What is Ethnic Identity, and does it Matter?

Authors

  • Author

  • Abdelkarim Amengay New York University

  • Translator

  • Abdelkarim Amengay

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31430/NZBR5421

Keywords:

Ethnicity, Culture, Violence, Democracy, Patronage

Abstract

Since the publication of Horowitz's Ethnic Groups in Conflict, comparative political scientists have increasingly converged on their classification of ethnic identities. But there is no agreement on the definition that justifies this classification— and the definitions that individual scholars propose do not match their classifications. I propose a definition that captures the conventional classification of ethnic identities in comparative political science to a greater degree than the alternatives. According to this definition, ethnic identities are a subset of identity categories in which membership is determined by attributes associated with, or believed to be associated with, descent (described here simply as descent-based attributes). I argue, on the basis of this definition, that ethnicity either does not matter or has not been shown to matter in explaining most outcomes to which it has been causally linked by comparative political scientists. These outcomes include violence, democratic stability, and patronage.

Author Biographies

  • Abdelkarim Amengay, New York University
    Professor of Politics, New York University,  USA.
  • Abdelkarim Amengay
    Assistant Professor, Political Science and International Relations Program, Doha Institute for Graduate Studies.

References

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  2. كاستات ومفردها كاست Caste. بحسب جودهكا، يُوظف مصطلح الكاست في العلوم الاجتماعية للدلالة على ذلك النظام الاجتماعي الهرمي التقليدي السائد في الهند والمرتبط بالديانة الهندوسية، وهو يعرف فيها ب "الفارنا" Varna الذي يقسم المجتمع الهندوسي أربع فئات، هي: البراهمة Brahmins (ومنهم رجال الدين)، والكشاتريا Kshatriyas (المحاربون)، والفايشيا Vaishyas (التجار)، والشودرا Shudras (المزارعون والعمال)، إضافة إلى جماعة تُعتبر خارج نظام الفارنا وهي فئة "غير القابلين للمسّ" والتي توجد في قاع الهرم الاجتماعي ويوعد لها القيام بالوظائف "غير الطاهرة". ينظر: Surinder Jodhka, "Ascriptive Hierarchies: Caste and its Reproduction in Contemporary India," Current Sociology , vol. 64, no. 2 (2016), pp. 228-229.
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  44. Chandra, Why Ethnic Parties Succeed.
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Citing articles from external sources (1)

  1. Farouq Ahmad Faleh Alazzam, Khaled Khalaf Abed Rabbo Aldrou (2025) Artificial intelligence and data privacy in international trade law. Multidisciplinary Science Journal, 7(8), 2025379 https://doi.org/10.31893/multiscience.2025379

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Published

2023-11-01

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Vol. 11 No. 064-065 (2023): Issue 064-065

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Translated Studies

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