Ethnic Identity Formation Research Articles

Hope and Ethnic Identity among Adolescents in East Nusa Tenggara

The formation of ethnic identity illustrates the important task for emotional development during adolescence. Hope is a protective factor for adolescents during the process of identity formation. This study aims to determine the effect of hope on the development of ethnic identity of adolescents in NTT. The participants of this study were 45 adolescents aged 17-19 years old who were studying at several universities in NTT. The sample of the study was taken by using purposive sampling technique. This study used the Children Hope Scale (CHS) and Ethnic Identity Scale to measure the effect of hope on the development of ethnic identity of adolescents in NTT. Hypothesis testing using simple linear regression analysis resulted in significance value (Sig.) 0.040 <0.05, t-statistic 2,115> 2,015, R square = 0.094. The results of the study show that there is a significant effect of hope variable amounts to 9,4% on the development of ethnic identity of adolescents in NTT. This study implies the need to cultivate hope as an effective variable in developing emotional skills of adolescents by way of improving solidarity among members in various ethnic groups in NTT.

The Definition of Malays in Malaysian Legislations: A Historical Perspective

Article 160 of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia defines a Malay as an individual who professes the religion of Islam, habitually speaks the Malay language, and conforms to Malay customs. However, this definition, central to the allocation of certain privileges to the Malays based on their special position as natives in Malaysia, is subject to ongoing debates and challenges. The issue of Malay indigeneity is frequently raised, therefore prompting this study to examine the formation of Malay ethnic identity within Malaysian legislation from the historical perspective. The findings found that the definition of Malays in Article 160 of the Federal Constitution was established based on the parameters outlined in the Federation of Malaya Agreement 1948. Prior to that, the definition of Malays was articulated according to the Malay Reserve Enactments. However, the definition of Malays in the Federal Constitution is more flexible compared to the Malay Reserve Enactments because the requirement of Malay descent is not stated as a condition for determining the characteristics of Malays. Therefore, the definition of Malays in the Federal Constitution has enabled the descendants of other ethnic groups of the Malay Archipelago and foreign ethnic groups who also adhere to the Islamic religion to be considered as Malay together with the original Malay inhabitants in the Malay Peninsula.

The racial replenishment of ethnicity: Asian immigration and the limits of Japanese American assimilation

ABSTRACT A growing literature on racialized assimilation notes the likelihood of simultaneous upward mobility and persistent racial marginalization within immigrant-origin communities of color. Thus far, this literature has focused on the ‘new second generation’ and not fully explored how race, class, and immigration lay the structural foundations for persistent racial and ethnic identity and community formations even into later generations. Leveraging 93 in-depth interviews with third and fourth generation Japanese Americans in suburban Southern California, this paper explores the persistent impact of race and ethnicity on long-time, ostensibly assimilated Americans. Japanese American ethnic persistence is directly influenced by the arrival of similarly racialized, high-skill Asian immigrants who inhabit the same middle-class spaces. As Japanese Americans are racially lumped with these newcomers, they assert their ethnic distinctness as they simultaneously build Asian American communities in recognition of common racialized experiences. Given contemporary US immigration’s non-white majority, this study illustrates the need for further exploration of the complex role of immigration and assimilation in shaping and replenishing middle-class minority understandings of race and ethnicity.

РОЛЬ ЭТНИЧЕСКОЙ ИДЕНТИЧНОСТИ В СТАНОВЛЕНИИ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННОЙ ГРАЖДАНСКОЙ ИДЕНТИЧНОСТИ ЛИЧНОСТИ В ПОЛИКУЛЬТУРНОМ ПРОСТРАНСТВЕ

The article studies and compares the views of researchers on the relationship between ethnic and state civic identity. Arguments in favor of the position that assumes an important role of positive ethnic identity of a person in the process of formation of the state civil identity of a person in a multicultural space are presented. Ethnic identity is interpreted in the scientific article from socio-psychological positions as a dynamic and multidimensional formation, which characterizes the feeling (implicit component) and awareness (explicit component) of a person as a member of a certain ethnic group/community. State civic identity, in turn, is the result of a complex process of identifying oneself with the state, with the civil society of one's country. The formation of ethnic identity is based on ethnic self-consciousness, while the state civil identity is about national self-consciousness. The opinion about the natural nature of the process of ethnic self-identification is argued: ethnic identity is always present in self-consciousness as a more or less vague feeling of attraction to the elements of one's ethno-culture. At the same time, the process of national self-identification is to a greater extent a regulated process that presupposes the presence of more complex preconditions and a higher level of meaningfulness. The assumption of close interrelation between the considered concepts, their consistency is put forward. The process of formation of ethnic identity and state civil identity in the context of ontogenesis is considered. The opinion about the primacy (chronological) of ethnic identity in multicultural pro- space is substantiated. Different points of view are compared and conclusions are drawn about the possibility of managing the process of formation of the state civil identity, education of patriotism in a multicultural region.

Культурно-досуговая деятельность как элемент этнокультурного воспитания младших школьников в учреждении дополнительного образования

The aspects of effective organization of cultural and leisure activities within the framework of ethnocultural education implemented by a teacher in an additional education institution are analyzed in the article. Based on the studied sources, factors determining the relevance of the research (the importance of socialization, the conditions of a multicultural world) are identified, and distinctive features of several types of education (polycultural, multicultural, monocultural, and ethnocultural) are separately considered. The authors also examine the characteristics of cultural and leisure activities, their tasks, stages, and forms of implementation. The research focuses on the main aspects of organizing cultural and leisure activities within the framework of ethnocultural education in an additional education institution (functions, forms, means, content). As a result, factors determining the achievement of the goals of ethnocultural education for 6—11-year-old students (formation of ethnic identity and intercultural tolerance) through the participation of children in various forms of cultural and leisure activities are identified.

О МЕХАНИЗМЕ ФОРМИРОВАНИЯ ЭТНИЧНОСТИ И ЭТНИЧЕСКОЙ ИДЕНТИЧНОСТИ СРЕДСТВАМИ ПЕСЕННОЙ КУЛЬТУРЫ (В ДИАЛОГЕ С ПОВЕСТЬЮ «СЛЕПОЙ МУЗЫКАНТ» В. Г. КОРОЛЕНКО)

The article analyzes the role of song culture in the mechanism of formation of ethnicity and ethnic identity using the example of three peoples – Besermyans, Latvians and Estonians. In the culture of the Besermyans, one of the key roles in the expression of ethnicity is played by krez’. They are presented by the bearers of this culture as original, exclusively Besermyan songs and melodies, distinguishing the Besermyans from the Udmurts. Among Latvians and Estonians, this position is occupied by Singing Festivals, or Song and Dance Festivals, which became a symbol of the national movement and a means of strengthening national identity from the second half of the XIX century. It is concluded that a song can indeed be a symbol of national identity and a clear expression of ethnicity. In this process, firstly, the genesis of a song, musical genre or event does not play any fundamental role. Secondly, it is important what social function songs and music festivals perform in the minds of the people: if they are a truly effective symbol and means of unity, then they become a stronghold of ethnic unity. These aspirations are especially intensified in years of social cataclysms. Thirdly, the role of song is especially great in expressing the national identity of small peoples who have the desire to survive surrounded by the ethnic majority.

Гражданская и этническая идентичность россиян: роль ценностей в их формировании

Background. Person's civil and ethnic identity, which are components of social identity, develop during socialization under the influence of a number of factors. J. Berry identifies cultural, political, economic and historical factors as the basis for identity formation. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the study of the role of the cultural factor, namely the structure of values, in the formation of a positive civic and ethnic identity of Russians. Objectives. The purpose of this work is to study the structure of the ethnic and civic identity of Russians as well as the influence of individual values on their formation. Study Participants. The study was conducted with the participation of 1014 respondents, ethnic Russians, aged from 19 to 83 years (Mage = 41 years; SD = 13.04; 527 women and 487 men). Methods. J. Finney's MEIM-R methods were used to measure ethnic identity. S. Schwartz's PVQ-R value structure questionnaire was also applied. Civic identity was measured using the methodology from the International Social Survey Program, adapted into Russian by L.K. Grigoryan. Results. It was found that the civic identity of Russians as the individual’s awareness of belonging to the citizens of the country is more pronounced than ethnic identity. Nationalism is expressed more than the ideology of patriotism. The affective component of ethnic identity is more pronounced than the cognitive one. Among the surveyed respondents, the values of independence, security, reputation and benevolence prevail. The values of security, benevolence and universalism increase the level of civic identity in Russians. The key positive regressor in relation to both civic and ethnic identity is the value “Tradition”. Conclusions. Socially oriented values (preservation and self-overcoming) have a positive impact on the formation of positive civic and ethnic identity of Russians. The values of personal orientation (openness to change and self-affirmation) have a negative impact on their formation.

Ethnic Identity and Political Construction: An Anthropological Analysis of Baluchistan’s Struggle for Autonomy in Pakistan

One of the complex issues in Balochistan is the autonomy movement that concerns historical grievances, and social and political phenomena bringing state institutions forefront while contesting Baloch identity. This study aims to present some basics of Baloch identity and its conflict with the state, also considering it as a contribution to academic categories of political anthropology; ethnic politics and identity construction in the Pakistani context. This study delves into the complex realm of ethnic politics and identity formation in Pakistan, examining Balochistan – a distinct marginal province. Developing an in-depth analysis of the historical climate, dynamics within that time and state institutions this research uses political anthropology to understand not only Baloch ethnic identity but also autonomy against Pakistan.

Diaspora engagement and return migration for educational purposes in Estonia and Kazakhstan

Purpose This study examines diaspora engagement and return migration programs aimed at providing diaspora youth with an opportunity to obtain higher education in Estonia and Kazakhstan. In particular, the authors sought to identify the main motivations, benefits and challenges of the programs, as well as understand how the programs contribute to the ethnic identity formation of diaspora students.Design/methodology/approach The paper employed a qualitative multiple-case study research design. In both countries, data were collected by means of 26 semi-structured interviews with return migrant students and experts involved in implementing the programs.Findings The study findings suggest that the primary motivations for diaspora youth to return to their homelands are tuition-free higher education, financial support and repatriation prospects in both countries. In Estonia, the scholarship holders struggled with language requirements for university admissions, the cost of living insufficiently covered by the monthly stipend and limited integration opportunities. In Kazakhstan, the students had to face the Russian language barrier and socio-cultural marginalization in their everyday life. It was also found that the return migrant students in Estonia and Kazakhstan develop hybrid identities to integrate into their domestic society. They reinforce their ethnic identities and negotiate their diasporic identities to make sense of their own background and cultural heritage and acclimatize to life in the new context.Originality/value The study provides practical implications for policy implementers and policymakers in Estonia and Kazakhstan. It can also be useful for the worldwide research community interested in exploring education-oriented diaspora engagement and return migration programs and their influence on the ethnic identity of diaspora students.

Conceded Reconciliation: The Impact of Habitus on Ethnic Identity Formation in Bread Givers and The Island Within

The anti-Semitism of the 1920s affected the status of Jewish Americans as equal citizens in the United States. This paper examines the Jewish immigrant’s journey from their ethnic habitus to Americanization in Anzia Yezierska’s Bread Givers (1925/1999) and Ludwig Lewisohn’s The Island Within (1928) that were published amidst the rising tensions of Anti-Semitism. Yezierska and Lewisohn demonstrate how the habitus of these two characters shape their identities as Jewish Americans. Bourdieu’s sociological concept of habitus indicates that the character and the tastes of an individual are shaped in relation to the set structures of his habitus, which is internalized unconsciously. Sara Smolinsky in Bread Givers and Arthur Levy in The Island Within try to preserve their internalized Jewishness in a society that thought the unassimilable Jew was a menace to American values. This paper uses Pierre Bourdieu’s discussion on the habitus as well as Jean Phinney’s model of ethnic identity formation as its initial discussion and develops Phinney’s model to elaborate on the final phase of the formation of Jewish characters in these works. According to Phinney’s argument, the ethnic subject achieves reconciliation between the ethnic identity and the identity of the majority group. However, this paper argues that the main characters of the two novels--Sara and Arthur, reach a conceded reconciliation in the final phase of their ethnic identity formation, which allows them to exercise subjectivity and reclaim their identity against the deterministic aspect of habitus.

Description of the technology for forming students' ethnic identity in the modern context: research results

In modern conditions of the development of the information society, there is a tendency to complicate the content and structure of the identity of the individual, which is the result of his free choice. Simple identification with cultural patterns becomes impossible due to the blurring of value orientations, unified, standardized norms and values imposed by mass culture, the media and communications, virtual reality technologies. Children, adolescents and young people have problems identifying themselves as a person in society due to the multiplicity of self-images that can coexist and conflict at the same time. Actualization of the problem of ethnic identity is especially acute for the pedagogical community: along with the need to educate a citizen and a patriot in the implementation of state policy in the field of education, this problem is no less relevant for vocational education that trains teachers. Appeal to the problem of the formation of ethnic identity is connected, first, with the socio-cultural changes taking place in society, the processes of modernization of education. The ethnic identity of a developing personality is determined by a complex interaction of various factors (historical, geographical, religious, and sociocultural). The declared priorities of the state policy in the field of culture and education, national policy, first, aim at the formation of civic identity in a multicultural and multi-confessional society, a component of which is ethnic identity. The purpose of the article is to refine the concept of ethnic identity in the context of the study, to describe the technology of forming the ethnic identity of students by means of extracurricular activities, and to present the results of an empirical study. The article discusses the possibilities of extracurricular activities for the formation of ethnic identity, taking into account the regional context at the level of primary general education. An interpretation of the results of the empirical study and conclusions are presented.

Ethnic spatial dispersion and immigrant identity*

ABSTRACT The role of ethnic clustering in ethnic identity formation has remained unexplored, mainly due to missing detailed data. This study closes the knowledge gap for Germany by employing a unique combination of datasets, the survey data from the German Socio-Economic Panel and disaggregated information at low geographical levels from the last two but still unexploited full German censuses, 1970 and 1987. Utilizing the exogenous placement of immigrants during the recruitment era in the 1960s and 1970s we find that local co-ethnic concentration affects immigrants’ ethnic identity. While residential ethnic clustering strengthens immigrants’ retention of an affiliation with their origin (minority identity), it weakens identification with the host society (majority identity). The effects are nonlinear and become significant only at relatively high levels of co-ethnic concentration for the minority identity and at very low levels of local concentration for the majority identity. The findings are robust to an instrumental variable approach.

Formation of Ethnic Identity of Mari People in Absence of Single Mari Literary Language

This study is devoted to the history of the formation of the ethnic identity of the Mari people in the Republic of Mari El. Particular attention is paid to the changes in the identification of Mari, which occurred in direct proportion to extralinguistic factors. The question of the role of language, confessional affiliation, historical past, relations with nature and mythological symbols that characterize the modern ethnic Mari identity is considered. The importance of the demographic imbalance in the Republic, which played the most significant role in shaping the character of the Mari, is emphasized. The relevance of the study is due to the increased interest of science in recent decades in the topic of ethnic and Russian identity. The identity of the Mari people has not been previously studied by the author of this work, although many problems of Mari El have been analyzed and described in detail: the language situation in different time periods, language policy, the legislative framework regarding languages and the education system, the history of the Mari literary language, its writing and a number of other sociolinguistic aspects. Unlike articles by other authors on the topic of Mari identity, the novelty of this work lies in the fact that for the first time the identity is shown in the process of formation, from antiquity to the present day. A characteristic of the identity of the Mari people, formed under the influence of a variety of factors, is compiled.

The role of heritage language in multiple dimensions of ethnic identity: a case study of Chinese-Australian adolescents

ABSTRACT Language is often regarded as one of the characteristics of interaction-based observed race, and heritage language is no exception. Considering the bilingual cultural environment of the Chinese community in Australia, this research analyses the language–ethnic identity relationships of Chinese-Australian adolescents. Drawing on in-depth qualitative interviews and participant observations, it examines the role of Chinese as a heritage language in these adolescents’ ethnic identity formation process from a multidimensional perspective. The paper demonstrates that Chinese as a heritage language acts simultaneously as a link, an indicator and a stress in the construction of the adolescents’ identities in the dimensions of self-identification, observed ethnic identity and reflected ethnic identity. It also highlights that there can be disparities among different dimensions of ethnic identity and examines the complex factors behind this.

Formation of Scottish Ethnic Identity through the Historical and Social Events

The present article represents the process of formation and development of the Scottish identity through the events that have been occurring since IIIrd century. The aim of the research is the study of the ethnic identity development as emotional and cognitive process of identification with the ethnos. The article is based on the foreign and Russian researchers’ studies covering issues about Scottish history, ethnic identities, text pertaining to the important historic events that influenced the ethnic identity formation and articles written by Scottish sociologists as members of the ethnic group. On the basis of definitional, conceptual and event history analyses sphere of concepts SCOTTISH IDENTITY is formulated. The conclusion about the existence of two types of identity (ethnic and national) in the Scots consciousness is formulated. Event history analysis shows the emergence of the ethnic identity, that is changes in the identifications in the course of historical events and life conditions. The relevance in the research is in the formation of the ethnic identity representation in the Scots consciousness in the frame of its long period of formation and development. This article is of interest because of the second referendum on Scottish independence that is planned to be held in autumn 2023.

The sum of all parts: A multi-level exploration of racial and ethnic identity formation during emerging adulthood.

According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the multiracial population measured at 33.8 million, nearly a 300% increase from the 2010 U.S. Census. The significant increase is due in part to improvements in measures to categorize this population. However, there is a dearth of research on the factors and processes that affect multiracial identity formation. The researchers investigated the precipitating factors to the formation of multiracial identification. Participants were recruited through social media campaigns. Hour-long in-depth interviews were conducted with 21 participants via Zoom, following an interview guide consisting of 9 categories: racial and ethnic identification, childhood and upbringing, family influence, peer engagement, health and wellbeing, experiences of discrimination, forming resilience, language, and demographics. Coding of transcripts and thematic analyses revealed that individual, interpersonal and community level influences influenced identity development differently depending on the individual's positionality within the life course. This supported the use of both the life course framework as well as the social ecological framework when examining multiracial identity development.

Displacement and the Politics of Identity: Reterritorialization of Ahıska Turk identity in the United States

Today, most anthropologists seem to agree that world views based on the fixed category identity-place, such as the ideology of the nation-state, wrongly assume that identities are inescapable destinies, naturally predetermined by kinship ties, ethnicity, locality, and shared culture. For refugees, the complexity of their experiences in their countries of origin, and in response to their diaspora itself, add further complexities to the process of ethnic identity formation. Ahıska Turks, a stateless community, who has experienced multiple displacements, violent persecution, and ongoing exile since 1944, claim to preserve their ethnic identity during exile years in different geographic locations through a strong link of place with memory, loss, and nostalgia. This article aims to investigate whether the Ahıska Turk identity is de-territorialized and reterritorialized through adapting the routines of the host culture in everyday life in the midst of all the efforts of achieving an economically and socially self-sufficient family and community lives in the United States.

ТРЕНИНГ КАК СРЕДСТВО РАЗВИТИЯ ЭТНИЧЕСКОЙ ИДЕНТИЧНОСТИ ЛИЧНОСТИСТУДЕНТОВ ПЕДАГОГИЧЕСКИХ ВУЗОВ

The article presents the findings of the research of the peculiarities of ethnic identity development, its structure and types in the context of multi-ethnic environment of higher education institution. The authors reviewed the phenomenon of ethnic identity in psychological and pedagogical literature and uncovered the features of the formation of ethnic identity in the process of socialization. The formation of a normal ethnic identity is considered as an important stage on the way to global tolerance. In the course of analytical work, the authors concluded that careful attention should be paid to the search for effective means of developing the ethnic identity of the individual. The training program for the development of ethnic identity of future teachers has been developed and tested. The choice of students of pedagogical university as the target audience is conditioned by the fact that in their future professional activities they are assigned the role of transmitters of ethno-cultural competence and tolerance to the younger generation of Kazakhstanis. The training tasks were aimed at participants' awareness of existing ethnic stereotypes and their influence on intolerant communication; during the training, situations of tolerant interaction were modelled. The research findings can be used during the practical activities of teachers-psychologists in providing psychological and pedagogical assistance on the development of ethnic identity, individual tolerance.

ИСТОРИЧЕСКИЕ ПРЕДАНИЯ, СЕМЕЙНЫЕ ХРОНИКИ, АВТОБИОГРАФИИ В УСТНОЙ ИСТОРИИ КОРЕННЫХ МАЛОЧИСЛЕННЫХ НАРОДОВ СИБИРИ

The article presents an analysis of the substantive components of oral history among the indigenous minorities of Siberia. The publication is based on feld materials collected by the author in the 1970s - 2010s in the course of expeditions to the Teleuts residing in SouthernSiberia, as well as to the Koryaks, Chukchi, and Chuvans representing the indigenous population of Kamchatka and Chukotka. The article examines the most important aspects of the oral history of these peoples, such as mythological traditions and biographies, autobiographies, genealogies, and family chronicles. Special attention is paid to the role of oral history in the formation and preservation of ethnic identity of smaller peoples.

Traditional creativity in the practice of Chol Chnam Thmay festival of Khmer people in Loc Ninh district, Binh Phuoc province, Vietnam today

Chol Chnam Thmay is one of the typical traditional festivals of Khmer people living in Loc Ninh in the Southeastern region of Vietnam as well as in the Mekong Delta in the Southwestern region of Vietnam and in some other Southeast Asian countries. Similar to Khmer people in other regions, festivals of Khmer people in Loc Ninh are also formed and integrated from three cultural lines: folk beliefs, Brahminism, and Buddhism. However, due to the peculiarities of natural conditions, and historical and social circumstances, Khmer people’s festivals in Loc Ninh have specific cultural features, which have contributed to the formation and development of the Khmer ethnic identity in Loc Ninh as well as the cultural identity of the Southeastern region of Vietnam. Based on Hobsbawm's theoretical approach to “Traditional Creativity”, combining Ethnographic/Anthropological field methods, the research results show that Chol Chnam Thmay festival of the Khmer people in Loc Ninh has had a lot of changes. The the changes of the festival is the consequence of the “Traditional Creativity” process in the restoration and practice of the Khmer community's festival. In addition to the impact of the natural environment, and historical and social circumstances, these changes are also affected by cultural exchange factors, globalization, integration, and especially, impacts from the policies on socio-economic and cultural development of the Vietnamese Communist Party and State implemented in localities in the Southeastern region of Vietnam at present.