caste, race, ethnicity, nationality are cultural inventions designed to create boundaries around one...

Caste, race, ethnicity, Caste, race, ethnicity, nationalitynationality

• Are cultural inventions designed to Are cultural inventions designed to create boundaries around one or create boundaries around one or another imagined community. another imagined community.

Imagined CommunityImagined Community

• A community socially constructed A community socially constructed and ultimately imagined by the and ultimately imagined by the people who perceive themselves as people who perceive themselves as part of that group. part of that group.

Imagined CommunityImagined Community

• Is not (and cannot be) based on Is not (and cannot be) based on quotidian face-to-face interaction quotidian face-to-face interaction between its members. Instead, between its members. Instead, members hold in their minds a members hold in their minds a mental image of their affinity. mental image of their affinity.

Benedict AndersonBenedict Anderson

• A nation "A nation "is imagined because the is imagined because the members of even the smallest nation members of even the smallest nation will never know most of their fellow-will never know most of their fellow-members, meet them, or even hear members, meet them, or even hear of them, yet in the minds of each of them, yet in the minds of each lives the image of their communionlives the image of their communion".".

• None of the categories outlined maps None of the categories outlined maps onto permanent biological onto permanent biological subdivisions within the human subdivisions within the human species, although members of species, although members of societies that employ these societies that employ these categories often will invoke “nature” categories often will invoke “nature” to reinforce their legitimacy.to reinforce their legitimacy.

CasteCaste

• The word “caste” comes from the The word “caste” comes from the Portuguese word casta, meaning Portuguese word casta, meaning “chaste.”“chaste.”

• Portuguese explorers applied this Portuguese explorers applied this word to the stratification systems word to the stratification systems they encountered in South Asia in they encountered in South Asia in the 15the 15thth century. century.

What is a date today in What is a date today in Canada?Canada?

CasteCaste

• These societies were divided into a These societies were divided into a hierarchy of ranked subgroups, each hierarchy of ranked subgroups, each of which was “chaste” in the sense of which was “chaste” in the sense that sexual and marital links across that sexual and marital links across group boundaries were forbidden.group boundaries were forbidden.

• In anthropological terms, we say that In anthropological terms, we say that these groups are endogamous. these groups are endogamous.

EndogamyEndogamy

• Marriage within a defined social Marriage within a defined social group.group.

• For this reason, many For this reason, many anthropologists agree that caste is anthropologists agree that caste is fundamentally a form of kinship. fundamentally a form of kinship.

• This endogamy, which is enforced, This endogamy, which is enforced, means that membership in such means that membership in such groups is determined by birth and for groups is determined by birth and for life. life.

• In societies where descent is In societies where descent is regarded as a crucial and persistent regarded as a crucial and persistent principle almost any social division principle almost any social division can become stabilized in a caste-like can become stabilized in a caste-like form.form.

Castification Castification

• Political process by which ethnic or Political process by which ethnic or other groups become part of a rank other groups become part of a rank order of some kind, probably order of some kind, probably orchestrated from the top, but which orchestrated from the top, but which need not result in the construction of need not result in the construction of a caste system. a caste system.

• The principle of descent has also The principle of descent has also played a central role in the played a central role in the identification and persistence of identification and persistence of race, ethnicity and nation.race, ethnicity and nation.

• These three categories are closely These three categories are closely bound up with historical bound up with historical developments over the past 500 developments over the past 500 years that built the modern world. years that built the modern world.

RaceRace

• A human population category whose A human population category whose boundaries allegedly correspond to boundaries allegedly correspond to distinct sets of biological attributes.distinct sets of biological attributes.

• The concept of race is biologically The concept of race is biologically and genetically meaningless.and genetically meaningless.

• However, racial thinking persists at However, racial thinking persists at the beginning of the twenty-first the beginning of the twenty-first century. century.

• This means that racial categories This means that racial categories have their origins not in biology but have their origins not in biology but in society. in society.

• Race is a culturally constructed social Race is a culturally constructed social category whose members are category whose members are identified on the basis of certain identified on the basis of certain selected phenotypic features that all selected phenotypic features that all of them are said to share.of them are said to share.

• The end result is a highly distorted The end result is a highly distorted set of criteria that members of a set of criteria that members of a society can use to assign people they society can use to assign people they see to one or another culturally see to one or another culturally defined racial category.defined racial category.

• Then, members can treat racial Then, members can treat racial categories as if they reflect biological categories as if they reflect biological reality, using them to build reality, using them to build institutions that include or exclude institutions that include or exclude particular culturally defined races. In particular culturally defined races. In this way, race can become “real” in this way, race can become “real” in its consequences, even if it has no its consequences, even if it has no reality in biology.reality in biology.

RacialismRacialism

• Belief in the existence of biologically Belief in the existence of biologically distinct races.distinct races.

RacismRacism

• The systematic oppression of one or The systematic oppression of one or more socially defined “races” by more socially defined “races” by another socially defined “race.”another socially defined “race.”

EthnicityEthnicity

• A principle of social classification A principle of social classification used to create groups based on used to create groups based on selected cultural features such as selected cultural features such as language, religion or dress.language, religion or dress.

• Ethnicity emerges from historical Ethnicity emerges from historical process that incorporate distinct process that incorporate distinct social groups into a political structure social groups into a political structure under conditions of inequality.under conditions of inequality.

EthnicityEthnicity

• Develops as members of different Develops as members of different groups try to make sense of the groups try to make sense of the material constraints they experience material constraints they experience within the political structure that within the political structure that confines them.confines them.

• Is the struggle between self-Is the struggle between self-ascription and other-ascription. ascription and other-ascription.

Self-AscriptionSelf-Ascription

• Insiders’ efforts to define their own Insiders’ efforts to define their own identity.identity.

Other-AscriptionOther-Ascription

• Outsiders’ efforts to define the Outsiders’ efforts to define the identities of other groups.identities of other groups.

Ethnic GroupsEthnic Groups

• Social groups that are distinguished Social groups that are distinguished from one another on the basis of from one another on the basis of ethnicity.ethnicity.

ColonialismColonialism

• Because ethnic groups are Because ethnic groups are incorporated into the colony on incorporated into the colony on unequal terms, many individuals in unequal terms, many individuals in the colonies attempted to achieve the colonies attempted to achieve upward mobility by manipulating upward mobility by manipulating ethnicity. ethnicity.

Nation-StatesNation-States

• A recent invention. A recent invention.

• After the French Revolution, which After the French Revolution, which discredited the right of kings, rulers discredited the right of kings, rulers needed to find a new basis upon needed to find a new basis upon which to legitimize their state which to legitimize their state authority.authority.

• The solution was to root political The solution was to root political authority in nations.authority in nations.

NationsNations

• Groups of people believed to share Groups of people believed to share the same history, culture, language, the same history, culture, language, and even the same physical and even the same physical substance.substance.

• Nations were associated with Nations were associated with territories, as were states, and a territories, as were states, and a nation-state came to be viewed as an nation-state came to be viewed as an ideal political unit in which national ideal political unit in which national identity and political territory identity and political territory coincided. coincided.

• The building of the first nation-states The building of the first nation-states is closely associated with the rise of is closely associated with the rise of capitalism and its related cultural capitalism and its related cultural institutions.institutions.

• The ideology of the nation-state The ideology of the nation-state implies that every nation is entitled implies that every nation is entitled to its own state. It also suggests that to its own state. It also suggests that a state containing heterogeneous a state containing heterogeneous populations might be made into a populations might be made into a nation if all peoples adopt a common nation if all peoples adopt a common nationality.nationality.

NationalityNationality

• A sense of identification with and A sense of identification with and loyalty to the nation-state.loyalty to the nation-state.

NationalismNationalism

• (or nation-building)(or nation-building)

• Attempt made by government Attempt made by government officials and state institutions to officials and state institutions to instill into citizens of a state a sense instill into citizens of a state a sense of nationality.of nationality.

What is Canadian nationalism What is Canadian nationalism based upon?based upon?

What institutions participate What institutions participate in its creation and in its creation and

reproduction?reproduction?