Ethnic
categorizations tend to develop within the context of social inequality as
instruments for stabilization or for re-establishment of this inequality. This
argument dissects resource competitions and conflicts as a ground for formation
of ethnic identities. Wallerstein (1979:180), evaluates status groups and
blurred collective representations of classes in the *dependency theory, an
argument he later used to structure the world system theory. For Wallerstein,
ethnic consciousness is eternally latent everywhere and in every individual but
it is only projected when groups feel threatened with the loss of previously
acquired privilege. Also, ethnic consciousness may be aroused when groups feel
that its an opportune moment politically to overcome longstanding denial of privilege.
These privileges in the political context include inter alia, marginalization,
political isolation of groups deemed minority, and so on. Again, to quote the
Kenyan case, the people living in Mombasa have developed an ethnic identity
which has elicited secession motives along the coast. The Mombasa Republican Council
(MRC) advocating for the political emancipation of Mombasa bases its arguments
on marginalization of the coastal city and its isolation from governance. This
argument would also apply to the *Shifta movement which lay claim to the Northern
Frontier District (NFD) of Kenya back in the mid-eighties. The Somali living in
that area are yet to agree to the fact that they belong to Kenya and in my view
, the marginalization of that area and their exclusion from sharing the
national cake has led to development of an ethnic identity of `we` (the Somali)
versus `others`. Of emphasis is that economic disparities in African nations
have occasionally been a root cause for ethnic identity formation. In other
countries resource conflicts have emerged as a major cause for the emergence of
ethnic identity across Africa.
Maina Muhuhe is a distinguished Political Science student, University of Nairobi
This is an excerpt of his paper titled Ethnic Identities in Africa: The Causes and the Management Approaches to Competing Identities for the Common Good
The full paper will be published in the Upcoming Intellectus Political Journal as well as the Intellectus Political Magazine
