Ethnic Groups and Boundaries: The Social Organization of Culture Difference
About: This article is published in British Journal of Sociology.The article was published on 1970-06-01. It has received 4205 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Social organization & Ethnic group.
Citations
More filters
01 Jan 2016
45 citations
01 May 2017
45 citations
TL;DR: For instance, this article found that second and third-generation ethnic Chinese entrepreneurs in Thailand tend to emphasize the irrelevance of their ethnic Chinese background in entrepreneurship, and argue that it is constructive to incorporate a historical/generational approach of the ethnic group (migration history, nationalism) and of the business (social organization) into the study of ethnic entrepreneurship.
Abstract: This paper aims to come to a better understanding of the meaning of ‘ethnic’ in ethnic entrepreneurship for second- and third-generation ethnic Chinese entrepreneurs in Bangkok, Thailand. Research on ethnic Chinese entrepreneurship in Southeast Asia typically investigates the dominance, attributed to specific ‘Chinese’ cultural values and strong intra-ethnic networks, of the ethnic Chinese in business and entrepreneurship. Our research among second- and third-generations shows an inclination of the interviewees to emphasize the irrelevance of their ‘ethnic’ Chinese background in entrepreneurship. To understand the meanings of the expressed irrelevance, we argue that it is constructive to incorporate a historical/generational approach of the ethnic group (migration history, nationalism) and of the business (social organization) into the study of ethnic entrepreneurship. The contribution to ethnic entrepreneurship research is threefold. Firstly, we show how a generational lens provides a more nuanced unders...
45 citations
TL;DR: By probing the norms and practices surrounding care provision in different socio-cultural settings, it becomes possible to arrive at a deeper understanding of kinship, personhood and sociality, which has implications for people's vulnerability to poor quality care in old age.
Abstract: The provision of physical care is a sensitive matter in all cultures and is circumscribed by moral injunctions and personal preferences. Research on Western cultures has shown care networks to be narrow subsets of people’s wider networks and revealed dependence to be deeply undermining of full personhood. In non-Western societies these issues have received little attention, although it is sometimes assumed that care provision and dependence are much less problematic. This paper uses longitudinal ethnographic data from two ethnic groups in rural Indonesia to compare care preferences and practices in old age and to examine the implications of care dependence. The groups manifest varying degrees of daughter preference in care and differ in the extent to which notions of shame and avoidance prohibit cross-gender intimate care and care by ‘non-blood’ relatives. Demographic and social constraints often necessitate compromises in actual care arrangements (e.g. dependence on in-laws, neighbours or paid carers), not all of which are compatible with quality care and a valued identity. We argue that by probing the norms and practices surrounding care provision in different socio-cultural settings it becomes possible to arrive at a deeper understanding of kinship, personhood and sociality. These insights are not only of sociological interest but have implications for people’s vulnerability to poor quality care in old age
45 citations
TL;DR: Investigation of the cultural and social meaning associated with MDMA use in Oslo, Norway finds its perceived differentiation from ecstasy pills reveals the importance of social and symbolic meanings in relation to psychoactive substance use.
45 citations
Cites background from "Ethnic Groups and Boundaries: The S..."
...boundaries for ethnic groups, famously arguing that the focus should be on the “boundary that defines the group, not the cultural stuff it encloses” (Barth, 1969)....
[...]
...Barth (1969) early on described the importance of boundaries for ethnic groups, famously arguing that the focus should be on the “boundary that defines the group, not the cultural stuff it encloses” (Barth, 1969)....
[...]
...Barth (1969) argues that feelings of communality are defined less by a shared culture and more by an opposition to the perceived identity of other groups....
[...]
...For MDMA users in this study, the “boundary that defines the group” (Barth, 1969) was drawn against ecstasy and ecstasy users....
[...]