The ethnic group is ... Types and signs of ethnic groups

All the inhabitants of our large planet are very different: for example, the mountaineers are not at all like the islanders. Even within a single nation or country, there may be separate ethnic groups that differ in their cultural characteristics and traditions. In fact, an ethnic group is part of an ethnos, a kind of community that was formed on a certain territory historically. Let us consider this question in more detail.

History and origin of the term

Today, the ethnic group is an important object of study for such sciences as history, geography of the population, culturology. Social psychologists are studying this issue with the aim of preventing and resolving various ethnic conflicts. What is the origin of this term?

The etymology of the word "ethnos" is very interesting. From the ancient Greek language it can be translated as "not Greek." That is, in fact, "ethnos" - it's a stranger, a foreigner. The ancient Greeks used this term to refer to different tribes of non-Greek origin. But they called themselves themselves another, no less famous word - "demos", which means "people". Later the term migrated to the Latin language, in which an adjective "ethnic" appeared. In the Middle Ages, it was also actively used in religious meaning, being a synonym for the words "non-Christian", "pagan."

Today, "ethnos" has become a purely scientific term, which denotes all types of ethnic groups. The science that studies them is called ethnography.

An ethnic group is ...

What is the meaning of this term? And what are its features and distinctive features?

Ethnic group is a stable community of people, which was formed on a certain territory and has its own distinctive characteristics. The signs of such a group will be discussed a little later.

In science, this term is often identified with such concepts as "ethnicity, " "ethnic identity, " "nation." But in the legal sphere it is completely absent - there it is often replaced by the terms "people" and "national minority". The lack of clear definitions of all these concepts is a serious scientific problem. Many scientists believe that each of them hides its specific phenomenon, so they can not be identified. In the definition of the concept of "ethnic group" Soviet researchers often abused the categories of sociology, and Western - psychology.

Western scholars distinguish two very important features of ethnic groups:

• First, they do not have their own statehood;
• Secondly, having its own history, ethnic groups are not active and important historical subjects.

Structure of the ethnic group

All existing ethnic groups have roughly the same structure, which consists of three main parts:

1. The core of an ethnic group, which is characterized by the compactness of residence in a particular territory.
2. The periphery is part of a group that is territorially detached from the nucleus.
3. The Diaspora is that part of the population that is territorially scattered, including, it can occupy territories of other ethnic communities.

The main features of ethnic communities

There are several signs on which a particular person can be attributed to one or another ethnic group. It is noteworthy that these members of the community consider these characteristics to be significant for themselves, they are the basis of their self-awareness.

Here are the main features of the ethnic group:

• Kinship by blood and marriage (this attribute is already somewhat outdated);
• General history of origin and development;
• A territorial feature, that is, a link to a specific locality, territory;
• mutual language;
• Their cultural characteristics, as well as traditions.

Main types of ethnic groups

To date, there are several classifications of ethnic groups and ethnic communities: geographical, linguistic, anthropological and cultural-economic.

Ethnic groups include the following types (levels):

• The genus is nothing but a close community of blood relatives.
• The tribe is a few genera that are linked together by common traditions, religion, cult or common dialect.
• The nationality is a special ethnic group that has been formed historically and is united by one language, culture, faith and common territory.
• A nation is the highest form of development of an ethnic community, for which a common territory, language, culture and developed economic ties are characteristic.

Ethnic identity

An important indicator of the level of the formation of a social ethnic group, in particular a nation, is ethnic self-awareness. This term is one of the main in the psychology of the groups we are considering.

Ethnic self-awareness is a sense of belonging of a particular individual to a particular ethnic group, ethnic group, or nation. At the same time, a person should realize his unity with this community and understand the qualitative differences from other ethnic groups and groups.

For the formation of ethnic self-awareness, it is very important to study the history of its people, as well as cultural features, folklore and traditions that are passed on from generation to generation, thorough knowledge of their language and literature.

Finally...

Thus, ethnic social groups are quite an interesting phenomenon and a separate object of research. Studying individual communities, we not only learn about their cultural or historical peculiarities, but also cultivate tolerance, tolerance and respect for other ethnoses and cultures. Ultimately, understanding and respecting the characteristics of other ethnic groups leads to a significant reduction in ethnic disputes, conflicts and wars.