationships marked by a historical asymmetry.

Greek American Ethnic Identity, Cultural Experience and the ‘Embodied Language’ of Dance: Implications for Counseling

This ethnographic study aims to contribute to better counseling services for the Greek American population in the U.S. by providing cultural knowledge and insight into one of the smaller ethnic groups that has been overlooked in the literature. More specifically, it explores the role of the ‘embodied language’ of dance in the formation of Greek American ethnic identity and the transmission of sociocultural knowledge and practices. The findings suggest that ethnic dances constitute a significant medium of transmission of cultural knowledge, and socialization into the life of the Greek American community through role modeling and intergenerational contact, as well as opportunity for fellowship and interaction with people who share common practices and traditions. All of the above contribute to a strong identification with the particular community and the development of ethnic identity. Implications for research and theory development in counseling, taking into account the embodied construction of ethnic identity, are also discussed.