Ethnic Marginalization Research Articles

Identity Politics and Ethnic Marginalisation in Post-1991 Ethiopia

Abstract This paper examines identity politics and marginalisation in post-1991 Ethiopia, focusing on the genesis of ethnicity as a political mobilising mechanism during the ‘nationalities questions’ in the 1960s. Despite the presence of Marxism in the political culture of that era, ethnicity eventually became the dominant political reality in post-1991 Ethiopia, now enshrined in the constitution. The study analyses theoretical perspectives and employs a qualitative approach using secondary data to explore contemporary political culture. The study analyses the theoretical perspectives of instrumentalism, primordialism, and constructionism to explore the contemporary political culture of Ethiopia based on identity. The study recognises the role of the politicisation of ethnicity in ongoing ethnic conflicts and political violence. Finally, it concludes with lessons learned regarding the politicisation of ethnicity in a multi-national, multi-cultural, and multi-lingual state like Ethiopia, emphasising the importance of organising civic programmatic political parties over the proliferation of ethnic non-programmatic parties.

Self-determination and secessionism in Nigeria: a contextual analysis through Edward Azar’s protracted social conflict theory

ABSTRACT This article examines the rising divergence but convergence of self-determination and secessionist campaigns in Nigeria. For a contextual analysis, it turns to Edward Azar's protracted social conflict (PSC) theory, exploring the connections between communal disgruntlement and self-determination. The analysis indicates a significant relationship between communal dissatisfaction and self-determination. Through purposive sampling, it selected 44 in-depth interview respondents to obtain complementary qualitative data that were content analysed. In contrast to the 1960s secessionism, which was largely restricted to Eastern Nigeria, combined with the legacies of colonial rule, popularity of ethno-religious politics, an increase in insecurity and violence, economic hardship, communal insecurity, and deeper perception of ethnic marginalisation, the current wave of self-determination is more contagious and politically attractive in three (South West (SW), South East (SE) and South (SS) –) of the existing six geopolitical zones in Nigeria. The article concludes, returning to the erstwhile regionalism will salvage Nigeria from territorial disintegration..

The Identity Crisis among Peoples from Mixed Parents from Countries under in Inter-States Conflicts: Case of Rwanda, D.R. Congo and Burundi

The study was carried out by 5 mixed- people living in Burundi, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, within the framework of guided interview seminars, in order to analyze the construction of mixed-ethics people in the context of identity conflicts due to ethnic or cultural conflicts, otherwise known as “ethnocultural conflicts”. Mestizos are a minority in the states where we live, and are considered problematic in the various societies of Africa’s Great Lakes region country. My fieldwork revealed that mixed-ethnic people in these three countries are victims of several atrocities, including ethnic marginalization, nepotism, socio-political demonization and economic discrimination. In this context, I have attempted to identify the main actors involved in identity conflicts among mixed-ethic people, and to propose a perspective of dialogue as a solution to the situations of the mixed-ethnic people mentioned above. On this basis, a number of recommendations have been put forward to reinforce the hope of positive action at regional level for the promotion of peace and lasting stability, particularly for mixed people who are increasingly victims of appearance status at UN level.

Introduction—Building Infrastructural Lives: Mobile and Creative Livelihoods in India and Vietnam

Articles in this special issue compare and contrast how secondary roads and wireless communication devices shape mobility and connectivity for four communities affected by economic, political, and ethnic marginalisation in socialist Vietnam and democratic India. Drawing on the concept of ‘infrastructural lives’, two urban case studies explore the ways by which marginalised migrant communities in India’s Hyderabad and Vietnam’s Hanoi use, adapt, or resist their states’ desires for all residents to embrace secondary roads, greater internet and cellphone interconnectivity, and digital monitoring. In parallel, and by comparing the realities of the Sino-Indian and Sino-Vietnamese borderlands, two rural case studies explore whether upland ethnic minority groups similarly modify or adapt their livelihoods to the expanding secondary roads and wireless communication technologies across the rural highlands of northern India and Vietnam. Taken together, this issue asks: How do the creative engagements of marginalised communities with these infrastructures shape infrastructural lives?

A CASE STUDY OF ORGANISATIONAL MARGINALISATION VIS-À-VIS MALAY COMMUNITY IN UNESCO GEORGE TOWN WORLD HERITAGE SITE, PENANG, MALAYSIA

This study offers an analysis of organisations’ heritage-related Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects with reference to the multi-ethnic communities in UNESCO George Town, Penang, Malaysia. The existing analysis towards the battles to promote and conserve the UNESCO heritage enclave’s tangible and intangible heritage properties have generally revolved around local, state, and federal-level organisations, neglecting the voices of marginalised ethnic groups. The marginalised ethnic group of concern is the Malay communities. The aims to be achieved are three-fold: (i) To examine the patterns of ethnic marginalisation occurring in the ethnic composition of the organisations, (ii) to explore the patterns of ethnic marginalisation occurring in heritage-related CSR projects of the organisations, and (iii) to develop the emergent typologies stemming from the patterns of ethnic marginalisation. 22 CSR executives participated in this study. The findings indicate four typologies of organisational marginalisation with reference to the Malay community in the heritage enclave.

Undead Past: What Drives Support for the Secessionist Goal of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Nigeria?

AbstractThis study examined the effect of perceived ethnic marginalization, perception towards Nigerian democracy, and socioeconomic condition on support for secession among members of the Igbo ethnic group. Perceived ethnic marginalization and negative perceptions toward Nigerian democracy were found to positively correlate with support for secession. Socioeconomic condition was measured at the household and communal levels. The household measure had no effect on support for secession, but the communal measure did: socioeconomic condition at the communal level positively correlated with support for secession. Igbo ethnicity increased the likelihood of supporting secession, while belonging to the Hausa/Fulani and Yoruba ethnic groups reduced the likelihood of supporting secession.

The Fall of the Republic Government in Afghanistan and the Current Taliban Rule: A Survey of Public Attitudes

This paper represents one of the most recent and pertinent studies conducted in Afghanistan, aiming to address the societal imperative of comprehending the factors behind the fall of the Republic government and the subsequent rise of the Taliban to power. Furthermore, the paper seeks to analyse public attitudes towards the current situation. Employing a quantitative approach, the research utilizes a descriptive-analytical method through questionnaires and the participants include social media activist, students and universities professors, the data collected by online survey according WhatsApp, Facebook messengers, telegram, email and other social media groups from different ethnic groups. The findings of this research have identified several pivotal factors contributing to the ascent of the Taliban to power, including the US-Taliban agreement in Doha, Qatar; political disparities; administrative and financial corruption within the Republic's administration; Pakistan's support for the Taliban; the previous government's accord with the Taliban; ethnic dominance; robust military morale of the Taliban; and proficient war management by the Taliban. Afghanistan, as a multi-ethnic society, witnesses political dynamics predominantly rooted in ethnic affiliations. The majority of respondents express dissatisfaction with the current Afghan situation, displaying significant concerns for the populace. Foremost concerns, in terms of prioritization, encompass poverty; closure of girls' schools; restrictions on women's education and employment; escalation of civil unrest; mono-ethnic rule; ethnic conflicts; emergence of ISIS; ethnic marginalization; violations of citizenship rights; political participation and legitimacy crises; and authoritarianism. Consequently, to address the political crisis and establish a viable system, the research concludes that while Pashtuns lean toward a centralized system, Hazaras, Tajiks, Uzbeks, and Turkmens evince greater interest in a decentralized structure.

“There Should Be No Life”: Environmental Perspectives on Genocide in Northern Iraq

ABSTRACT This article examines the natural environment during the Kurdish genocide in northern Iraq. The genocide killed between 50,000 and 180,000 people and destroyed some 4,500 Kurdish villages from the 1960s to 1980s, reach peak violence during the Iran-Iraq War (1980–88). The paper uses American, British, and Iraqi archival documents to analyse how the violence affected the natural landscape and how ecological conditions constrained the violence. Iraqi leaders regarded dams and other modes of environmental engineering as levers to facilitate agricultural modernization and social integration. Protecting and projecting hydraulic power justified greater military exertion. Iraqi leaders, frustrated by the lack of progress in development and hostile to the claims of Kurdish nationalism, resorted to more coercive options to combat guerrillas. But the inadequacies of military exertion prompted the government to redouble efforts to tame unruly nature and those who dwelled in it. This escalation contributed significantly to the lethal violence against rural Kurdish society. At a theoretical level, these findings highlight the troubling ways in which policies aimed to improve environmental conditions fold into campaigns of mass violence. The article also adds to understanding of violence in Iraq, showing how Iraq’s attempts to use environmental engineering for development intersected with security concerns and ethnic marginalization to create more intensive repression.

Identifying a Human Rights Approach to Roma Health Vulnerabilities and Inequalities in Europe: From Concept to Action.

Roma communities across Europe still remain a neglected population group by way of the social and economic disadvantage that largely characterizes their lives. Roma communities continue to experience structural socioeconomic health inequalities on the grounds of their ethnic origin, alarmingly unveiling a pattern of systematic discrimination and ethnic marginalization. Without any doubt, such a highly worrying situation calls for States to incorporate Roma health rights within their law and policy agendas in a manner consistent with right to health requirements. Against this background, this paper seeks to identify an operational human rights framework for States as a driver for better informed policies and implementation as well as for Roma engagement in the deliberations about their life prospects. The paper argues that continuing, concerted, and proactive State engagement is required for effectively addressing the structural obstacles impeding Roma socioeconomic health rights realization and maximizing Roma opportunities for well-being.

‘Gukurahundi Continues’: Violence, Memory, and Mthwakazi Activism in Zimbabwe

Abstract One effect of Zimbabwe’s 2017 coup was to unleash a new wave of public engagement with the unresolved state repression of the 1980s, known as Gukurahundi. This wave was led by the ‘post-Gukurahundi generation’ and particularly by activists whose narratives of Gukurahundi were entwined with calls for a separate ‘Mthwakazi nation’. This article explores these activists’ stories of Gukurahundi and asks why they broke through into the public realm after decades of relative silence. It argues that Mthwakazi activists’ engagement relied on an interpretation of Gukurahundi not simply as a discrete historical event, but as the clearest expression of an ongoing ‘Grand Plan’ of ethnic marginalization. This narrative was foundational to the construction of a moral order that divided the country along ethnic and regional fault lines, ultimately legitimizing Mthwakazi nationalism. The paper roots this narrative’s emergence in two interrelated processes. Speaking to the role of silencing in keeping conflicts alive across generations, it examines how the ‘noisy silence’ that has surrounded Gukurahundi in both public and private has meant that Gukurahundi lingered as a readily available interpretative lens. This lens became meaningful when the second generation, faced with political and economic marginalization, was grappling for meaning and political belonging.

Ethnodemographic characterization of stroke incidence and burden of disease in hospital discharge records in Ecuador.

Stroke is the second most common cause of death and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) globally. However, the incidence and impact of stroke by ethnicity and gender is frequently distinct. This is particularly the case in Ecuador where geographic and economic marginalization are often correlated with ethnic marginalization and the extent to which females lack the same opportunities as their male counterparts. The aim of this paper is to investigate the differential impacts in terms of stroke diagnosis and burden of disease by ethnicity and gender, using hospital discharge records over the years 2015-2020. This paper calculates stroke incidence, and fatality rates using hospital discharge and death records over the years 2015-2020. The DALY package in R was employed to calculate the Disability Adjusted Life Years lost due to stroke in Ecuador. The results show that while the incidence rate of stroke in males (64.96 per 100,000 persons-year) is higher than that for females on average (57.84 per 100,000 persons-year), males accounted for 52.41% of all stroke cases and 53% of all surviving cases. Thus, hospital data suggests that females had a higher death rate when compared to males. Case fatality rates also differed significantly by ethnicity. The highest fatality rate corresponded to the Montubio ethnic group (87.65%), followed by Afrodescendants (67.21%). The estimated burden of disease of stroke calculated using Ecuadorian hospital records (2015-2020) varied from 1,468 to 2,991 DALY per 1,000 population on average. Differences in the burden of disease by ethnic group are likely to reflect differential access to care by region and socio-economic group, both of which are frequently correlated with ethnic composition in Ecuador. Equitable access to health services remains an important challenge in the country. The gender discrepancy in fatality rates suggests that there is a need for targeted educational campaigns to identify stroke signs early, especially in the female population.

Philosophy, self-determination, peace and intercultural co-existence in Nigeria: an Igwebuike perspective

This paper has studied the issue of agitations for self-determination in Nigeria from an African philosophical point of view. It studied these agitations in the light of the amalgamation treaty of 1914, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and most importantly, extant international laws. The beauty of this piece is that it focused on major issues which constitute the basis for the agitations for self-determination in Nigeria namely religious marginalization, ethnic marginalization, economic marginalization and political marginalization. The burden of this piece is the issue of the problem of co-existence in Nigeria. This paper articulated its position based on Igwebuike philosophy as a theoretical framework, which emphasizes dialogue, justice and inclusive leadership as indispensable pathways to integration and national unity. For the purpose of this study, the historical and analytical methods of inquiry were patronized given that historical events were studied and the outcome of such events analysed. It submits that, rather than using force to quell the agitation for self-determination, the path of justice, dialogue and inclusive leadership should be explored as most cases of cessation are responses to the absence of these state ideals.

Gender-marked heritage and intersectionality: women’s singing as heritage

ABSTRACT This article charts a yet unsuccessful attempt to have a gender-marked musical expression legally recognised as heritage: ‘women’s singing’ of Potosí, Bolivia. Drawing on interviews and ethnographic fieldwork in Bolivian contexts, the authors read the gender-marked status of this initiative as a symbolic site of intercultural disjunctures. Conflicting gender politics sit at the crux of this difficulty to assemble ‘women’s singing’ as a heritage object, contradictions between Bolivia’s persistent neoliberal state in which feminist discourses of gender equality reign within a development apparatus, and a plurinational state that originally emerged from social movements that brought Indigenous concepts into governing practices. Expanding on the topic of gender in heritage studies, this work points to critical applications of intersectionality, and uncovers useful openings that this concept lends to heritage studies in general. Through an intersectional lens, key inconsistencies are revealed between a liberal feminist agenda that focusses on empowering stand-alone women and Indigenous working class women’s mobilisation politics that cannot address gender inequalities without also engaging class and ethnic marginalisation. The case study shows how social justice mobilisations, central to political intersectionality, productively disrupt the compartmentalised approaches to rights that usually operate in bureaucratised governing entities.

(DE)MARGINALISATION IN JULIA ALVAREZ’S HOW THE GARCÍA GIRLS LOST THEIR ACCENTS: IMAGES OF GARCÍA GIRLSʼ ETHNIC AND GENDER OPPRESSION

Ethnic marginalisation minorities is a recurring theme in ethnic writers’ works, such as Julia Alvarez’s novel How the García Girls Lost Their Accents, which highlights the marginalisation of Dominican family García in American culture. This paper, which draws on postcolonial and Latina feminist theory, focuses on the societal practices and familial dynamics that decenter the García sisters’ status both in their family and Dominican and American sociocultural environments. The close reading analysis conveys various forms of discrimination and oppression against the García sisters based on gender and ethnicity. Contrary to the novel’s title, which implies that the sisters eventually lose their accents or connection to Dominican culture, the paper argues that the sisters, in their effort to transcend the margins, manage to situate themselves between two cultural fames, developing specific bicultural consciousness, which aids them in overcoming feelings of marginalisation, cultural and social alienation.

“Moment of Madness”: Ethnic Marginalisation and Exclusionary Development, are they not Social Development Issues?

Even though the concept of development means different things to different people, the general consensus is that it should not be discriminatory nor exclusionary. It should also not obstruct basic human needs or real human interests. Against this backdrop, many governments have adopted integrated people-centred development that caters for all people irrespective of their location, ethnicity, race or gender, among other things. The study discusses the way in which the Zimbabwean government has used development to marginalise and exclude minority ethnicities from its development agenda. More particularly, the study discusses the way in which development in Zimbabwe has been used as a tool to exploit, sideline and disempower the amaNdebele people. The study concludes that whereas many nations have opted for people-centred development, Zimbabwe has taken a different route. For the country, the term development has a different meaning altogether. Not only is it top-down, disempowering and exclusionary, but it is also divisive, structurally violent and incredibly hateful. The study recommends that Zimbabwe openly discuss and acknowledge that tribalism exists and be willing to redress the legacy of hegemonic politics and separate development intentionally and effectively.

Ethnic Marginalization and (Non)Compliance in Public Health Emergencies

Health crises can reveal the inability of governments to induce compliance with policy interventions. While lack of compliance is conventionally attributed to individual mistrust in government, res...

What Does It Mean to Be Mexican (American)? Exploring Youth Ethnic Identity

Children’s racial (e.g., Black, White, Indigenous) and ethnic (e.g., Mexican) identity can influence psychological, social, and academic outcomes. Despite evidence that awareness of racial–ethnic marginalization begins during preadolescence, there is minimal research examining how children talk about identity at this age. The purpose of this study was to examine how preadolescent Mexican American youth conceptualize “who they are.” Specifically, we used the Ethnic-Perspective Taking Ability interview protocol to explore how Mexican American youth, ages 9–11, understand their ethnicity. Thematic analysis revealed four themes: Self as “Other,” Self as Invisible, Self as a Politicized Being, and Self as Community. Participants discussed feeling out of place, often feeling excluded by Whiteness, and needing to code switch. These experiences also were juxtaposed with a sense of ethnic pride and comfort. Implications for practice, advocacy, education, and research are offered.

Exploring Ethnic Marginalisation and Indigene-Settler Problems in University Life in Nigeria

This study investigates ethnic marginalisation and indigene-settler problems at selected universities in Nigeria. Three universities and 12 participants were purposively selected for the study. Face-to-face, semistructured, and individual interviews were utilised to obtain information from the participants regarding their various universities. The data were uploaded on ATLAS.ti 8, qualitative data analysis software for proper management and grouping of transcribed data for further data analysis. Four themes emerged: (a) contextualising ethnic marginalisation and indigene-settler issues; (b) emotional bonds and determination to preserve ancestral land; (c) cultural bonds and determination to preserve traditional practices; and (d) effects of ethnic marginalisation and indigene-settler issues. Further interpretation of the themes revealed that attachment to cultural heritage such as landed properties, cultural life, and practices and economic and indigene dominance were factors driving ethnic marginalisation. The study further found that ethnic marginalisation and indigene-settler problems influenced the emotional and psychological wellbeing and functioning of university lecturers in the selected institutions. The findings also revealed that protests and problems among ethnic groups resulted from the activities of indigenes and settlers when placed in positions of authority (e.g., biased way of recruiting, removing, and promoting ethnic members). The study concludes that there is a need for an integration programme with a practical implementation strategy to ensure peaceful coexistence of ethnic groups within the universities.

School Violence in Contexts of High Social Marginalization and Ethnic Population of Yucatan, Mexico

The objective of this work was to determine the magnitude and frequency of school violence in the eastern part of the state of Yucatan, Mexico, which is populated primarily by Maya-speakers and also by communities of high social marginalization, factors associated with adolescence, and the condition of gender, by contexts that have been poorly documented in the face of the phenomenon of violence in secondary schools. Quantitative study through a self-applied survey of 1432 high school students is possible to conclude that the conditions of gender, social and ethnic marginalization are elements that come together in vulnerabilities to present violence in social contexts with a strong magnitude. The students show similar proportions of violence in to teachers (93%), a significant difference in women than the recorded by men (p = 0.000), with a greater number of cases in moderate and severe intensity. Peer violence is manifested a statistically significant difference by men and women, in which women reflect a greater intensity, with a higher number of cases in violence of moderate and severe intensity (p = 0.000).

Negotiating Space: The Construction of a New Spatial Identity for Palestinian Muslim Women in Israel

This article examines the impact of space on Muslim Palestinian women living in ethnically divided and deindustrialized cities and the roles ethnic marginalization and patriarchy play in shaping their spatial experiences. It examines how women negotiate their roles within space and establish themselves as actors therein. This study also explores the connection between mobility and space in the case of Palestinian Muslim women in Israel. It considers whether and how space and mobility are connected for this minority group. Muslim women in Israel, who were once rarely involved in spaces outside their homes, fields, and villages, have broken existing boundaries to enter new economic, social, and educational environments. However, the gendering of space for these women has been profoundly changed and challenged by a variety of factors, namely state interference, modernization, and Islamism.