Ethnicity is the sense of belonging that an individual or group feels towards a specific ethnic group. As part of this group, you share certain cultural traits that set your group apart from others. This shared identity is what we call ethnicity. According to Eriksen, ethnicity is a part of social relationships between people who see themselves as culturally different from others. The key aspect of ethnicity is the clear distinction between who is part of the group (‘Us’) and who is not (‘Them’). Without this distinction, ethnicity wouldn’t exist.
In the Indian context, an example of ethnicity is being part of the Tamil ethnic group. Tamils share a common language (Tamil), cultural traditions, festivals, and a rich heritage that distinguish them from other ethnic groups in India, like the Punjabis or Bengalis.
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