Modelling ethnic and national relations

Abstract

The nature of ethnic and national collectivities is to be explained in the same terms as the explanation of other social collectivities. Individuals will in some circumstances feel bound to align themselves with co‐ethnics, but in other circumstances their alignment will be more influenced by considerations of money or status. Examples are taken from Malaysia and from language choice in Catalonia. It can be difficult empirically to distinguish ethnic from national alignment. Preferences as to ethnic mix may be affected by ‘tipping points’. The nature of the relationships called ethnic and national can be known only through the methods by which they are studied. Since their components are complex, and since the actor's and the observer's conception of what is an ethnic relationship do not necessarily coincide, it is desirable to work towards a situation in which it will be possible to devise formal models of the processes in question.