850_Ajiss21-4 - Book Reviews - Ethnicity and Nationalism

7/31/2019 850_Ajiss21-4 - Book Reviews - Ethnicity and Nationalism

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in later Islamic tradition. The goal of Sufism was sainthood (walayah), and

anyone who attained it was a Sufi by default. In the classical literature, the

Sufis (al-mutasawwifah) are designated by such titles as the folk of hearts

(ahl al-qulub), the folk of God (ahl Allah), and the knowers throughGod (`ulama bi-Allah). All of these designations are used, more or less

synonymously, to refer to individuals characterized by a high level of spir-

itual realization the same quality associated with "saints" (awliya').

In this connection, Meri also errs in representing the views of some of

the early writers on sainthood. He says that according to Sarrajs Kitab al-Luma, the Companions of the Prophet were not awliy (pp. 66-67), which

is simply not true. One of the reasons Sarraj authored the Luma was to

argue for Sufisms legitimacy, and it would have most certainly defeated hispurpose to make such a claim. Meri then writes: Later writers and mystics

like al-Qushayri, al-Ghazali, and Ibn al-Arabi employ it [the term wali]

specifically in the context of Sufi saints, which is also misleading if Sufiis understood in Meris narrow sense. For all three of them, sainthood was

simply the culmination of the religious life and was most perfectly exem-

plified by the Prophet, the earliest generations, and any Muslim who

received a special kind of divine grace. As one gathers from Ibn al-`Arabi'sRuh al-Quds, walaya could manifest itself among wandering ascetics,

legal scholars, and even official court judges.

These minor shortcomings aside, Meris scholarship is meticulous and

original. It will, hopefully, be a stepping-stone for a deeper appreciation ofthe shared historical and religious legacy of Judaism and Islam.

Atif Khalil

Centre for the Study of Religion

University of Toronto

Toronto, Canada

Ethnicity and Nationalism

Thomas Hylland EriksenLondon: Pluto Press, 2002. 2d. ed., 199 pages.

Thomas Hylland Eriksens second edition ofEthnicity and Nationalismcomes over 10 years after the first. In light of a decades worth of histori-

cal and political changes, this new edition has been expanded to cover

transnationalism, hybridity, and globalization, and includes a new chapter

on multiculturalism, culture, and rights. The book, which is presented as a

136 The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 21:4


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Book Reviews 137

core text for social anthropology students and a leading introduction to thefield, takes its theoretical standpoint from social anthropology but also

draws on studies from anthropology and sociology. Its main themes remain

the same as the first edition: reflexive identity and social change, identitypolitics, social complexity, and group dynamics.

Chapter 1 explores the term ethnicity and its relationship to race,

nation, class, and culture, highlighting its ambiguity and social construction

in various contexts. Eriksen then identifies different kinds of ethnic rela-tions (e.g., urban ethnic minorities, indigenous peoples, proto-nations, plural

societies, and post-slavery societies) to illustrate the variations within

groups. Chapter 2 looks at ethnic classifications and how group distinctions

arise through processes of social contact. Stereotyping, the melting potmetaphor, and ethnic stigmas are some of the concepts Eriksen discusses to

illustrate commonalities and differences between categories of people.

In the following chapter, the author examines the social organization of

cultural distinctiveness by asking how ethnic groups develop, which endsthey serve, and how they are reproduced through time. Relying upon the

works of anthropologist Fredrik Barth, Eriksen discusses boundaries as

well as their maintenance and transcendence, all of which play a large rolein the development of an ethnic identity. He continues to look at ethnicitys

potential for organizing group interests, particularly in the case of group

competition.

Moving from a behaviorist point of view to an examination of individ-ual perspectives of ethnic identity, chapter 4 focuses on how attachment and

loyalty to ethnic groups are created and maintained through ideology.

Chapter 5 chronicles the sociohistorical development of ethnic groups and

identities. Here, the author focuses on four processes of change: slavery andcapitalism, labor migration, the significance of naming (classification) and

language, and the consequences of social change for identity formation and

group organization.

Chapter 6, entitled Nationalism, looks at various aspects of the

nation: cultural symbols, the impact of industrialism, and communicationstechnology, as well as nationalism against the state. The next two chapters

examine two types of minority situations: aboriginal or indigenous groupsand urban minorities. Chapter 7 elaborates on stages of indigenous ethno-

genesis and introduces the situation of urban minorities in Europe and the

United States. Chapter 8 presents anthropological and philosophical

debates on issues of cultural and ethnic pluralism, multiculturalism, andindividual rights and liberalism. Eriksen notes that the simplifications of


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138 The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 21:4

identity politics are countered by the complexities of experience (p. 160).The final chapter, The Non-Ethnic, deals with what he describes as that

which is not ethnic (p. 161), which includes current tensions in social the-

ory, the trend of globalization and localization, multiple identities and loy-alties, and the saliency of gender on identity.

As a whole, this book is a comprehensive survey of the cultural, his-

torical, and political landscape of ethnicity and nationalism, one that uses

both classic and recent studies to make its points. The author does an excel-lent job of drawing upon research and examples from many nations, includ-

ing Australia, Canada, France, India, Kenya, and Malaysia. In addition, he

utilizes examples from his own research in Mauritius and Trinidad. This

usage of global contexts to conceptualize ethnicity's multiple perspectiveshelps the reader understand its relationships to culture, politics, history, and

the state itself. Eriksen also gives a well-balanced and thorough examina-

tion of the theories that underlie ethnic identity, nationalism, and identity

politics, at times providing useful figures to diagram concepts. In addition,there are helpful annotated bibliographical references for further reading at

the end of each chapter.

While Eriksens writing is relatively clear and concise, as a text for stu-dents the often ambiguous sub-headings within the chapters could be orga-

nizationally confusing. For example, he begins the first chapter asking

What Is Ethnicity? and then proceeds to explain The Term Itself. Five

sub-headings later, the section is entitled What Is Ethnicity? again.Perhaps highlighted key concepts in each chapter would have produced a

smoother flow.

In addition, while the author does describe the social construction of

race and racism, the linkage between racism and the dynamics of powerand oppression in various forms could be more strongly made. The minori-

tization of groups (as juxtaposed to the politically non-dominant [p. 121]

minority groups) and the saliency of anti-racism and anti-colonial efforts

throughout history deserve a stronger emphasis in discourses on the politics

of identity.As to contribution or relevance to Islamic thought, the book contains

scant references, mostly as examples and pertaining to Mauritian Muslimsin particular. In chapter 5, Ethnicity and History, the author relies heavily

on American anthropologist Jay OBrien, arguing that the ethnic categoriza-

tion of some Muslim groups in Sudans Gezira area came about through

local characteristics and interaction, as well as the introduction of the capi-talist system of production.


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Book Reviews 139

In chapter 8, Identity Politics, Culture and Rights, Eriksen illustratesethnic diversity within groups by citing examples of Muslim disagreements

(e.g., domestic matters as settled by Muslim law and wearing of head-

scarves in schools). Elsewhere in chapter 8, the mention of a Muslim iden-tity is presented merely as an opposite of Hindu identity. Given that this

new edition was to have taken into account changing global dynamics and

identity politics, the omission of Islamic thoughts growing significance in

social/political analyses is disappointing.Overall,Ethnicity and Nationalism gives readers a far-reaching view of

group identity, ethnicity, and the effects that culture, politics, and the nation

have on these identities. It effectively prompts the reader to probe further

into the important questions it raises about the shifting relationships of eth-nic groups in our global society.

Kayleen U. Oka

Ph.D. Candidate, Departments of Sociology and Equity Studies

and Comparative, International, and Development Education

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education/University of Toronto

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

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850_Ajiss21-4 - Book Reviews - Ethnicity and Nationalism