KMT 2014 nr 4 Download PDF

Ewa Szczecińska-Musielak

Ethnicity in Contemporary World (an outline to subject matter)

Cite: Ewa Szczecińska-Musielak, Przejawy etniczności we współczesnym świecie. Zarys problematyki, "Kultura - Media - Teologia", 2014( 19) nr 4, s. 78-92.

DOI: 10.21697/kmt.19.5

It seems that for some time, ethnicity – ethnic group or ethnic identity – was treated in mainstream sociological discourse like an old item, something passé, which didn’t fit modern world. However, ethnic identity and ethnic groups still exist and play important role in social relations – ethnic identity defines boundary between individuals and groups, between “us” and “other”, “stranger”. As a matter of fact, ethnic conflicts haven’t disappeared. Migration itself seems to create new ethnic boundaries and local conflicts. On the other hand, ethnicity, it’s social and cultural forms of affirmation, has been changed. It appears in different forms and in different social and political situations. Ethnicity doesn’t have to be opposite to modernity. In fact it may be an element of modern cultural identity or modern life style. The fact, that ethnicity is still “being used” by many people in different situations means, that ethnicity is socially useful and necessary. For that reason, ethnicity is difficult to define – it embraces ethnic groups, ethnic identity, or political movements.

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dr Ewa Szczecińska-Musielak

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