Modern ethnicity and its modalities: theory and practice

Abstract

The focus of the study is the topic of ethnicity in modern society, its peculiarities, growing fragmentation, variability and the dynamic character of ethnicity in contemporary (postmodern) society. Contrary to essentialist approaches and holistic, determinist and static theories of culture, the author articulates the idea of ‘modalities of ethnicity.’ This denotes the multiple modes of existence of ethnic difference and distinctions in the field of a relatively coherent and stable network of social relations in the ethnic community that differs from others and is recognized as original. On the basis of analysis of works by Russian scholars and data from a sociological project for which the author is a member of the research group, an argument is made for the relevance, analytical strength and explanatory potential of the concept of ‘modalities’ of ethnicity.

Keywords

• essentialism
• ethnicity
• modalities of ethnicity
• modernity
• native language
• post-modernity
• republic of tatarstan
• religiosity
• tatars