Page 164 - DSOC202_SOCIAL_STRATIFICATION_ENGLISH

Unit 8: Race and Ethnicity

Ethnic Consciousness and Conflict Notes
Another issue is related to ethnic consciousness and conflict. Sri Lanka is an appropriate example
of ethnic conflict between Tamils led by the Liberation Tigers for Tamil Ealam (LTTE) and the
government led by the dominant Sinhalese community. The ethnic strife has continued for nearly
three decades. Behind the ethnic conflict are economic, political and cultural issues. The Tamils
are discriminated against the Sinhalese as alleged by the LTTE. The questions are: Are ethnic
groups classes ? Is the ethnic stratification the same as the class stratification ? Can a given ethnic
group be seen as a dominant or ruling class and the other as a subservient class ? Recently, in May
2009, during a prolonged battle with the government forces and the LTTE, Prabhakaran, the
strongman of the LTTE was killed. The LTTE has virtually acceded the defeat, and demand for a
separate Tamil nation has died down, at least at present.
Answers to these questions are: Today, human society is polyethnic and multiethnic. Interethnic
cleavages, competition and conflict have become a common tendency. Ethnic demands are made
in the name of interests of a religious, linguistic and regional community. Ethnic community is
projected as a nation. We may ask, for example, are Dalits an ethnic category ? Are tribes ethnic
entities ?
With regard to the Jharkhand movement in Bihar it was observed that the tribes were moving
from ethnicity to regionalism by way of a demand for the state of Jharkhand. Now, the question
is: Have tribes merged into a single entity, which may be called Jharkhandi ? Are they no more
concerned about themselves as Mundas, Oraons, Hos, Santhals, etc. ? It seems that with the
realization of the goal of the formation of the Jharkhand state, the tribals are today more of socio-
cultural entities rather than political fora as they were mobilized to be so before the formation of
the state of Jharkhand.
Ethnicity and Class

Elements of ethnicity can be perceived in class differentiation and vice versa. There is class
differentiation within and between ethnic groups. Interplay between ethnicity and class is found
in all polyethnic societies. Ethnic groups have formed associations for protection and promotion
of their interests and welfare. The people of Kerala have their voluntary associations in Chennai.
In Delhi, innumerable ethnic associations can be found from various provinces of India. Sikh
ethnicity is well known within and outside Punjab as well. In Assam, one can see Assamese and
Bengali ethnic identities as competitive cultural and political forces. Movements like SNDP, Yadava,
Akali, Jharkhand, Gorkhaland, Bodoland, Assam, Telangana, Uttaranchal, Lingayat, Sri Vaishanava,
Bhagat and Dalit movements are rooted into ethnic game in one way or other. It is not a question
of the apparent or real goals of these movements. What we see is that in all these movements
“community” or “ethnicity” was considered appropriate for mobilizing the people to support and
strengthen the declared cause and concern by the leadership.
From the above examples, we may ask: Can ethnicity be treated as a significant dimension of
social stratification just like caste, class and power ? In our view, an ethnic group is a stratum
along with class and power, hence, it has a structural basis, being a group of people in a given
society. Besides this, ethnicity is also a cultural phenomenon as it is rooted into sentiments, which
people share being a stock of people having certain common traits.
Difference between caste and ethnicity lies in the fact that caste is ascribed by birth hence, it
remains immutable or natural. Ethnicity can also be ascribed, determined by birth in a given
ethnic community, and its characteristics, including language, religion, styles of life, etc. But it is
also mutable by a way of change in language, religion, etc. People move away to far off places,
and learn and adopt a new language and culture, and as such their ethnicity too is also transformed.
The best example is the USA, where people from different parts of the world live and share
language and culture. Thus, situational factors may change ethnic status and power.

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