Post on 29-Dec-2015
Ethnicity vs Racism• Race & Racism– Social construct– Belief in biological superiority of a group– Strength, IQ, skin color – Static & discrete categorization
• Ethnicity– Cultural identity, background, affiliation– Based on self perceived & group assoc.– Dynamic, multi-faceted
Pseudo-Scientific Racism• “Scientific Racism”– 19th & 20th justify racial superiority
• “Social Darwinism”– AKA biological determinism– Social traits are inherited
• => Eugenics Movement– 1865, Sir Francis Galton– Genetic purity = social utopia– Started & promoted by Americans– Foundation to Nazi “Final Solution”
Ethnic Groups• Group incorporated into a state– Migration or conquest– Maintains distinctive cultural/linguistic traditions
• Sense of separate, shared & age-old identity– Descent– Possess identifiable features
Attributes of Ethnic Groups
• Ethnic boundary Markers– Overt factors demonstrating or denoting group membership
• Ethnic Traits:– Language– Religion– Music– Food
Celtic Cross
Stability of Ethnic Groups• dynamic grouping– Groups vanish– People move btw groups
• Ethnogenesis– Formation of new group– Language & religious revivals– Fission & Fusion of old groups
Ethnic Groups & Politics• Many ethnic groups renounce legitimacy of
central governments– Ex: Meratus, Indonesia
• Primarily legacy of European Colonialism– Berlin Conference
• Most desire some kind of political autonomy– Why unlikely?
Ethnic Groups and History• Berlin Conference (1884-1885)
– One of the most important contributors to modern conflict worldwide– European Leaders claim Africa– Divide resources and people– European powers assume sovereignty
• Africa not the only continent to have imposed borders– Middle East & Americas too
• People divided between 2 or more European colonies– Divides homogenous ethnic groups/kin groups
• Different groups circumscribed by same border– Mixes different ethnic groups in unequal proportions
• Europeans grant independence to colonies– Conflicts arise – Maintained imposed boundaries
• Not all ethnic groups were equally represented– Domination by majority group– Dominated by powerful and militant minority– Domination by non-indigenous ethnic minority
Berlin Conference: End of Colonialism
Ethnic Conflict• Conflicts arise because of:– Ideological hatred– Resource shortages– Differences in the distribution of wealth / quality of life– Gain more autonomy – Gain equitable treatment– Subordinate, oppress, eliminate an ethnic group– Obtain and maintain power– Small conflicts often become large conflicts
• Often supported by, or at least allowed by, the state
How do ethnic conflicts get resolved?
1. Political accommodation– Give them what they want
2. Ethnic homogenization – the elimination of the rival ethnic groups
• 3 forms: – passive assimilation – forced assimilation– genocide
Ethnic homogenization
• Passive assimilation– Ethnic group joins dominant group willingly
• Forced assimilation – Ethnic group joins dominant group by force– Government adopted policies– Deliberate and systematic
• Destroy or change the ethnic identity of a particular group
• Political Accommodation– Give dissatisfied sub nationalities what they want– Let them return to homeland– Their own land and independence– Their own country
• Rare– Governments reluctance– overpopulation– Competition for resources– People feel established
Solutions to ethnic conflict
Forced Assimilation
• Elimination of ethnic boundary markers– Language, religion, modes of dress, etc.
• Why is forced assimilation so effective?– Lose identity– Lose social cohesion– Divide and conquer– Some convert & some hold onto tradition– Ones who convert used to persuade/dominate/kill
others
Ethnic Cleansing & Genocide• Genocide
– Physical elimination of unwanted group(s)
• Ethnic Cleansing– Systematic removal of an ethnic and/or religious group from an region
• Characteristics– Migration– Mass death– Rape– Starvation– Slavery
Ethnocide:destroying cultural identities
• State level practices developed to strip ethnic identity from a group– 1. Frontier situation– 2. Military Intervention– 3. Extension of Govn’t Control– 4. Land Policies– 5. Cultural Modification Policies– 6. Education for Progress– 7. Economic Development
Ethnocide: OrangAsli• Malaysian Aborigines– H-G’s, swiddenagr, arboriculture, etc
• 1961, Malaysian Govn’t = “Integrate”– Market economy– Assert political control– Assimilate to Malay culture
Ethnocide: History of OrangAsli• 15th Cent. = Muslim rulers culturally unite Kingdom– “Sakai” name given to stupid, nomadic, uncivilized, dark skinned
people fit for exploitation
• 1800’s British Rule– Outlaw of slavery but pretty much left them alone
• The “Emergency”– At end of war, communist guerillas retreat to interior– British resettle OrangAsli in camps = “New Villages”– No sanitation, shelter or nutritionally adequate food– Many die of disease, malnutrition, & demoralization– British opt for kindness over coercion
Ethnocide: Orang Asli• 1961, Post-Independence
– “long-term policy to absorb people into the stream of national life and not destroy their traditional way of living and culture” (Jones 1968: 302)
• Islamic Affairs Section of Prime Minister’s Department– 1980’s shift in policy to Assimilation– integration into Malaysian society as Islamic subgroup– political advantages to claiming OrangAsli peoples as
Malaysian
• Integration Strategy– Resettlement into accessible areas– Destruction of political autonomy– Transforming trad. econ => market econ.– Adoption of Islam = crucial to Malaysian identity
Ethnic Conflict: Genocide• The systematic destruction of a “people”• Conflicts arise b/c of:– Ideological hatred– Resource shortages– Diffs in distribution of wealth/ quality of life– Gain equitable treatment– Obtain/maintain power– Escalation of local to regional conflict
• Often, supported or condoned by state
Genocide: Rwanda• Result of Economic & Political in capitalistic world system– Colonial history– Price of coffee– World Bank & IMF policies– interests of Western Nations– International Aid Interests– Western attitudes toward Africa
• Pre-Colonial Castes– Tutsi = lineages tied to cattle wealth– Hutu = lineages w/o cattle & ties to powerful people
Genocide: Rwanda• German control of Rwanda in 1884
– Tutsi = taller, lighter skin = increased power– Hutus = servitude class/caste
• Post WWI, Belgian rule– Intensified split, replaced Hutu chiefs w/ Tutsi’s– Ethnic identity cards issued– Tutsi elite = collect taxes & administer justice system
• Rwandan Independence (1950s)– Belgium supports Hutu Coup & violence against Tutsi’s
• International Coffee Agreement (1989)– Int. coffee prices plummet, detrimental to producers– Widespread famine for coffee farmers– Govn’t agrees to SAPs in exchange for Foreign Aid– Further decimating Rwandan economy
Genocide: Rwanda• Terahamwe&Impuzamugambi– “those who attack together”– “those w/ a single purpose”
• Trained, armed & indoctrinated Hutus death squads– Lead & influenced the killing of:
• ~800,000 Tutsis• 10,000 - 30,000 moderate Hutus
• West’s Reaction to Hutu-Tutsi violence– UN = “Hutus killing Tutsi & Tutsi killing Hutus”– Interethnic violence– Denial of use of the word “genocide”– Publicity = fund-raising bonanza for aid agencies