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Ethno-racial divisions and governance
Premdas, Ralph
Premdas, Ralph
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dpremdas.pdf
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Abstract
"Most states in the international system are polyethnic. The cleavages that divide these states are many, among the most prominent are race, religion, region, language, and values. In most of these cases, the cleavages are multiple and coinciding, creating deep divisions which render inter-communal accommodation and reconciliation difficult if not intractable. An ethno-cultural community constructs its collective consciousness and shared identity on putative commonalties in region, religion, race, language and/or values. While such claims may be fictive and imagined, they are the bedrock that confers belonging and serve as the means of mass mobilisation in quest of recognition, resources and influence in the state. There are several variants of ethno-cultural or ethnic communities with some marked by the salience of a particular trait such as language creating thereby what be deemed an ethno-linguistic community as in Quebec and Sri Lanka.1 Similarly, those that are marked mainly by religious cleavage may be called ethno-religious such as in Northern Ireland and Kasmir; by regional divide, called ethno-regional as in Spain and the Canadian West; by racial division called ethno-racial such as Fiji and Guyana.2 To be sure, most multi-ethnic communities are carriers of multiple cleavages but often one may be dominant and defines the cultural character of the group. Generally, ethno-cultural communities in practically all polyethnic states tend to compose their claims to a distinctive identity by attributing to themselves in their narratives of origin not only cultural and historical differences but racial myths of superiority over rival groups. With rare exceptions, racial claims tend to be implicated in the construction of cultural identities. Some of these racial claims have tended to be quite explicit as in the old apartheid South Africa but in many others, the racial claims are less evident, intermixed with other factors, and frequently denied altogether. The paper focuses on those states in the international system that are distinctive because they are constituted of ethno-racial communities. In these instances, racial myths are articulated into a mix of cultural, religious, linguistic and other differences and turned into a mode defining inter-group relations leading to ethno-racial differentiation, discrimination and oppression. Some obvious cases include South Africa, USA, Fiji, Malaysia, Guyana, Mauritius, Trinidad, Canada (indigenous peoples), etc where solidarity communities are categorised and ideologised in part by their culturally constructed racio-phenotypical traits. In this instance, racial categories are not accurately described or scientifically grounded but nevertheless perceived to be true becoming part of a social map that guides daily interaction. Racio-cultural pluralism in these states has bred oppressive regimes marked by racially discriminatory policies and practices that have triggered internal struggles often spilling their borders, destabilising international peace and security, and creating several costly and cruel humanitarian crises. Fiji stands as good examples of this pattern."(pg 3)
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2001-09-03
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With permission of the license/copyright holder