Europe and Africa

Understanding the Emergence of 'Ethnicity' and the Nation-State

The historical emergence of ethnicities and nation-states in Europe and in Africa is continually questioned and re-interpreted by historians, sociologists, anthropologists, and mass media. Depending on the perspective of the author and the intention of the narrative, ethnicity can be seen as a colonial construct or as an inherent cultural identity through which more similarities with other ethnicities may be noted than differences. However, because of political persuasion and imperialistic practices, especially in the modern era, ethnic emergence has been viewed as something disparate from nationhood. Bruce J. Berman, for example, quotes Samora Machel, "leader of one of the most radically modernist African regimes," as asserting, "For the nation to live, the tribe must die'" (Berman 306). This paper will analyze the play between ethnicity and nationhood, and ultimately show how we can compare the historical emergence of ethnicities...
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