Summary
Contents
Studies is an important, interdisciplinary thread which runs through contemporary debates on globalization, citizenship, community studies, political geography and identity. It has always represented a significant component of ethnic, multicultural and racial studies but the last few years have seen a steady increase in separate / autonomous courses and modules as students, lecturers and researchers engage with the field. This proposal looks to pull together the central themes of the field; its approach is logical and the three main themes the authors identify are a useful hook upon which to hang the text. International relevance and marketability is obviously important; the inclusion of a US and a UK author with such sympathetic expertise will help to maximise the appeal of the project. The authors are aware of the need to balance the needs of different markets and their willingness to develop the proposal in response to the reviewers' comments is encouraging.
Ethnicity and Ethnic Minorities
Ethnicity and Ethnic Minorities
Definition: Ethnicity is an identification based on presumed shared characteristics, such as common ancestry, physical resemblance, language, religion, nationality, territory or historical experience. Ethnic groups involve boundaries or groupings of people who are perceived by others or see themselves as sharing the same identity or culture.
The term ethnicity derives from the Greek word ethnos, which can be translated as ‘nation’, ‘people’ or ‘tribe’. It entered Latin in its adjectival form as ethnicus, meaning ‘heathen’ or ‘pagan’, thus referring to those who did not share the cultural attributes of the dominant group. The term ethnic entered the English language in the Middle Ages. It designated the ‘others’ – those who were neither Christians nor Jews, those ‘who were ...
