Race and Ethnicity

A Brief Review

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