Third World Politics Chen-shen Yen Spring 2010 National Tsing Hua University

Religion, Ethnicity and Identiy Political Challenges Economic Challenges Social Challenges

Religion, Ethnicity and Identity Social Challenges: Cleavages 1. Horizontal cleavages 2. Vertical cleavages 3. Reinforcing cleavages 4. Cross-cutting cleavages

Religion, Ethnicity and Identity Social Cleavages 1. Ethnic cleavages 2. Religious cleavages 3. Regional cleavages 4. Linguistic cleavages

Ethnic Cleavages Rwanda – Hutu and Tutsi Brazil – Creoles, Mestizos, Blacks India – Sikhs Myanmar – Karens, Shans Nigeria – Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba, Ibo

Religious Cleavages Nigeria – Christians vs. Muslims India – Muslims vs. Hindi Thailand – Muslims vs. Buddhists Sri Lanka – Buddhists vs. Hindi Egypt – Secular Muslims vs. Islamic Fundamentalists Cote d’Ivoire – Catholics vs. Muslims

Regional Cleavages South Korea – Cholla vs. Kyungsang Sudan – North vs. South Thailand – Rural vs. Urban

Linguistic Cleavages Taiwan – Hakka, Minnan South Africa – Zulu Kenya

Two Types of Religion 1.Individual Level Models of social and individual behavior that help believers to organize their everyday lives; a. Idea of transcendence, relating to supernatural realities; b.Idea of sacredness, a system of holy language and practices; c.Idea of ultimacy, relating to people’s ultimate existence

Two Types of Religion 2. Religious Establishment a. religious institutions and officials; b. social groups and movements of religious concerns

Definition of Ethnicity Ethnicity concerns the perceived shared characteristics of a racial or cultural group

Identity Issues : 1. Why does such consciousness form in the first place? 2. Why does ethnic consciousness form in the first place? 3. Why do individuals of the same group vary in fervor? 4. Why does it rise and fall over time?

Identity 1.Not predetermined 2.Not inevitable 3.Can be constructed 4.Sometimes can be self-perceived 5.Sometimes need to be concurred by others

Identity 1.Primordialist Approach 2.Instrumentalist Approach 3.Constructivist Approach

Religio-Ethnic Groups Antipathetic to government 1. Culturalist Group 2. Fundamentalist Group Concerned with self-help 3.Community-Oriented Group Defending way of life 4. Sycretist Groups

Religio-Ethnic Groups Two Common Features Message of hope and program of action Oppositional in character

Religio-Ethnic Fragmentation High Ethnic Fragmentation Index Angola, Cameroon, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Zaire (DRC)

Religio-Ethnic Fragmentation High Religious Fragmentation Index Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Nigeria, Tanzania, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda

Religio-Ethnic Fragmentation High Fragmentation Index on Both with Civil War Angola, Chad, Ethiopia, Liberia, Mozambique, Uganda Others with Civil War or Ethnic Conflicts Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi