{{Short description|Large group of related ethnic groups who identify with each other}} '''Meta-ethnicity''' is a level of commonality that is wider ("meta-") and more general (i.e., might differ on specifics) than ethnicity, but does not necessarily correspond to (and may actually transcend) nation or nationality. It is a relatively recent term (or neologism) occasionally used in academic literature or public discourse on ethnic studies. In colloquial discourse, it usually signifies a larger in-group of distinct ethnic groups who identify more closely with each other than they would with out-group ethnic groups. The groups within the in-group may be genetically and culturally related which reinforces the grouping.
An early use—possibly the first published in English—was an article in a 1984 USSR Academy of Sciences publication discussing identity in Asia and Africa.<ref>Brook, Solomon, and Nikolai Cheboksarov. 1984. "Metaethnic Identities in Asia and Africa." In ''Ethnocultural Development of African Countries''. Moscow: USSR Academy of Sciences. Pp. 49-73.</ref>
==Examples of use== Some other examples:
* Gurharpal Singh, ''Ethnic Conflict in India: A Case-Study of Punjab'' (New York: Palgrave, 2000). * Gurharpal Singh, "Against this dominant view of the nature of the Indian state, Singh argues that India should be seen as an 'ethnic democracy' in which Hinduism works as a meta-ethnicity and in which hegemonic control is exercised over ethnic minorities, particularly those living in the peripheral regions" in Christopher Shackle, Gurharpal Singh and Arvind-Pal Mandair eds., ''Sikh Religion, Culture and Ethnicity'' (Curson: 2001), p.155. * "L. Byzov, however, believes that 'there has taken place within the Russian national consciousness one of the most radical changes ever: from a meta-ethnic sense of identity to a strictly ethnic identity' (Byzov 1996, 45)."<ref>[http://www.molokane.org/molokan/Religion/Agadjanian_paper.htm Agadjanian, Alexander. 2001. "Religious pluralism and national identity in Russia." ''MOST Journal on Multicultural Societies'', Vol. 2, No. 2 (note 19)]</ref> * "Geoffrey Fox, on the other hand, argues that 'Hispanic', with its emphasis on Spanish-language heritage as the foundation of meta-ethnicity, has no implied racial or class agendas and is simply preferred by most immigrants from Latin America." ... "Furthermore, these split-level processes of identity formation—the forging of ethnicity and meta-ethnicity—take place in regional contexts of unequal ethnic control over media and symbol systems."<ref>[http://newleftreview.org/?view=1983 Davis, Mike. 1999. "Magical Urbanism: Latinos Reinvent the US Big City." ''New Left Review'' I/234, March-April 1999]</ref> * Peter Turchin introduces the concept "metaethnic frontier theory" in his 2003 book, ''Historical Dynamics: Why States Rise and Fall''<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mUoCrTUo-eEC|title=Historical Dynamics: Why States Rise and Fall|last=Turchin|first=Peter|date=2003|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=9780691116693|language=en}}</ref> * According to Hussain, Imtiaz, "At the beginning of the new century, Chinese people are living the construction of a metaethnicity of multiple identities."<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X5iyRiC91nYC&q=Muslims+meta-ethnicity&pg=PA88|title=Tyranny of Soft Touches: Interculturalism, Multiculturalism, and 21st Century International Relations|last=Hussain|first=Imtiaz|date=2004|publisher=Universidad Iberoamericana|isbn=9789688595381|language=en}}</ref>
==See also== *Multiethnic society *Panethnicity
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.h-net.org/logsearch/index.cgi?type=keyword&order=relevance&list=All+lists&hitlimit=25&smonth=00&syear=1989&emonth=11&eyear=2004&phrase=meta-ethnicity Discussion of "Meta-ethnicity" on ''H-Africa'']
{{Ethnicity}}
Category:Ethnicity Category:Ethnicity in politics Category:1980s neologisms