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| IS ETHINICITY SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED | | | KHUSHWANT S RANIAL | 6/17/2012 10:54:25 PM |
| Ethnicity has been derived from the Greek word 'Ethnos' which refers to a range of situations wherein there is a sense of collectivism of humans that live together and act according to the need of the hour. The notion is often referred and translated today as people or nation .It provides a tangible set of common identifications in language ,food ,music and names especially when their roles becomes abstract and impersonal. It means that ethnicity is not a class. It is group struggle to face the hostile situations together and exhibit their own inclination for one another even after putting up at larger distances without remaining in physical contacts for the years together .It is a sort of social drive to overcome the political upheavals.
The term ethnicity has seen and earned enormous political implications in particular after disintegration of the erstwhile nation states like former USSR, Yugoslavia and event that followed the bombing of World trade centre in New York on 9/11. The pressure mounted to catch hold of the real culprit led to face many of the individuals and communities members to become soft target of the security men and members of host nation who started casting doubt on their integrity and sovereignty . This all arose on the account of the fact that an ethnic group provides sense of security and belongingness and an assertion of an identity which carry certain advantages and disadvantages as well.
So to escape of the indignation, wrath, and multiple attacks of being projected as traitors or infidels, the members began to locate their own cultural group identities for new formation hoping to face hostile eventualities together.
Emergence and cropping up of such newer thoughts and feelings led one to explore the place of ethnicity in the post traditional and new modern world.
Ethnicity is socially constructed only because it involves social human interaction where social relations help to form social structures based on empirical raw data to find solidarity between the Mechanical norms and sociological aspects. According to an eminent sociologists namely Y.M.Yinger ethnic group constitute a segment of larger part of society which they share exclusively among themselves for effecting their presence to resist the voice raised against them .
They intermingle and their Membership is passed on from generation to generation and they preserve the activities in which they share origin and culture play a significant role such as visiting their own people and celebrating occasions special to their heart. Thus it is this distinct identification which keeps them together binding their personal interests and this factor was seen as global phenomenon due to consummation of communal human living. Communal charge has always caused havoc to the peaceful living of the humanity and peace has badly affected. Till late, USA & USSR kept the melting pot of diverse cultures intact .Further, India too both before and after the partition, maintained Unity in Diversity and it was presumed that through the processes of accommodation and assimilation, immigrant groups hailing from the different regions would have merged completely into one other's fold completely leaving behind slight traces of any of their separate identity and adopted the new look for the growth and development of this state and society by shedding their own likings and disliking.
But such a proclamation is an exaggeration claim and the real dream is yet to be cherished. Unfortunately earlier conceived ideas of stable societies have shown increasing signs of instability and disturbances.
In fact, no society or political system in the whole world is immune from its pressures. Ethnic groups clamour for secession from the age-old political ties.
The demand for such secession derives strength and intensity when question of preserving ethnic or religious identity becomes pre -dominant .A recent surveys of regionalism in Western Europe listed 50 active regional movements and while another account refers to no less than 187 ethnic activists associations in Franc alone. Even in UK alone, devolution of powers to different regions has become a popular movement.
After the breakup of highly centralised system of USSR , some of its autonomous republics based on ethnic ,religious, and linguistic differences had started asserting to remain together even in a very loose federal framework like Commonwealth of Indian states .
In India, ethnic movements have assumed the form of regionalism in one form or the other. The demand of separate statehood by the Sikhs ,in form Khalistan movement, the high pitched raised issue of Kashmir vying secession from the Indian soil at the behest of exploitation of the foreigners and hostile neighbour Pakistan ,Bodo stateland or the issues of reservations in the government Jobs by the Gujjars living in the states of Rajasthan and Haryana especially or the recognition sought by Honour Killers in the state of Haryana and U.P. are the sheer examples of ethnic people getting structurally unifying together to meet their undying aspirations. In gist, Ethnic groups are voluntary groups and their efforts are also voluntarily processed holding collective identification, struggling to compete for a common cause and to meet justice to their needs. But on one hand where their due case needs to be projected for their respect towards their fellow human clan members equally on the other hand such sort of groupings are harmful and ill minded approach to cast claims by overlooking the state and society as a whole. Such type of endeavours opens way to communalism and undue recognition given to such groups can add injury to the secularism deals leading to the collapse of the secular fabric. |
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