Ethnic groups can be built, altered, and even diminished by merely being incorporated into a world system. McNeil discusses how groups of equal ethnicities has never been common and how longstanding it has been that people identify themselves by their ethnicity creating boundaries and cultures. He starts by covering brief histories of early communities in Europe, Africa, and Asia through 1750. Through military and diseases, and slavery McNeil tells how these societies were shaped. The second half of this work looks at nationalism post 1750 through 1920.France and England were prime examples of promoting nationalism through education and the military. In areas where there were less dominant groups, they were forced to follow the cultures and traditions of the more dominant groups. McNeil explains the succession of how different places became more diverse and how this affects society’s interactions not just within different cultures but between them.
I find it interesting how McNeil treated this like a history lesson as a way of explaining this phenomenon that has led to society today yet we are still in the midst of it all. Most of the polyethnic issues he covers still apply in today’s society.
I didn’t think I had any questions regarding this article but after reading a few of your responses something does come to mind. Do you think America will ever be homogeneous? Do you think ethnic enclaves will continue to exist or will the boundaries become blurred? Years down the road, I see these boundaries blurring. I think it is inevitable that elthnicities and social differences will combine and evolve—it is just a question of how many generations.
That's an interesting question, I do believe that we are in the midst of ethnic blurring in America, and even across most of the world. In one of my classes I learned that only a quarter of the languages that were spoken in the 16th century are still spoken now. The differences in cultures are diminishing at a rapid pace as we move closer to homogenous society
ReplyDeleteI would agree that we are and will continue to experience this "ethnic blurring". It's an interesting question because I have always felt that immigrants are torn between wanting to maintain their own identity (their native culture and customs that they've brought with them) and with trying to integrate into the system. The direction our society is going, America will only continue to become further globalized, and as the minority and majority populations shift in the coming thirty to fifty years, we're certain to see an increasing amount of this "blurring". I'm not sure if we'll ever be homogeneous, though -- I agree with McNeil on the point that history has taught us that homogeneity cannot be maintained for more than a certain period of history, and it is inevitable it will come to an end at some point.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both of you that ethnic boundaries are blurring. Because I was born and raised in America I will never understand how it feels to be an immigrant in this country. I like to think that immigrants have the ability to celebrate and display their diversity and culture in American. However, many cultural practices (such as many Chinese or Mexican restaurants) are obviously not authentic and are "Americanized".
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