Mixing theories of the everyday with a wide range of case studies, this book explains the 'character' of ethnicity, from being a political tool of exclusion, to a source of meaning and solidarity, and the relationship between culture, power and identity.
Combining theories of the everyday with empirical case studies, this book examines:
- the 'dual character' of ethnicity – as a political tool of exclusion and source of meaning/ solidarity respectively
- the relationship between culture, power and identity
- the significance of historical/socio-economic contexts to ethnicity and everyday life.
This book addresses many important questions through a critical application of theories of the everyday to a series of case studies that include travellers, the South Asian diaspora, contemporary Austria, and asylum seekers in 'Fortress Europe'.
This book provides an accessible and coherent introduction to the sociology of ethnicity and will be essential reading for undergraduate students on cultural studies, race and ethnic studies, and sociology courses.
Introduction 1. Ethnicity and Everyday Life 2. Power and Classification, Meaning and Resistance 3. Identity, Diaspora, Hybridity 4. Ethnic Majorities, 'The Stranger' and Everyday Life 5. Forced Migration and Structures of Fear in the Age of Globalization. Conclusion – The Quest for Inclusive Meaning
Biography
Christian Karner is a Lecturer in the School of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Nottingham. His research centres on ethnicity, national identities, and religion. His publications include The Thought World of Hindu Nationalism: Analyzing a Political Ideology (forthcoming, 2006) and Writing History, Constructing Religion (2005, co-edited with J. Crossley).
