Define what an ethnic group is. Ethnicity and religion

Not only in specialized humanities and teachings we come across such a concept as ethnos. It can be found in colloquial speech, in everyday life, at work, etc. But how can we understand exactly what an ethnic group is, what exactly is meant by this term and what are its characteristics? Let's figure it out.

First, let's figure out what Wikipedia tells us in this case. As you know, this is a very popular resource that gives the most accurate definition of any term and allows you to thoroughly understand its meaning.

So, an ethnos is a collection of people that was formed under the influence of a historical factor.

These people are united by common subjective or objective factors, such as origin, language, economy, culture, identity, territory of residence, mentality, appearance, etc.

It can also be noted that in Russian history and ethnography (ethnology), a synonym for the concept in question is the term nationality. In other languages and cultures, this word – Nationality (English) has a slightly different meaning.

The word "ethnos" has Greek roots. From the ancient version of this language the term is translated as “people”, which, in fact, is not surprising. Despite its long history, the word appeared in scientific use relatively recently - in 1923, after it was introduced into use by the scientist S.M. Shirokogorov.

As Wikipedia told us, ethnicity is a set of factors that unite a certain group of people into a society that lives and functions as a single organism.

But now let's move away from dry treatises and consider this issue from a more “human” point of view.

For every person living on our planet, it is extremely important to belong to one or another society.

This factor plays a decisive role in the formation of his consciousness and self-identification in the world. It is also important to know that not only for individuals, but also for each state, the ethnic process is the most important thing.

It is extremely important that ethnic relations (as we know, it is difficult to imagine at least one modern country where people of one single nationality live) remain normal. If misunderstandings arise between people within the same power, this can lead to the outbreak of war against the backdrop of ethnic conflicts.

For a modern ethnologist, it is not enough just to know the essence of this concept. It is extremely important to understand the psychology of each individual people, the characteristics of their behavior, reactions to certain events, impressions and a host of other factors.

After all, it is believed that in the near future the only ideology by which the entire world community will live will be ethnic self-awareness.

Features of the formation of ethnic groups

Having given a precise definition of what an ethnic group is, it is worth learning about the nature of its formation.

This process cannot be compared with the creation of a living cell or organism, which grows (that is, forms) over a short period of time, and then remains in an unchanged state for a long period.

Ethnicity is constantly being formed, and this process never ends.

Yes, of course, there are already specific racial-territorial (or national) units on the planet, which we call states, and they are a reflection of one or another ethnic group.

They were formed a long time ago, but if you compare representatives of a certain nationality from the past with their contemporaries, the difference will be stunning.

What factors influence the formation and further development of peoples that unite into states?

Common homeland. We can say that people who were born on the same earth will definitely interact in this world together.
Natural conditions. Whatever one may say, it is the weather and climate in which a people live that shapes their self-awareness. People either get used to hiding from the cold in warm houses, or fleeing the heat, or resisting the winds.
Racial intimacy. Once upon a time, people did not have the opportunity to travel as much as they do now. Each racial family resided where it originated in complete accordance with its subsidiary nature of habitation.
Ethnic relationships are also shaped by similar religious and social views.

Interesting to know! Ethnicity and ethnic relationships are a dynamic structure that is constantly subject to transformation and change, but at the same time it manages to maintain its originality and stability.

What does ethnicity consist of?

Above, we have already briefly touched upon those factors that unite a certain group of people and make it unified.

Well, now let’s take a broader look at what ethnicity can include as a dynamic concept, but at the same time a reference one.

Unity of the race. This factor has more to do with primitive ethnic groups, which were actually formed from one race of people living in a specific area of the world. Nowadays, the formation of a nation occurs through assimilation, so now it is difficult to find purebred representatives of a particular nationality. In general, the concept of nationality is an association of people who live in the same country, speak the same language and adhere to the same religious views.
Language is an extremely important component. As a rule, a language includes many dialects that can characterize representatives of the same people living in different regions of the same country.
Religion is one of the most powerful factors that unites people and forms ethnic relations between them.
An ethnonym is the name of a people, which was invented by them themselves and recognized by all other communities. It happens that the self-name and the name of an ethnic group in the rest of the world do not coincide.
Self-awareness. This is perhaps a definition that does not require further explanation. People recognize themselves as part of the ethnic group in which they were born and live and self-identify in which many other nationalities exist alongside them.
History is the foundation. All ethnic groups exist precisely due to their history, during which their formation, development and evolution took place.

Our Russian people know for sure that a state simply cannot exist without history, and this proverb or folk truth is equated to a scientific definition.

Types of ethnicity

Now, looking in retrospect, let's figure out what an ethnicity or nationality and its types can be.
Genus. A type of ethnic community that consists of a group of exclusively blood relatives who share a common mother or father. They always have common interests and needs, and they also have a common family name.
Tribe. This type of ethnic group is characteristic of the primitive system. A tribe consists of two or more clans that live in close proximity and have similar interests and needs. Assimilation of clans often occurs in tribes. A nationality is formed from geographical, national, social and historical factors.
Nation. This type of ethnic community is considered the highest. It is characterized not only by a common language and interests, but also by self-awareness, territorial boundaries, symbols and other attributes, which are a global indicator.

Surely you are wondering what ethnic groups exist today and how they need to be correctly identified. The main determining factor for this term is the population size within a particular state where a particular people lives.

Let's look at examples of nations that are now the largest on the planet:

Chinese – 1 billion people.
Hindustani – 200 million people.
Americans (US territory) – 180 million people.
Bengalis - 180 million people.
Russians – 170 million people.
Brazilians – 130 million people.
Japanese – 125 million people.

An interesting detail: before America was discovered, ethnic groups such as Brazilians and Americans did not exist.

They were formed after the settlement of the new land by Europeans, and now the Americans (like the Brazilians) are a race of mestizo, in whose roots flows both Indian and European blood.

Let us give examples of nationalities that are very small compared to the previous list. Their population is limited to several hundred people:

Yukagira are an ethnic group living in Yakutia.
Izhorians are Finns who live in the Leningrad region.

Interethnic relations

This definition applies to psychology, both individual and social.

Interethnic relations are subjective experiences between representatives of different nationalities.

They manifest themselves both in everyday life and at the international level. An example of such international relationships on a small scale can be a family whose parents are representatives of different ethnic groups.

The nature of interethnic relations can be positive, neutral or conflict. Everything depends on the psychology of each nationality, on its history and relationships that have developed over many years with one or another ethnic group.

Interesting to know! It is the population size that is the main factor that reveals the history, characteristics and current position of an ethnic group on the world stage. This means that the formation of a large and a small ethnic group will be completely different.

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Let's sum it up

Ethnicity is an unstable and dynamic concept, but at the same time it is something permanent, having its own clear history and roots. The ethnic groups that we know today were formed from previously existing tribes that are no longer with us.

The national map of our planet was constantly changing, but people, being in an eternal search for their “I,” will always return to their roots and look for their ancestors.

historically established in def. territory is a stable community of people who have relatively stable common features and characteristics of culture and language, and are also aware of their internal. unity and difference from other communities, which is recorded in the self-name (ethnonym). The ancient Greeks used the word “E.” to designate other peoples who were not Greeks. In Russian, the analogue of the term E. was the concept of “people”. In scientific The concept of E. was introduced by the Russian scientist S. M. Shirokogorov in 1923. Currently, the concept of E. denotes a stable large group of people, represented by a tribe, nationality, or nation. Ethnic groups experience ethnotransformational, ethnoevolutionary and ethnosocial processes. Basic the conditions of ethnogenesis are a common identity (awareness of one’s unity and difference from other similar associations), territory, language and culture. A. Nalchadzhyan believes that to characterize each phase of ethnogenesis, the following must be indicated: 1) the characteristic perception of leading individuals and social groups of the ethnic group and their ideology; 2) basic or leading motives of behavior; 3) basic adaptive mechanisms and their complexes in problem situations; 4) basic adaptive strategies; 5) basic criteria of valor and heroism and other values of E.; 6) predominant types of family and family relationships; 7) the most typical forms of relations towards foreign ethnic groups, their religion, ideology and culture in general; 8) interethnic level. and intra-ethnic. aggressiveness and typical forms of aggressive actions; 9) ethnic state. self-awareness, ethnonym, etc. Subethnic groups can exist within one ethnicity. Subethnos - ethnic. education, which exists within E. and, realizing its unity with it, has a different specificity. features of traditional everyday culture, dialect and less pronounced ethnicity. properties. Representatives of the subethnic group have a dual identity, since they consider themselves at the same time. and representatives of the subethnic group and E. In some cases, a superethnos is formed on the basis of Ethnicity. He is ethnic. system, which consists of several. E., which are mainly are formed in one region and are interconnected politically, economically. and ideological factors. E. as part of a superethnos are formally equal and not subordinate subjects. One E. can be included in several. superethnoses, which can have a wide variety of levels and manifestations of consolidation. Examples of superethnic groups can be: the Arab world (Arabs), the Slavic world (Slavs), the Indo-European language family, etc. There are types of ethnicities. communities: clan (clan), tribe, people. A clan or clan consists of primitive communal groups of people, the members of which considered themselves blood relatives, and were also united by def. economic and societies. connections. A tribe is a community of people that unites several people. clans and is distinguished by unique dialectal and ritual properties, and also has a common formal political administrative institution (leader, council of elders, etc.). In social psychology, Ethnicity is considered as a historically established stable large group of people, the main property of which is the awareness of themselves as its members on the basis of certain ethno-differentiating characteristics. Lit.: Bromley Yu. V. Essays on the theory of ethnos. M., 1983; Gumilyov L.N. Ethnogenesis and biosphere of the Earth. M., 2007; Nalchadzhyan A. Ethnogenesis and assimilation (psychological aspects). M., 2004. T. I. Pashukova

ETHNOS (ETHNIC COMMUNITY)

from Greek ethnos - tribe, group, people) - a historically established stable collection of people in a certain territory, possessing a single language, common relatively stable features of culture and psyche, as well as a common self-awareness (awareness of its unity and difference from all other similar entities), recorded in the self-name . The indispensable conditions for the emergence of E. are a common territory, language, and unity of mental makeup, and its characteristic features are considered to be: 1) self-name (ethnonym), in certain cases associated with the name of the territory of residence (toponym); 2) territorial integrity as a condition for the formation and existence of E.; 3) the presence of anthropological (racial) characteristics; 4) manifestation of the characteristics of culture (material culture - tools, housing, clothing, etc.; spiritual culture - education system, science, literature, art, etc.). The formation of economic life usually occurs on the basis of the unity of territory and economic life. However, as a result of migrations caused by various historical reasons, the territory of modern settlement of Egypt is not always compact, and many peoples can be settled within several states. Therefore, in domestic science, a distinction is made between the concepts of E. in the narrow sense of the word (called ethnikos) and the ethnosocial organism. All groups of a given Ethnic group belong to a single ethnic group, no matter where they live. An ethnosocial organism is necessarily associated with the state. Features that express the systemic properties of an existing ethnicity and separate it from another ethnic group include language, folk art, traditions, customs, and norms of behavior. The most important distinguishing feature of an ethnos is the presence of self-awareness, i.e. E. is only that cultural community that recognizes itself as such, distinguishing itself from other communities. In Russian science, it is customary to divide E. into three stage types. The earliest type includes tribes characteristic of the primitive communal system. The second type of economics - nationality - is usually associated with slave-owning and feudal formations. The third type of economics—the nation—emerges with the development of capitalist relations and the intensification of economic ties. However, such a three-member division of E. does not reflect the entire diversity of forms of ethnic communities existing on Earth.

a historically emerged type of stable social grouping of people, represented by racial, linguistic or national identity. The term is imprecise, as a distinction is sometimes made between cultural and political ethnicity. Moreover, racial attributes are not always the defining characteristics of ethnic groups.

Excellent definition

Incomplete definition ↓

ETHNOS

a localized large community of people, consolidated as a form of their active adaptation to the regional conditions of the natural environment through a developed unique way of activity - culture. In the existing discussion on the problem of ethnicity, one of the points of view, presented in concentrated form in the works of Yu. V. Bromley, defines ethnicity as a phenomenon by its nature, that is, by genesis and essence, social. Its sociality is determined by the fact that it is a product of the objective process of division of labor, the formation and development of economic and political social structures. The content of the concept of E. is formed by a set of features in their integrativeness. These include: the presence of a certain group of people who have a common territory of residence and activity; the presence of a stable self-name, an ethnonym that is transformed in the languages of other peoples; self-awareness through the antithesis “we - they”, including historical memory, knowledge about the emergence and historical stages of the life of one’s ethnic group, national feelings and interests; general culture including language, religion, etc.

This principle of determining E. by listing its various characteristics is methodologically not entirely justified, since it allows one to exclude some characteristics and introduce others. And if any of the signs of E., and in some cases several of them, are absent, which in reality occurs often, it is impossible to consider a given society as an ethnic community. This approach does not present the functional purpose of ethnic determinants; for example, the need for a common territory is emphasized, but it is unclear how the territory “forms” ethnicity. Finally, the question here is not about the very essence of ethnicity, but only about individual aspects of the existence of real ethnic communities. Therefore, there is a need to search for a single ultimate basis for the existence of E., which determines the representation of humanity through a set of ethnic groups that are not similar to one another. This approach to the problem of the nature and essence of energy is presented, in particular, in the concept of L. N. Gumilyov. He views ecology as the result of a creative process of intensive development by a community of people of a unique natural landscape, or more precisely, a zone of their optimal combination. In the process of developing the landscape, the community forms a new unique “stereotype of behavior.” This concept, including a special way of activity and relationship to the world, characterizes E. as a bearer of a certain cultural type, if we understand culture as a specific “technology of activity.” This approach assumes the idea of the constancy of ethnic differences, due to the constancy of the natural conditions of different regions; the idea of a discrepancy between the ethnic and social “rhythms” of human history (E. are considered not as a form of socio-economic processes, but as independent phenomena, the functioning and interaction of which largely determine the course of history). Gradual death through simplification of the internal structure is the fate of all E. To maintain its viability, an ethnic community creates social, political structures, institutions, but ethnogenesis is of a deep nature, and processes, for example, ethnic aging, do not depend on the nature of the social system, political system, etc. .d.

The idea of searching for an objective basis for the phenomenon of ecology in the interaction of man and nature has a long historical and philosophical tradition. The question of the nature of E. was considered within the framework of the so-called. "geographical determinism". Such a phenomenon as the “spirit of the people” (Montesquieu), the “temperament of races” (L. Woltman), the “national idea” (E. Renan), which determines the entire economic, political, social life of the people, depends on climatic, landscape and other natural conditions. Thus, L. Woltman considers two types of factors as determining the form and method of government: first, natural conditions and the type of economy; secondly, the psychological characteristics of peoples. I. G. Herder, also analyzing the features of the political life of peoples, comes to the conclusion about the influence of natural conditions and ethnic dynamics on the features of statehood. Sociology of the 19th century. represented, in particular, by F. G. Giddings, already makes such phenomena as social structure and methods of organizing the social life of peoples dependent on the conditions of the natural environment. Thus, common to representatives of this trend in social science is the idea that social structures correspond to the natural “sacred law of development” (L. Woltman) of individual peoples, and it is this correspondence that should be the highest criterion for the activities of management structures. Later, this idea was developed by a variety of trends in historical, sociological, and social-philosophical science, from Russian Slavophilism, the philosophy of N. Ya. Danilevsky, N. A. Berdyaev to modern foreign historiography, in particular, the works of F. Braudel. Here we can point to the works of sociologists of the 19th century: K. Ritter, G. T. Boklya, F. Ratzel, N. Kareev, L. I. Mechnikov and others.

If, according to its objective grounds, ecology is considered a natural phenomenon, or more precisely, a “territorial” one, then according to the methods of self-organization, it is a sociocultural phenomenon. Indeed, connecting the solution to the question of the representation of the human race through a set of ethnic groups with the representation of the earth's surface through a system of territorial landscape zones, one cannot help but raise the following question: what is the criterion for the sustainability of each individual E., given that territorial integrity for many peoples Is it lost over time or does E. end up distributed within several landscape zones? What acts as an intra-ethnic system-forming factor that “protects” E. from the penetration of “alien” elements into the system? There are also a number of research approaches here. Some authors consider ethnic endogamy and heredity as such a criterion and factor. However, we must take into account that the processes of reproduction of the gene pool are influenced by historical and cultural traditions, conquests, habits, and the standard of living of the people. Heredity is embodied, in particular, in the characteristics of the anthropological type. But it is known that anthropological typology does not have an absolute coincidence with the ethnic structure of society. Other authors see ethnic constants in the self-awareness of the people. The origins of this approach lie in the social sciences of the Enlightenment. But ethnic self-awareness also acts as a reflection of the joint activities of a given human collective; the specificity and uniqueness of the worldview of a particular people is determined by the specifics of its activities in developing the environment. The same activity is carried out differently by different peoples; each people perceives the same aspects of reality in its own way. Culture as a “set of methods of human activity”, “technology of activity” and the specific historical and social experience accumulated on its basis, enshrined in traditions, in ethnic memory, is an extra-biological stable mechanism constituting a unique integrity, autonomy and relative stability of E. He exists as a community of people with common economic and cultural characteristics and, at the same time, a common historical destiny; the concept of economics defines precisely the measure of the relationship between a single economic and cultural type and a common historical destiny.

E. is a dynamic system undergoing a continuous internal transformation process, however, having some stability in its variability. Culture is a factor and criterion of ethnic stability, a system of intra-ethnic constants. Of course, there is internal variability in culture itself: it changes from era to era, from one social group within E. to another. But as long as it retains its qualitative originality, Egypt exists as an autonomous whole, even if it loses a single territory, language, unity of the anthropological type, etc. National culture, primarily through traditions: moral, religious, etc., has a decisive influence and on the effect of the actual biological factors of self-reproduction of E., such as ethnic endogamy, which is a way of preserving the national gene pool. The qualitative uniqueness of culture constitutes those most stable patterns of activity that develop during the formation of the ethnic system and are determined by the specifics of the “ethnic homeland” and which E. “takes with him”, “traveling in space and time.” They constitute a “code” of intra-ethnic information, forming for E. his special attitude to the world, organically linking his previous and subsequent states in time.

Excellent definition

Incomplete definition ↓

All the inhabitants of our big planet are very different: for example, the highlanders are not at all similar to the islanders. Even within the same nation or country, there may be separate ethnic groups that differ in their cultural characteristics and traditions. In essence, an ethnic group is part of an ethnic group, a certain community that was formed historically in a certain territory. Let's consider this issue in more detail.

History and origin of the term

Today, an ethnic group is an important object of study for such sciences as history, population geography, and cultural studies. Social psychologists study this issue in order to prevent and resolve various ethnic conflicts. What is the origin of this term?

The etymology of the word “ethnos” is very interesting. It can be translated as “not Greek.” That is, in essence, “ethnos” is a stranger, a foreigner. The ancient Greeks used the term to refer to various tribes of non-Greek origin. But they called themselves by another, no less well-known word - “demos”, which translated means “people”. Later, the term migrated to the Latin language, in which the adjective “ethnic” appeared. In the Middle Ages, it was also actively used in religious meaning, being synonymous with the words “non-Christian”, “pagan”.

Today, "ethnicity" has become a purely scientific term that refers to all types of ethnic groups. The science that studies them is called ethnography.

Ethnic group is...

What is the meaning of this term? And what are its features and distinctive features?

An ethnic group is a stable community of people that has formed in a certain territory and has its own distinctive characteristics. The characteristics of such a group will be discussed a little later.

In science, this term is very often identified with such concepts as “ethnicity”, “ethnic identity”, “nation”. But in the legal sphere it is completely absent - there it is often replaced by the terms “people” and the lack of clear definitions of all these concepts is a serious scientific problem. Many scientists believe that each of them hides its own specific phenomenon, so they cannot be identified. In the "ethnic group" Soviet researchers often abused the categories of sociology, and Western researchers - psychology.

Western scientists identify two very important features of ethnic groups:

firstly, they do not have their own statehood;
secondly, having their own history, ethnic groups are not active and important historical subjects.

Ethnic group structure

All existing ethnic groups have approximately the same structure, which consists of three main parts:

The core of an ethnic group, which is characterized by compact living in a specific territory.
The periphery is a part of a group that is territorially separated from the core.
Diaspora is that part of the population that is geographically dispersed, including that it may occupy the territories of other ethnic communities.

Main features of ethnic communities

There are several signs by which a particular person can be classified as a member of a particular ethnic group. It is noteworthy that the members of the community consider these characteristics to be significant for themselves; they form the basis of their self-awareness.

Here are the main characteristics of an ethnic group:

relationship by blood and marriage (this feature is considered somewhat outdated);
general history of origin and development;
territorial attribute, that is, binding to a specific area or territory;
their cultural characteristics and traditions.

Main types of ethnic groups

Today, there are several classifications of ethnic groups and ethnic communities: geographical, linguistic, anthropological and cultural-economic.

Ethnic groups include the following types (levels):

A clan is nothing more than a close community of blood relatives.
A tribe is several clans that are connected by common traditions, religion, cult or common dialect.
A nationality is a special ethnic group that was formed historically and is united by one language, culture, faith and common territory.
A nation is the highest form of development of an ethnic community, which is characterized by a common territory, language, culture and developed economic ties.

Ethnic identity

An important indicator of the level of formation of a social ethnic group, in particular a nation, is ethnic self-awareness. This term is one of the main ones in the psychology of the groups we are considering.

Ethnic self-awareness is a sense of belonging of a particular individual to a particular ethnic group, ethnic group, or nation. At the same time, a person must be aware of his unity with this community and understand the qualitative differences from other ethnic groups and groups.

For the formation of ethnic self-awareness, it is very important to study the history of one’s people, as well as cultural characteristics, folklore and traditions that are passed on from generation to generation, and a thorough knowledge of one’s language and literature.

Finally...

Thus, ethnicity is a rather interesting phenomenon and a separate object of research. By studying individual communities, we not only learn about their cultural or historical characteristics, but also cultivate tolerance, tolerance and respect for other ethnic groups and cultures. Ultimately, understanding and respecting the characteristics of other ethnic groups leads to a significant reduction in ethnic disputes, conflicts and wars.

Ethnos? The answer to this question is not always the same. The word "ethnos" itself is of Greek origin, but it has nothing in common with today's meaning. People is exactly how it is translated, and in Greece there were several concepts of this word. Namely, the word “ethnicity” was derogatory in nature - “herd”, “swarm”, “flock” and in most cases was applied to animals.

What is ethnicity today? Ethnicity is a group of people that was formed historically and was united by common cultural and linguistic characteristics. In Russian, the concept of “ethnos” is close in meaning to the concepts of “people” or “tribe”. And to make it more clear, both of these concepts should be characterized.

A people is a specific group of people that is distinguished by common characteristics. This includes territory, language, religion, culture, historical past. One of the main signs is, but this is not the only condition. There are quite a lot of peoples who speak the same language. For example, Austrians, Germans and some Swiss use German. Or the Irish, Scots and Welsh, who, one might say, have completely switched to English, but at the same time do not consider themselves English. This means that in this case the word “people” can be replaced by the term “ethnic group”.

A tribe is also a group of people, but one that feels related to each other. A tribe may not have one compact territory of residence, and its claims to any territory may not be recognized by other groups. By one definition, a tribe has common characteristics that are clearly distinct: origin, language, traditions, religion. Another definition states that it is enough to have faith in a common bond, and you are already considered one tribe. The latter definition is more suitable for political unions.

But let's return to the main question - “what is ethnicity”. It began its formation 100 thousand years ago, and before that there were such concepts as family, then clan, and the clan completed everything. Mainstream scholars interpret differently. Some name only language and culture, others add a general location, and still others add a general psychological essence.

Each ethnic group has its own behavioral stereotype and, of course, a unique structure. Internal ethnicity is a specific norm of relations between the individual and the collective and between the individuals themselves. This norm is tacitly accepted in all areas of everyday life and is perceived as the only way to live together. And for members of a given ethnic group, this form is not a burden, since they are accustomed to it. And vice versa, when a representative of one ethnic group comes into contact with the norms of behavior of another, he may become confused and greatly surprised by the eccentricities of an unfamiliar people.

Since ancient times, our country has combined various ethnic groups. Some ethnic groups of Russia were part of it from the very beginning, while others joined gradually, at different stages of history. But they all have equal rights and responsibilities to the state and are part of the people of Russia. They have a common education system, common legal and legal norms and, of course, a common Russian language.

All Russians are obliged to know the diversity of the ethnic group of their country and get acquainted with the culture of each of them. Have at least a basic understanding of what an ethnic group is. Without this, harmonious existence within a single state is impossible. Unfortunately, over the past 100 years, 9 nationalities have disappeared as an ethnic group and another 7 are on the verge of extinction. For example, the Evenks (aboriginals of the Amur region) have a stable tendency to disappear. There are already about 1,300 of them left. As you can see, the numbers speak for themselves, and the process of disappearance of the ethnic group continues irreversibly.