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Conceptualizing Ethnicity: In Search of Cognitive Innovations

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Advances in Sociological Knowledge

Abstract

Throughout the history of sociology, the concern of scholars with ethnicity as an essential aspect of social interaction is found under a variety of research themes, including social stratification, race or ethnic relations, culture, comparative research and, more recently, under the rubric of cultural studies. As television and printed news worldwide corroborate, the violence of ethnic conflict brought ethnic matters to the realm of public discourse over the past two decades. World events have intensified the concern among social scientists given the acute impact of ethnic and religious differentiation upon social relations across the micro-macro spectrum of social relations in most countries. Have the intense research interests and wealth of studies offered significant innovations in our understanding of ethnicity? My tentative answer is „no.“ Despite the enormous body of social science literature on the subject, the scholarly efforts made over the past five decades have not improved upon Max Weber’s fundamental grasp of ethnicity.

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  1. Stella R. Quah
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  1. Free University, Berlin, Germany

    Nikolai Genov (Professor of Sociology) (Professor of Sociology)

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Quah, S.R. (2004). Conceptualizing Ethnicity: In Search of Cognitive Innovations. In: Genov, N. (eds) Advances in Sociological Knowledge. VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-663-09215-5_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-663-09215-5_11

  • Publisher Name: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, Wiesbaden

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