Chapter 4

This chapter looks at the most politically important categories of identity in the modern world—nation, ethnicity, religion, and race. Since the end of the Cold War there has been a rise in conflictual political behavior based on these different identities. Social scientists have developed several different approaches to understanding how identities are formed and why they become politically salient. Primordialists, who are no longer viewed as credible by political scientists, claim that identity groups are in some sense ‘natural’ or have existed since time immemorial. Pure instrumentalists, on the other hand, argue that identities have little political relevance without the manipulation by self-interested elites. Constructivists theorize that identities are created through a complex process involving a wide array of societal actors.

Comparative politics also asks questions about the origins of these conflicts and what can be done to contain them. Some scholars argue that conflicts arise from relative deprivation, while others focus on contentious politics (interactions between groups with conflicting interests), or security dilemmas that can arise when groups do not trust one another.

The most salient identity groups in modern politics include nation, ethnicity, religion and race. Nationalists seek self-rule in the form of a nation-state, while members of an ethnicity or religion usually seek some level of recognition and autonomy. Ethnic and religious groups are communities that define themselves internally through a sense of common history or religious belief. In contrast to ethnicity or religion, race is mostly tied to physical characteristics that are described by those outside of the supposed racial group. Race is also distinct from ethnicity and religion because of its origins in hierarchies of power.

In order to preserve peace and security, governments have adopted various approaches to contain the threat of politically mobilized ethnic and religious groups. Centripetal approaches resolve conflict by giving political leaders and parties incentives to moderate their demands. In contrast, consociationalism eases ethnic tensions by recognizing the existence of specific groups and granting some share of power in the central government to each.

Learning Objectives

After reading this chapter, you should understand:

• Different approaches comparativists take towards understanding the formation of identity groups.
   
• Different explanations for why conflicts arise amongst identity groups.
   
• Differences between the concepts of nation, ethnicity, and race.
   
• Ways in which governments attempt to overcome conflict between identity groups.