Ethnicity, Ethnic Minority and Self-Determination: An Examination of Conceptual Linkage

Abstract

The concepts of ethnicity, ethnic minority and self-determination have gained such a vital importance as an integral part of ethnic and minority politics of the contemporary world. The major objective of this paper is to identify the conceptual linkage and relations between “ethnicity”, “ethnic minority” and the minorities’ claims for “self-determination” through an extensive analysis of the existing definitions, interpretations and criticisms to the above concepts. The analysis of these concepts reveals that the concept of ethnicity, ethnic minority and self-determination are interconnected each other and have gained prime importance in the politics of minority groups for ethnic identity construction, self-determination claims and ethno-nationalist discourses.

Key Words: Ethnicity, ethnic minority, ethnic group, self-determination, conceptualization