The identities of the Ethiopian community in Israel

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-50
Author(s):  
Lea Baratz ◽  
Esther Kalnisky

Purpose This study aims to investigate the linkage of identity of new and veteran immigrant students of the Ethiopian community in Israel, by examining their attitudes to children’s literature books written simultaneously in Hebrew and Amharic. The data were collected using focus groups of Ethiopian students attending a teacher training college. The main findings revealed that they referred to two major types of identity: one type is an unreconciled identity, characterized by defiance, which seeks to minimize the visibility of one’s ethnic group within the main culture and tries to adopt the hegemonic identity, whereas the other type of identity contains the original ethnic identity and – in contrast to the first type – tries to reconcile it with the hegemonic culture. Design/methodology/approach This is a qualitative study, which emphasis was on participants’ attitudes, beliefs and perceptions (Kalka, 2003). The goals of the research were to examine identity perceptions of students of the Beta Israel community, as they are exposed to bilingual literary works in Hebrew and Amharic. Findings The main findings revealed that they referred to two major types of identity: one type is an unreconciled identity, characterized by defiance, which seeks to minimize the visibility of one’s ethnic group within the main culture and tries to adopt the hegemonic identity, whereas the other type of identity contains the original ethnic identity and – in contrast to the first type – tries to reconcile it with the hegemonic culture. Research limitations/implications This paper has shed light on an important subject and it would be worthwhile to continue the study using other methodologies. Practical implications This paper contributes to the structuring of a cultural code that serves to organize social meaning and establish individuals’ identity. Social implications This awareness enriches the basis of their own values and allows them to enrich their attitude to their future pupils, for example, to recognize the value of local culture versus that of the immigrants’ place of origin, and to develop an understanding and acceptance of the diversity in the classroom. As they take part in building a multicultural Israeli education framework, dealing with identity patterns is also the key to their own integration in society. Originality/value The originality of the study lies in the usage of two new concepts – unreconciled and reconciled – as referring to the immigrants’ identities.

2009 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 11.1-11.22
Author(s):  
Su-Hie Ting ◽  
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This preliminary study examines the languages used by parents with their children in Malay, Chinese Foochow and Indian Tamil families to find out how the similarity or dissimilarity in parents’ ethnic language influenced the choice of language transmitted to children and how far standard languages have permeated the family domain in Kuching City in the Malaysian state of Sarawak. Standard languages refer to the three main written languages taught in the school system, namely, English, Bahasa Malaysia (Malay language) and Chinese Mandarin. Interviews were conducted with 17 families (6 Malay, 6 Chinese Foochow, 5 Indian Tamil). The results showed that the ethnic language is mostly still retained in the Malay and Indian Tamil families but has been pushed out by English and Mandarin Chinese in Chinese Foochow families. English has emerged in parental communication with children to different extents across ethnic group. Bahasa Malaysia, on the other hand, is spoken in Malay families with parents from West Malaysia. Factors found to be influencing the parental decision on language to use with their children include similarity/dissimilarity of the couple’s ethnic languages, their educational background, family and social linguistic environment, instrumental value of languages and ethnic identity.


2019 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-237
Author(s):  
Kamei Samson

Ethnicity and ancestry are gaining significance with groups looking for exclusive features to define linguistic-based identities. Social identity or self-concept through identification with a group also leads to division of a larger ethnic group on account of continued identification with distinct linguistic groups. Individual’s self-identification with a group is influenced by an existing group’s conception about an individual’s membership in a group. The Zeliangrong groups, in their continued process of identification with their respective linguistic groups, differentiate one’s group from the other groups leading to linguistic identities against their earlier collective ethnic identity. The article examines and expands the theory of social identity in the context of the dynamic identity discourse on Zeliangrong and its constituent groups.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 144-163
Author(s):  
Noémi Tudor

AbstractIn this paper, I put forward a comparative/contrastive analysis of ethnic identity on the basis of humorous texts about Romanians and Hungarians living in Romania within the framework of the Script-Based Semantic Theory of Humour (SSTH). The corpus contains fifty jokes taken from websites and social media, books and recordings in which the Romanians are at the centre and the Hungarians are the butt and vice versa. The overall purpose of the study is to illustrate the main topics and stereotypes used in ethnic jokes. In this research, I will show that Romanians and Hungarians joke about similar topics, the most common ones being the “ownership” of Transylvania, rejection of the other, and language distortion but also friendship among Hungarians and Romanians. I also conclude that stereotypes can be attributed to one ethnic group, but there are also shared stereotypes, and some of them can switch from one group to the other depending on the perspective.


1992 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 316-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Oakland Rodman

Examining textiles and other usually perishable artifacts, this paper focuses on textile style as an indicator of ethnicity in archaeological textiles excavated in the cemetery of Coyo Oriental, San Pedro de Atacama, Chile. The Coyo Oriental cemetery was occupied during a period of strong Tiwanaku influence in San Pedro de Atacama (A. D. 500-1000) recognized in artifacts decorated with Tiwanaku images. The analysis presented here identifies at least two distinct textile styles recognized in tunic striping, embroidered selvage treatments, and headgear, a fact that possibly indicates a multiethnic use of the cemetery and oasis of Coyo Oriental. Associated textiles and artifacts suggest that one group represents a local style and ethnic group and the other is a different ethnic group closely related to Tiwanaku. Instead of only minor Tiwanaku influence, I suggest that the oasis was home to a foreign altiplano population who maintained for centuries an ethnic identity visible in a distinct textile style.


2009 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 11.1-11.22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Su-Hie Ting ◽  
Mahanita Mahadhir

This preliminary study examines the languages used by parents with their children in Malay, Chinese Foochow and Indian Tamil families to find out how the similarity or dissimilarity in parents’ ethnic language influenced the choice of language transmitted to children and how far standard languages have permeated the family domain in Kuching City in the Malaysian state of Sarawak. Standard languages refer to the three main written languages taught in the school system, namely, English, Bahasa Malaysia (Malay language) and Chinese Mandarin. Interviews were conducted with 17 families (6 Malay, 6 Chinese Foochow, 5 Indian Tamil). The results showed that the ethnic language is mostly still retained in the Malay and Indian Tamil families but has been pushed out by English and Mandarin Chinese in Chinese Foochow families. English has emerged in parental communication with children to different extents across ethnic group. Bahasa Malaysia, on the other hand, is spoken in Malay families with parents from West Malaysia. Factors found to be influencing the parental decision on language to use with their children include similarity/dissimilarity of the couple’s ethnic languages, their educational background, family and social linguistic environment, instrumental value of languages and ethnic identity.


2000 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 769-796 ◽  
Author(s):  
DAVID MARR

‘Individual’ (cá nhân) came to the Vietnamese language in the first decades of the twentieth century, along with a host of other evocative neologisms, such as ‘society’ (xã hôi), ‘ethnic group/nation’ (dân tôc), ‘ideology’ (chu' nghĩa), ‘democracy’ (dân chu' chu' nghĩa), ‘science’ (khoa hoc), and ‘progress’ (tiêń hóa). Initially, ‘individual’ was very much the poor relation among these new concepts—merely an irreducible human unit belonging to something else more significant. Thus, each individual was urged to be a loyal citizen of the nation, an eager participant in some new political organization, or a responsible member of society. Individuals were often compared with cells in the body, each one having a legitimate role in sustaining and enhancing the vitality of the organism, but meaningless and incapable of surviving on their own. On the other hand, the danger also existed of individuals acting in a selfish, short-sighted manner, which could jeopardize the larger order of things. Such persons were said to be witting or unwitting perpetrators of ‘individualism’ (cá nhân chu' nghĩa).


2010 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niels van Willigen

AbstractThis article analyzes the value and impact of the nation building policy of the international community in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosnia). The analysis shows that the nation building effort has failed in the sense that the ethnic nationalist political culture persisted and that a collective Bosnian identity is absent. Bosnian politics continued to be dominated by ethnic nationalist political parties and ethnic group interests. The author argues that this can be explained by the continued securitization of ethnic identity. In other words, each ethnic group regards its vital interests to be existentially threatened by the other ethnic group(s). Therefore, the author concludes that when it comes to inter-ethnic cooperation, achieving good and effective government in Bosnia is not so much about nationbuilding, but about de-securitizing ethnic relations.


Subject Ankara’s policy towards Iraqi and Syrian Turkmen. Significance Turkish-speaking Turkmen are Iraq's third-largest ethnic group, behind Arabs and Kurds, and accounted for an estimated one-tenth of Syria’s pre-civil war population. Turkish policy has deepened sectarian divisions among Iraqi Turkmen. In Syria, they have become identified with Ankara’s expansionist ambitions. Impacts Failure to confront IS at al-Bab has ended any lingering hope of turning Turkmen militias into an effective fighting force. The long-term security and prosperity of the Turkmen may depend on subordinating ethnic identity to one of sectarianism or place. Most Syrian Turkmen who have fled to Turkey will probably remain once the Syrian civil war is resolved, fearing hostility on their return.


2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy Soto ◽  
Dawn Fassih ◽  
Debby Martin ◽  
James Hsiao ◽  
Michele Wittig

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