Position Of Ethnic Minorities Research Articles

Disintegrated Position of Minorities in John Updike’s Terrorist

This paper investigates into the marginalized position of ethnic minorities particularly Muslims and Jews as portrayed in John Updike’s Terrorist. The primary motto of the article is to analyze the novel from the perspective of the protagonists Ahmad and Jack who suffer the cultural and social exclusion in the American society. Ahmad is the victim of cultural bigotry and Jack Levy faces discriminatory practices at school. The isolation and marginalization of Ahmad and Jack respectively imply the ethnic crevices prevalent in the US society. The author demonstrates that the dominant cultural groups: European and African Americans do not accept the religious minorities: Muslims and Jews. Consequently, Muslims who are overtly the targets of cultural hatred and marginalization in the aftermath of the 9/11 as portrayed in the novel become hostile toward the Western culture. The efforts for integration of religious minorities are cosmetic as exemplified in the cases of Ahmad and Jack in the text. The writer makes a balance in representing both dominant and Muslim cultures to demonstrate the problems pertaining to ethnic groups at their failure in accommodating differences. The cultural separation and hatred prevalent in US society become obstacles even for those like Jack who seek to integrate. The paper eventually demonstrates the possibility of integration of religious minorities when both mainstream Americans and people of religious minorities conform to accepting the differences.

Local History or New Dimensions in Croatian-Italian Relations? A Review of a Book by F. Škiljan “Italians in Zagreb” [Škiljan F. Talijani u Zagrebu. Zagreb: Zajednica Talijana u Zagrebu, 2015. 95, 101 s.

This review is dedicated to the monograph by Filip Škiljan, а Researcher from the Institute for Migration and Ethnic Studies (Zagreb), whose area of interest includes the position of ethnic minorities in contemporary Croatia. The book is an extremely detailed and scrupulous piece of research on the origins and history of the Italian community in Zagreb from the 12th Century to the present day. A significant part of the work is devoted to the results of field research conducted by the author, including interviews with different representatives of the Italian diaspora. As a result, this work creates a very comprehensive picture of the Italian presence in Zagreb with a broad historical perspective, which makes it a great contribution to the question of the position of the Italian minority in Croatia as a whole. It is worth emphasizing that this work is not free from different theoretical and methodological limitations which reveal a great deal about the historical and national psychology of Croatia. In this respect, it is quite interesting to look in particular at the chapter devoted to the Middle Ages regarding the methods, evaluations, and approaches used by author. According to F. Škiljan the Ottoman conquest of the Balkan peninsula led to the divide between Croatia and the Italian (and, consequently, European) civilizational space, which had a serious impact on Croatian identity.

Trilingual Blunders: Signboards, Social Media, and Transnational Sri Lankan Tamil Publics

In Sri Lanka all public signs are required by law to be in Sinhala, Tamil, and English. This article investigates the multiple, clashing ways that Sri Lankan Tamil speakers (Tamils and Muslims) living in-country and abroad interpret Tamil signage blunders in relation to the position of ethnic minorities in the postwar nation. I incorporate ethnographic interviews to examine how three Tamil speakers made sense of a signboard, displayed in several government buses in Colombo, in which the Tamil portion read “reserved for pregnant dogs” instead of “reserved for pregnant mothers.” I situate their responses in an account of the circulation of Tamil signage errors on Facebook. I argue that Tamil speakers’ disparate interpretations reflect contrasting semiotic ideologies concerning the intentionality of the blunders and the relationship between the posted signboard images and lived sociolinguistic practices (Keane 2003, 2018), which have implications for imagined postwar futures and transnational Tamil political activism.

Competitive Preferences and Ethnicity: Experimental Evidence from Bangladesh

Abstract We investigate whether aversion to competing against members of the ethnically dominant group could be a contributing factor to the persistent disadvantageous socioeconomic position of ethnic minorities. We conducted a lab-in-the-field experiment in rural Bangladesh, randomly assigning participants into groups with different ethnic composition. We find that the ethnic minority group (Santal) are less likely to compete in groups where they are a numerical minority than when all competitors are co-ethnic, whereas the reverse is true for the ethnic majority group (Bengali). Further analysis suggests that differences in social power and status underpin these differences in preferences for interethnic competition.

A Commentary: The Position of Ethnic Minorities From the Connection Between Theory of Justice and Good Governance

Ethnic minorities are sometimes presented as “outsiders,” “awkward,” “alien,” and many other pejoratives by the “leviathan of majority”. This article will theoretically analyze how ethnic minorities struggle to pursue justice and access their right to good governance. Rawls’s theory of justice simply seems as the support of “majorities” sense of justice, which disregards the sense of justice by minority. Because of the color of their skin, language, cultural identities, and national origin, ethnic minorities are trapped under the battle of power holders that can be explained by the notion of biopolitics. Biopolitics is a method of investigating the interconnection between human body and power relation. Furthermore, the position of ethnic minorities in these power battles is appeared such homo sacer. Homo sacer is one who has been condemned and may be killed by anybody in a figure of Roman law. The concept of homo sacer can be used to explain the position of ethnic minorities who have always been victimized. In addition, to establish a concrete example of a case about problems faced by ethnic minorities, I will discuss the protection of ethnic minorities through the framework of law and democracy in Indonesia and the Netherlands.

From Chungking Mansions to tertiary institution: Acculturation and language practices of an immigrant mother and her daughter

This narrative study investigates the acculturation experiences and language practices of a mother and a daughter from two immigrant generations in Hong Kong. This study presents a picture of how individuals from different generations have responded to marginalization, accumulated linguistic and cultural resources, and developed different acculturation strategies, to facilitate socialization and academic success. The study suggests that compared to the mother's, the daughter's ways to empowerment are more complex and more relevant to issues of cultural compromise and linguistic accommodation. It is found that while the mother attempts to erase the heritage identity from the daughter to counteract the disadvantageous social position of ethnic minorities, the daughter identifies significant symbolism in heritage identity and language. The findings indicate that language ideology of the two generations tends to shift from a preference toward monolingualism in English in the first-generation mother to bi/multilingualism in the second-generation daughter. The implications of the findings for immigrant children, the host society and policy makers are discussed.

Growth with equity: income inequality in Vietnam, 2002–14

We use the 2002 through 2014 Vietnam Household Living Standards Surveys to construct comparable measures of household income and estimates of income inequality over this high-growth period. We focus on two questions: How have benefits from growth been distributed; and do changes in the structure of the economy map into changes in inequality? We explore dimensions in which inequality may vary, notably urban versus rural, and by ethnic status. We also decompose inequality by income source to highlight key factors underlying the relatively low levels of inequality during this period. We find that agricultural opportunities played an important role in dampening inequality, but more important has been the steady development of wage-labor markets in both urban and rural areas. An important caveat to the generally rosy picture we paint is the deteriorating position of ethnic minorities. Finally, we draw comparisons with China and document key differences in their growth-inequality experiences.

Growth with Equity: Income Inequality in Vietnam, 2002–14

We use the 2002 through 2014 Vietnam Household Living Standards Surveys to construct comparable measures of household income and estimates of income inequality over this high-growth period. We focus on two questions: How have benefits from growth been distributed; and do changes in the structure of the economy map into changes in inequality? We explore dimensions in which inequality may vary, notably urban versus rural, and by ethnic status. We also decompose inequality by income source to highlight key factors underlying the relatively low levels of inequality during this period. We find that agricultural opportunities played an important role in dampening inequality, but more important has been the steady development of wage-labor markets in both urban and rural areas. An important caveat to the generally rosy picture we paint is the deteriorating position of ethnic minorities. Finally, we draw comparisons with China and document key differences in their growth-inequality experience.

The Consociational System of Democracy in Kosovo: Questioning Ethnic Minorities' Special Status in Kosovo's Constitutional Regime

This article examines the constitutional position of ethnic minorities in Kosovo, the individual features, and the key protection mechanisms applied therein. At the outset, the article provides a general introduction to the topic, illustrating the character of Kosovo's state model. Subsequently, it builds upon the view that Kosovo was shaped under an international supervision, which aimed to establish a state freed from mono-ethnicity, which is regarded as both multi-ethnic and a state of citizens. The article proceeds to explain the institutional mechanisms established with the objective to protect and uphold the ethnic minorities’ position at both central and local levels. Furthermore, it discusses the affirmative human rights law standards granted to ethnic minorities—both at personal and collective levels. The article concludes by suggesting that the constitution of Kosovo provides for a broad degree of self-rule to ethnic minorities, which, in turn, provides them with the capacity to enjoy a rather constitutive position as regards the essential components of the polity.

Allochtonen en keuze voor technische opleidingen: een onbenut potentieel

Ethnic minorities and the choice for technical directions in education: an unutilised potential Ethnic minorities and the choice for technical directions in education: an unutilised potential There are a lot of studies which focus on the choice of technical directions within vocational education. But in these studies, little attention is given to the specific position of ethnic minorities. To what extent is their choice behaviour different? Statistical data show that ethnic minorities are underrepresented in technical directions in vocational education. A specific survey on backgrounds for this phenomenon shows that there is a relatively large group of ethnic minority students who do not choose for a technical direction, in spite of the fact that they have a talent in this direction and are interested in technology. This result holds in a multivariate analysis in which also several other factors are taken into account. We also investigate to what extent those with a technical direction in vocational education want to work in a technical profession and/or the manufacturing industry afterwards. Finally, a number of recommendations are given how to reach higher shares of ethnic minority students choosing technical directions.

Antiracist and Multicultural Discourses in European Public Service Broadcasting: Celebrating Consumable Differences in the Prix Europa Iris Media Prize

Since the dawn of the millennium, public debate on multiculturalism has intensified in Europe. Many countries known for their multicultural and tolerant attitudes, began to tighten their immigration and integration policies. The purpose of this article is to analyze European multicultural discourses by focusing on critical evaluation of the Prix Europa Iris, the yearly awards competition that celebrates multicultural television programming in Europe. Although submissions are also received from independent filmmakers and commercial television, public broadcasting corporations play key roles in the Prix Europa organization and its definition of the event. I examine how jury reports, speeches, and other material in the Prix Europa Iris website define and signify multiculturalism and antiracism. These texts influence multicultural media policy throughout Europe. The study demonstrates that the role of the media in creating mutual understanding among cultures and in unifying European identity has been emphasized by this event. The position taken in the Prix Europa Iris overlooks structural aspects of racism and power relations in society. There has been a discursive shift in the 21st century from recognition of racism and marginalized position of ethnic minorities and immigrants to a focus on individual integration.

Coping with Growth and Emigration: Latvian Labor Market Before and After EU Accession

In 2002-2005, Latvian labor market has witnessed dramatic changes related both to unprecedented economic growth and to a massive outflow of labor force after EU enlargement in May 2004. This study, based on micro-level analysis of Latvian Labor Force surveys 2002-2005, provides a detailed analysis of these changes, with a particular focus on developments which are likely to improve living standards of formerly disadvantaged segments of population. The findings suggest that emerging shortage of labor has led to strong wage growth and reduction of unemployment. The author documents increased employment rates and improvements in labor market position of ethnic minorities, elderly, fixed-term workers, the low-skilled, and other disadvantaged groups. Wage growth, in turn, has fostered labor force participation, resulting in further increase of employment rates. This analysis may be of interest for policy makers in countries entering a period of transformation or exposed to external shocks. The study also provides an in-depth analysis of the labor market integration of the sizable Russian-speaking minority in Latvia. The author finds, on average, modest occupational segregation but somewhat larger segregation as far as the sectors of the economy are concerned. In both cases, segregation index is inversely related to Latvian language skills; the same is true for the observed ethnic wage gap. The unexplained ethnic wage gap reaches its maximum (6 percent) for workers with medium Latvian language skills.

Teacher training and multiculturalism in a transitional society: the case of the Slovak Republic

The authors explore a number of issues surrounding multicultural education in “societies in transition”, emerging from their experiences during a TEMPUS project that took place in the Slovak Republic. The TEMPUS project entailed the development of a multicultural education curriculum for teacher trainers, as a response to the conditions for entry into the European Union. The paper provides background information on the position of ethnic minorities in Slovakia, in particular the Hungarian and Roma population and the development of policies, especially in education, for combating racism. In examining the challenges to educators in developing a more open system than the command education of the recent past, issues such as the predominance of traditional pedagogies, multiculturalism and antiracism, the problems of “other isms” and of giving voice to minorities are considered.

Integration Through Leisure? Leisure Time Activities and the Integration of Turkish Families in Arnhem and Enschede in the Netherlands

The position of ethnic minorities in the Netherlands is an important social and political issue. Little attention has been paid to the way they spend their leisure time or to whether these activities could be a useful vehicle in helping them integrate into Dutch society. This study investigates how Turkish families, living in the Dutch cities of Arnhem and Enschede, spend their free time and the use they make of the facilities available. It also explores the extent to which Turkish families adopt cultural elements of Dutch society in their leisure behaviour. Most of the Turkish families interviewed indicated that they seek integration into Dutch society at the local level. After three generations, however, they still appear to be heavily orientated towards their own cultural group. Leisure in Turkish families is strongly related to gender differences. Although respondents said they wanted more social contacts in the community, they found their Dutch neighbours rather inhospitable. It is remarkable to notice that the socio spatial differences between the two cities (Arnhem and Enschede) hardly differentiate the Turkish families' experiences. The availability of some leisure and recreational facilities (such as a park, a playground or a Turkish coffee-house) make some difference indeed.

The difference between a Surinamese and a Turk: Ethnic jokes and the position of ethnic minorities in the Netherlands

The difference between a Surinamese and a Turk: Ethnic jokes and the position of ethnic minorities in the Netherlands

Ethnic Minorities and Criminal Justice in the Netherlands

Several ethnic minorities in the Netherlands, relative to population, commit more crimes and more serious crimes than do Dutch offenders. There are indications that minority offenders who commit less serious or nonserious offenses seem to be punished more harshly than similar Dutch offenders. Relatively more ethnic minority members are placed in pretrial detention and sentenced to prison-partly because of different crime patterns, partly because many have no fixed residence, and partly because many are less likely than Dutch defendants to turn up at the trial and to plead guilty. Even taking account of these variables, minority membership continues to be a factor in explaining sentencing. Although ethnic stereotyping may play a role, disparities appear to result largely from the unfavorable economic, social, and legal position of ethnic minorities.

Race and Politics: Ethnic Minorities and the British Political System, by Muhammad Anwar

1. Immigration and Settlement Patterns of Ethnic Minorities 2. The Civic Position of Ethnic Minorities and the Electoral System 3. Race Relations Issues in the Political Context 4. Registration and Turnout by Ethnic Groups 5. Voting Patterns by Ethnic Groups 6. The Political Parties' Response 7. The Ethnic Minorities Response 8. The Anti-ethnic Minorities Vote 9. Conclusions and the Future Notes, Postscript, Appendix: Ethnic Minorities Population in Selected Parliamentary Constituencies, References, Name Index, Subject index.