Offers an account of ethnicity and calls into question models of community cohesion that present ethnicity as the source of antagonisms and differences that must be overcome. This book examines innovative articulations of ethnicity and challenge the contention that ethnicity is static or that it represents traditional values and cultures.
Recent debates about national identity, belonging and community cohesion can appear to suggest that ethnicity is a static entity and that ethnic difference is a source of conflict in itself - Ethnicities and Values in a Changing World presents an alternative account of ethnicity. This volume brings together an international team of leading scholars in the field of ethnic studies in order to examine innovative articulations of ethnicity and challenge the contention that ethnicity is static or that it necessarily represents traditional values and cultures. It will appeal not only to sociologists, but to anyone working in the fields of cultural studies, race and ethnicity, globalization, migration and anthropology.
'It is the merit of the editor (and of the publisher, of course) giving space to significant critical voices, which address the empowering dimension of ethnicity and the transmittance of religious or cultural beliefs into agency...very timely...' Journal of Intercultural Studies '... excellent, not only does it bring to the fore a neglected area of research, it enables the reader to question the status of Travellers as 'white others' in a world in which their experiences of racism are rarely discussed... The strength of the book lies in examining concepts of 'other' and 'outsider' by focusing on a number of communities who remain marginalized... for those interested in exploring issues of contemporary racism and notions of 'otherness', then this book has succeeded and would be suitable for students and academics alike.' Ethnic and Racial Studies '... the volume is significant in its mooring of ethnicity in the performance of ethical subjectivities and values. .. particularly insightful discussion of the ways in which a narrative of morality codes the negotiations of power between the state and its impossible ethnic subjects urges a rethinking of identity formation as a process of value-making rather than assertions of belonging. ... Collectively, the essays in "Ethnicities and Values in a Changing World" provide a nuanced exploration of varied sites in Europe and Central America where ethnicity is challenged locally and contested as an ethical and political practice.' Anthropos
