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Ethnicity
Multi-Level Ethnicity
Illustrating Different Views of the Same Ethnic Group at Different Levels
Dr. Orville Boyd Jenkins
Ethnicity is more a view of identity, than an absolute metaphysical category or designation. Each social or genetic group will understand itself as related to various groups to various degrees. There is a common hierarchical relationship of ethnicities that is useful for placing in perspectives the otherwise confusing conflicting answers one may get.
Perception
An individual or social group will answer different a question about their ethnicity according to the level at which they perceive the question to be asked. For instance, in and African country, a person from a European country will likely answer that he is a European.
If some prior awareness of Europe is indicated, or a deeper interest or more precise question follows, the person might answer that they are Spanish, referring to nationality, their geo-political identity. Probing further, we might get an answer related to the geographical region, and we might learn that Spanish is not their mother tongue.
Zooming In
As further discernment proceeds, we many learn that the mother tongue is Galician, or Leonese, and thus ethnicity might ultimately be determined as Galician, or Leonese. This is a universal human phenomenon, thus multiple views must be taken.
Perspective
Just as when photographing a geographical location, or a sculpture, various photos form all perspectives provide a more complete and precise view than just a simple frontal shot with no perspective.
Individuals and social or genetic groups may be seen as having multiple identities in a cascading relationship of closer to home and kin and farther form home and kin. The following examples will illustrate the variations of ethnicities at different levels for some representative ethnicities in different parts of the world and different language families.
Ethnicities in Various Countries
Illustrating Different Views of the Same Ethnic Group at Different Levels
FRENCH People/Ethnicity
Gascon French Speakers: French
KIKUYU
People/EthnicityAFRICAN (KENYA)
GIRIAMA (Mijikenda Group)
People/EthnicityAlso related
Assimilation: Articles and Presentations
Ethnicity, Language and Population
Identifying a People Group
Multi-Level Ethnicity: Illustrating Different Views of the Same Ethnic Group at Different Levels
Peoples and Languages
The Rough Edges of Ethnicity
OBJ
First developed for a seminar 12 August 2004
Expanded 4 May 2006
Last edited 10 November 2007
Posted on Thoughts and Resources 12 November 2007
Last edited 30 August 2010
Orville Boyd Jenkins, EdD, PhD
Copyright © 2006, 2007 Orville Boyd Jenkins
Permission granted for free download and transmission for personal or educational use. Other rights reserved.
Email: orville@jenkins.nu |
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