Ethnicity and Nationalism, 3rd edition

Anthropological Perspectives

Thomas Hylland Eriksen

Ethnicity and nationalism are pervasive features of the contemporary world, but how far is ethnicity a result of cultural differences, and how much is it in fact dependent on the practical use of, and belief in, such differences? In this book, Thomas Hylland Eriksen demonstrates that far from being an immutable property of groups, ethnicity is a dynamic and shifting aspect of social relationships. Drawing on a wide range of classic and recent studies in anthropology and sociology, Eriksen examines the relationship between ethnicity, class, gender and nationhood and more in a lucid and comprehensive manner.

A core text for all students of social anthropology and related subjects, Ethnicity and Nationalism has been a leading introduction to the field since its original publication in 1993. This new edition–expanded and thoroughly revised–is indispensable to anyone seriously interested in understanding ethnic phenomena. New topics covered include cultural property rights, the role of genetics in the public understanding of identification, commercialization of identity, and the significance of the internet.

Contents

Series preface
Preface to the third edition
Preface to the second edition
Preface to the first edition
1. What is ethnicity?
2. Ethnic classification: Us and Them
3. The social organization of cultural distinctiveness
4. Ethnic identification and ideology
5. Ethnicity in history
6. Nationalism
7. Minorities and the state
8. Identity politics, culture and rights
9. The non-ethnic
Bibliography
Index
 

About the Author

Thomas Hylland Eriksen is Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Oslo. He is the author of numerous books, including Ethnicity and Nationalism, A History of Anthropology, Small Places, Large Issues, Tyranny of the Moment and Globalisation, all available from Pluto Press.