Primordialism

Primordialism is the idea that nations or ethnic identities are fixed, natural, and ancient.[1] Primordialists argue that each individual has a single inborn ethnic identity independent of historical processes.[2][3] While implicit primordialist assumptions are common in society and academic research, primordialism is widely rejected by scholars of nationalism and ethnicity, as individuals can have multiple ethnic identities which are changeable and socially constructed.[2][4]

  1. ^ Jack Hayward, Brian Barry, Archie Brown (2003) p 330
  2. ^ a b Chandra, Kanchan (2012). Constructivist theories of ethnic politics. Oxford University Press. p. 19. ISBN 978-0-19-989315-7. OCLC 829678440.
  3. ^ Murat Bayar, 'Reconsidering Primordialism: an alternative approach to the study of ethnicity', Ethnic and Racial Studies, 32.9, (2009), pp. 1–20, (p. 2).
  4. ^ Laitin, David D. (1998). Identity in formation : the Russian-speaking populations in the near abroad. Cornell University Press. pp. 9–10. ISBN 0-8014-3495-5. OCLC 851108907.