Ethnic Groups

An ethnic group is a group of people who identify with each other on the basis of perceived shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes could include a people of a common language, culture, ancestry, traditions, society, religion, history, or social treatment.

By way of assimilation, acculturation, amalgamation, language shift, intermarriage, adoption, and religious conversion, individuals or groups may over time shift from one ethnic group to another. Ethnic groups may be divided into subgroups or tribes, which over time may become separate ethnic groups themselves due to endogamy or physical isolation from the parent group. Conversely, formerly separate ethnic groups can merge to form a panethnicity.

In short, ethnic groups are fluid social constructs that can be based on a variety of attributes, and are often influenced by political forces. Depending on which source of group identity is being emphasized to define membership, the following (often overlapping) groups can be identified:

• Ethno-linguistic: Emphasizes a shared language, dialect, and possibly script.
• Ethno-national: Emphasizes a shared polity or sense of national identity.
• Ethno-racial: Emphasizes a shared physical appearance based on phenotype.
• Ethno-regional: Emphasizes a distinct local sense of belonging stemming from relative geographic isolation.
• Ethno-religious: Emphasizes a shared affiliation with a particular religion, denomination or sect.
• Ethno-cultural: Emphasizes a shared culture or tradition, often overlapping with other forms of ethnicity.

In many cases, more than one aspect determines membership.