- Learning objectives (bullet-point list of brief items)



Identity Structure

I. Learning Objectives

The three overarching goals of this chapter are for students to:

• understand key concepts related to the broad concepts of identity and government responses to identity diversity

• apply these concepts to the TIC cases to appreciate the meaning and significance of each concept, as well as to understand similarities and differences among these countries

• employ these concepts and examples from the TIC cases in (in-class) critical thinking exercises related to the issues at hand

Related to the three goals above are several more specific objectives, which are grouped below according to their place in the chapter.

Regarding the objectives in each group, students should be able to apply the concepts at hand to the TIC cases, as well as complete critical thinking exercises that require mastery of these concepts and illustrations from the TIC cases.

Identity

• understand the concept of ‘identity’ in Comparative Politics, as well as a variety of issues and terms related to this, including in-groups, out-groups, and perceptions of threat, collective identity, national identity, race, ethnicity, tribe, clan, religion, gender, class, intrastate regional identity, and transnational regional identity

Cross-cutting and Complementary Identity Divisions

• understand the distinction between cross-cutting and complementary identity divisions

Government Responses to Identity Diversity

• understand the nature and impact of various kinds of governmental policies adopted in response to identity diversity, including genocide, ethnic cleansing, assimilation, integration, accommodation, and ethno-federalism

Comparative Exercise

• use properly the key terms introduced in this chapter

• understand the methodological concepts involved in examining the possible causes of the Nigerian civil war, including its identity divisions and its government’s responses to these

Critical Thinking

• understand how and why certain identity divisions can affect some countries more than others

• understand and critique various theoretical models related to identity

• understand the advantages and disadvantages of various government responses to identity diversity

• appreciate the impact of identity diversity in the United States in comparison to other countries, as well as understand government responses to identity diversity in the US in comparative context

• participate effectively in the class discussion/team projects specified below

II. Chapter Outline

1. Introduction

• Chapter objectives

• The chapter opens with the story of an American professor in Estonia who experiences an incident with Russians that reveals the significance identity in the former Soviet Republic.

2. Identity

-This term is defined as the set of characteristics by which individuals or collectives understand themselves and are known to others. The various sources of identity are introduced here, but will be discussed separately later in this section of the chapter.

• In-Groups, Out-Groups, and Perceptions of Threat

-This section introduces the concept of ‘membership boundaries’ and the in- and out-groups defined by these. Group leaders often emphasize a threat from an out-group to mobilize the members of their own in-group.

• Forms of Collective Identity

-The term ‘social cleavages’ is introduced. This refers to the categories of identity that create divisions in a particular society between ‘us’ and ‘them.’ These social cleavages are discussed under separate sub-headings in the remainder of this section of the chapter.

• National Identity

-This is very brief section, as this concept was discussed in detail in chapter 2.

• Extensions of Kinship Bonds: Race, Ethnicity, Tribe, and Clan

-This section introduces three main types of shared ‘blood’ ties that serve as sources of identity. These are:

o Race

-This is defined as ‘a large human population considered distinct from other such groups on the basis of genetically-transmitted physical differences. Race forms the bases of identity both through the physical differences that people associate with race and myths associated with these differences.

o Ethnicity

-Ethnic groups are defined as large collectives “sharing a common history and culture and believed to be connected together through common descent.”

–At the end of this section, a Deepening Your Understanding feature found on the companion website clarifies the difference between ethnic groups and nations. Members of an ethnic group may not be ‘self-aware’ of a common identity, while members of a nation are self-aware. Futhermore, not all nations are based on ethnicity.

o Tribal and Clan Identity

-A clan is kinship group made up of several families. Tribes are larger than clans, but their members similarly believe that they can trace their heritage to a single ancestor.

• Religion

-Religion is an “organized system of beliefs and devotion regarding a supernatural force.” This section reviews the world’s largest religious groups in separate sections (noted below). Confucianism is not treated as a religion in this chapter due to its lack of formal structure and organized worship.

o Christianity

o Islam

o Judaism

o Hinduism

o Buddhism

• Sex/Gender

-This section reviews the ways gender can matter for identity, as well as how the significance of this has changed over the years.

• Class

-This section is brief, as this topic was covered in chapter 3.

• Intrastate Regional Identity

-This section introduced the region as source or identity. A subsequent section in the chapter discusses the complementary identity divisions created when region combines with other sources of identity.

• Transnational Regional Identity

-This section discussed the possibility of common identities developing among people living in different states. The EU is used as an illustration.

• TIC Sections

o Identity Divisions in the UK, Germany, and France

o Identity Divisions Mexico and Brazil

▪ A Deepening Your Understanding feature noted here and found on the companion website discusses the development of ‘liberation theology’ in Latin America.

o Russian Federation, China, and India

▪ A box in this section applies the contrasting theoretical models of ‘primordialism’ and ‘constructivism’ to the case of identity in China.

o Identity Divisions Nigeria and Iran

▪ A box in this section introduces the perspective of ‘feminist theory’ on identity and applies this model to Iran.

3. Cross-Cutting and Complementary Identity Divisions

-‘Cross-cutting identity divisions’ (also known as ‘cross-cutting social cleavages’) are created when different forms of identity compete with people for their loyalty. These divisions actually weaken societal conflict in a country by insuring that its various people share at least some sources of identity with others. In contrast, ‘complementary identity divisions’ are identity boundaries that coincide and reinforce each other. Consequently, societal groups along different sides of these same divisions have less in common with each other. This can result in societal conflict among these groups.

• TIC Sections

o Complementary Group Identities in the UK, Germany, and France

o Complementary Group Identities in Mexico and Brazil, and Nigeria

o Complementary Group Identities in the Russian Federation, China, and India

▪ A box in this section applies cleavage structure theory to Russia

o Complementary Group Identities in Nigeria and Iran

-A Deepening Your Understanding feature found on the companion website and noted at the end of this section examines cross-cutting and complementary identity divisions in the United States

4. Government Responses to Identity Diversity

-This section describes a variety of increasingly range of governmental options for dealing with identity diversity. Listed in order of increasing accommodation of identity diversity, these are ‘genocide, ’ethnic cleansing,’ ‘assimilation,’ ‘integration,’ accommodation,’ and ‘ethno-federalism.’

• TIC Sections

o Approaches to Ethnic and Religious Diversity in the UK, Germany, and France

o Approaches to Ethnic and Religious Diversity in Mexico and Brazil

o Approaches to Ethnic and Religious Diversity in the Russian Federation, China, and India

o Approaches to Ethnic and Religious Diversity in Nigeria and Iran

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