This thesis explores how language, identity and ethnicity are intertwined in the post-apartheid South African state by focusing on one particular language group, i.e. the isiZulu-speaking community of the Umlazi township. Drawing from general theoretical foundations in the field and sociohistorical considerations, the study explores empirically the significance and saliency of isiZulu in the life experience and identity negotiations of Umlazi residents. By juxtaposing the role and functions ofisiZulu with the economically hegemonic role of the English language, the social and cultural vitality of isiZulu is exposed. Using a triangulated approach, which combines quantitative and qualitative empirical methods, the study discusses subjective individual meanings and the involved emic categories, which guide the participants' understanding of who they are in relation to languages in the post-apartheid state. The study discusses how a sociolinguistic dichotomy between culturally and socially grounded identification processes and pragmatic and economically motivated ones manifests itself. The study reveals, inter alia, how language, i.e. isiZulu, is not only regarded as a cultural resource, but as a tool of identification that transcends the boundaries of race, class, religion and politics in a modern day township community. Furthermore, isiZuluspeakers' identities and ethnicities are first and foremost language-embedded, hence they are linguistically salient. It is argued that languages, i.e. isiZulu and English, are powerful devices that create boundaries, which consequently also divide the community. Finally, the researcher explores the implications of this study in the wider context of South Africa's sociolinguistic reality, and suggests that the promotion and development ofisiZulu is indeed a worthwhile undertaking in the democratic state. / Lolucwaningo olusekelwe ngezizathu ezitholakele ngendlela enzulu lubhekene nokuthola ukuthi ulwimu, ubunjalo bomuntu, kanye nobuzwe bakhe, kuvela kanjani njengengxenye yezinto eziwumphumela wobunjalo bezwe lase Mzansi Afrika emva kobandlululo. Lukwenza lokhu ngokuthi lugxile ohlobeni oluthile Iwabantu emphakathini okhuluma isiZulu wase Lokishini laseMlazi. Ngokucaphuna ezisekelweni zezinzululwazi ezithile emkhakheni wezifundo zocwaningo ngemphakathi nemilando yazo, lolucwaningo luhlola indlela oluballuleke ngayo ulwimi IwesiZulu ezimpilweni zabantu baseLokishini laseMlazi, nasezehlakalweni ezimpilweni zabo emizameni yokwakheka kobunjalo babo. Uma sibheka indawo nemisebenzi edlalwa ulimi IwesiZulu kolunye uhlangothi, kanye namandla olwimi IweSingisi kwezomnotho ngakolunye uhlangothi, kuyabonakala ukuthi amandla nokubaluleka kolwimi IwesiZulu emasikweni emiPhakathini alusebenzisayo kubekeka esimweni esingagwinyisi mathe impela. Ngokusebenzisa uhlobo locwaningo olubheka elukucwaningayo ngezingxenyeni ezintathu, bese luxuba nendlela yokucwaninga esebenzisa amanani abantu nezimpendulo eziphuma kubo qobo, lolucwaningo luhlaziya izindlela abantu abasebenzisa imibono yabo ekwakhekeni kobunjalo babo obuxubene nezinga lomnotho abakulo ngalesosikhathi, konke okugcina sekuholele abantu abayingxenye y a lolucwaningo bazibone ngendlela ethile engumphumela wokuthi baphuma ezweni ekade linobandluluo iminyaka eminingi. Lolucwaningo luhlola ukuthi ukungqubuzana phakathi kolwimi losiko olwakha ubunjalo babantu olukhulunywa emphakathi, kolunye uhlangothi, nezinto eziphathekayo ezihlangene nezomnotho, ngakolunye uhlangothi, kuziveza kanjani. Lolucwaningo luyaveza, phakathi kwezinye izinto, ukuthi ulwimi, lapha sikhuluma ngesiZulu, alubhekwa kuphela njengento esebenzela isiko, kodwa njengethuluzi elisebenza ekwakhekeni kobunjalo bomuntu okudlulela ngale kwemingcele yobuhlanga, yezinga lomnotho umuntu nomuntu akulo, inkolo umuntu akuyo, kanye nezepolitiki emphakathini wasemalokishini wanamuhla. Okudlulele, ubunjalo balabo abakhuluma ulwimi IwesiZulu nobuzwe babo ahlukene nakancane nolwimi Iwabo. Indlela ulwimi Iwabo olusebenza ngayo ichaza bona ukuthi bangobani. Lolucwaningo luthola nokuthi kukhona abagcizelelayo ukuthi izilimi isiZulu neSingisi ayizindlela ezinamandla ezakha imingcele egcina isihlukanise umphakathi waselokishini laseMlazi. Okokugcina, umcwaningi kulolucwaningo uhlola imiphumela yalokhu emiphakathini nasezilimini eniNingizimu Afrika iyonkana, bese ebeka imibono ethi ukuthuthukiswa nokuvuselelwa kolwimi IwesiZulu empeleni izinto ezidingekayo nezibalulekile ezweni lentando yeningi. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2006.

This project explores the persistence of racial frameworks amongst Coloureds in Wentworth, Durban, using perspectives from discourse analysis as a methodological and theoretical framework. In-depth focus groups and interviews with Wentworth residents were conducted to investigate the continued socio-political relevance of such frameworks in the context of their own identity as 'Coloured', especially where these relate to residual racial hierarchies of the colonial era. Three sample groups were utilised to reflect the community's socio-economic spectrum, which enabled a class-based discussion of the way 'Colouredness' and ideals such as national reconciliation may be reflected by different socio-economic groups. / Thesis (M.Dev.Studies.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.

This thesis examines the construction of social spaces in the interstices of the Internet by members of dispersed national societies. Red de Argentinos is explored as an example one of such spaces. Red emerged as an email based solidarity network of the Argentine diaspora and is now a community attached to multiple locales, for which cyberspace has a central articulatory role. These locales include the homeland but, as well, the variety of places in which individuals identifying themselves as Argentinian may be found. This project analyzes some of the factors that allow these types of virtual communities to develop. Special attention is placed on the elements that ensure bonds between members. Self-organization, solidarity, and positioning in relation to the Argentine social reality are seen here as factors that foster the development of a sense of citizenship that is constructed from below in this particular online social space. The need to include the Internet practices of diasporas as part of emerging online cultures in Latin America is finally suggested as an avenue for future exploration.

Ethnic identity is a significant psychological variable for the study of African Americans in the United States and often associated with psychological health. However, the nature of this relationship is sometimes unclear. One reason for the confusion may be that ethnic identity is often confounded with acculturation as they are sometimes used interchangeably in research. Because of this confounding problem, it is not clear whether the relationship between ethnic identity and psychological health is really a reflection of ethnic identity or of ethnic identity confounded with acculturation. Thus, the aim of this study was to use factor analysis to separate ethnic identity and acculturation at the measurement level and examine the unique impact of each on both positive and negative psychosocial functioning among African Americans. Two ethnic identity measures (MEIM and the MIBI) and two acculturation measures (AfAAS and the MASPAD) were administered to 173 (65 males and 118 females) African American students attending a historically Black university (mean age = 21, SD = 2.7). The 96 items from these measures were factor analyzed using principal components analysis. Findings support the hypothesis of confounding in existing measures. However, results indicate that acculturation and ethnic identity are differentiable at the item level and are multidimensional. Eight internally reliable factors emerged representing different dimensions of these constructs. Three of the factors (ethnic pride, ethnic belonging, and public regard) were consistent with existing definitions of ethnic identity. The remaining five factors (out-group comfort, in-group rejection, assimilationist ideology, traditional behaviors/beliefs, and in-group preference) were consistent with the bi-dimensional definition of acculturation. These ethnic identity and acculturation factors predicted some outcomes similarly but differentially predicted others. Several implications follow from this study. First, in order to better understand the relationship between ethnic identity and psychosocial functioning, researchers need to use measures that are not confounded with other related but different constructs. Future research should focus on the dimension level rather than the overall construct level. Focusing more narrowly on the dimension level may produce research that can more accurately inform interventions with African Americans.

This study examined the relation among ethnic group membership, ethnic identity, collectivism and individualism in a sample of European American and African American college students. Findings suggest that African Americans are more collectivist than European Americans only in reference to their ethnic group. There were no significant differences between ethnic groups in collectivism toward friends, family, strangers or colleagues. Contrary to findings of previous research, there was no significant moderating effect of gender on collectivism differences between ethnic groups. In congruence with previous research, ethnic identity mediated the relation between ethnic group membership and collectivism toward the ethnic group. African Americans were also significantly higher on overall individualism when compared to European Americans and this relation was not mediated by ethnic identity. In addition to these findings, discussion focuses on issues regarding the measurement of individualism, collectivism, and ethnic identity.

Museums have been intimately connected to the discipline of anthropology since the colonial era when curiosity cabinets were created to house "exotic" items from afar that were used to represent "exotic" people and their cultures. However, with the postmodern debates in anthropology, both the discipline and museums have begun to realize that most displays reveal more about those who create them than about those who are on display. This realization combined with the rise in Native American concern for the control of material culture that was taken from them and their involvement in civil rights activism has brought Native objects and their display to the forefront of these debates. This has resulted in a push for true collaboration in the discipline as well as museums, which is forcing museums to work with Native Nations in developing displays that fulfill the museums' needs and that relinquish power to Native Nations in the exhibit development process. This project involved the collaboration between the Miami Indians of Indiana and the researcher to create an exhibit that will be displayed in the Miami community. This thesis follows that intimate connection between museums and anthropology and looks at the exhibit to examine what it reveals about Miami community identity. / Department of Anthropology

Cultural socialization of adolescents’ ethnic identity is associated with the context surrounding adolescents and their families. Cross-sectional data collected from Canadian immigrant Chinese families (N = 183) were used to investigate the role of parents in adolescents’ ethnic identity development. Study 1 examined direct and moderated relations (i.e., adolescents’ gender, age, and parents’ perceptions of discrimination) between parents’ ethnic identity and cultural orientation goals for their adolescents and parental enculturation efforts. Study 2 examined direct and moderated relations (i.e., adolescents’ gender, age, parental warmth, presence of grandparents and adolescents’ reports of discrimination) among parental enculturation and the number of Chinese friends, and adolescents’ ethnic identity (both ethnic identity achievement and ethnic affirmation and belonging). Study 1 results showed that parents’ ethnic identity and Chinese and Canadian cultural orientation goals for their adolescents were directly associated with their enculturation efforts. Fathers’ reports of discrimination moderated the relations between his Chinese cultural orientation goals for his adolescent and his enculturation efforts. Specifically, this relationship was particularly strong among fathers who reported lower levels of discrimination. These findings suggest that immigrant Chinese parents’ decision to engage in enculturation may be intrinsically motivated. Study 2 results showed that parental enculturation, maternal warmth, and adolescents’ reports of discrimination contributed to adolescents’ ethnic identity achievement. These results suggest that adolescents’ ethnic identity achievement may be supported by opportunities for adolescents to learn about their ethnic culture through parental enculturation and think about their ethnicity through experiences of discrimination. In comparison, adolescents’ feelings of ethnic affirmation and belonging were related to mother-father enculturation differences, the number of Chinese friends, and maternal warmth. These findings suggest that feelings of ethnic affirmation and belonging for adolescents may be supported by flexibility related to mothers and fathers engaging in differing levels of enculturation, and autonomy related to adolescents having more Chinese friends. Adolescents’ age moderated the relations between fathers’ enculturation efforts and adolescents’ ethnic identity achievement. The few moderated findings further underscored the importance of parents in Chinese adolescents’ ethnic identity development. / Graduate

This thesis is an attempt to document and explain the manifest changes that have been taking place in Welsh identity since 1979, and the political consequences thereof. It is presupposed that before any autonomist outbursts and other, related political changes take place in a sub-national region such as Wales, some sort of identive change has to occur. This 'identive change' is posited to take place in two stages - identity transformation followed by identity mobilisation. Central chapters deal with this process in two, non-exclusive, dimensions - institutions and individual agents. Alongside institution-building, certain policy areas are deemed to be of crucial importance in relation to the maintenance and dissemination of Welsh identity, namely education and broadcasting. In addition, the relationship between endogenous and exogenous forces affecting Welsh identity is considered in the context of civil society, political praxis, the economy and the European Union. These events are charted and analysed by means of primarily qualitative techniques which emphasise the importance of the positional and strategic confluence of individual 'gatekeepers', who are able to influence policy and, perhaps more importantly, affect the perception and reception of new ideologies and institutional exigencies.

Aboriginal youth well-being is an increasingly important topic. Research with mainstream populations highlights two keys to well-being, namely perceived personal control, and a clear sense of self-identity. However, despite relevance for Aboriginal groups, underappreciated to date is the potential role of perceived collective control, and clarity of collective identity, for well-being. Thus, the present program of research investigated the impact of collective control and identity on the well-being of Aboriginal youth. Residents of two Cree communities in northern Manitoba collaborated in the research. Based on community members' input on important community and youth issues, we developed two surveys on youth well-being, which were completed by students in grades 7 and up. / The results of Study 1 indicated that greater perceived individual-level internal control was associated with greater psychological well-being. As well, investigating for the first time perceived group-level control and Aboriginal youth well-being, the results indicated that greater perceived group-level internal control was associated with greater well-being. However, the results additionally suggested an association between greater perceived external control (Others and Creator) and greater well-being. The effect of group-level internal control on well-being was mediated by individual-level internal control, but not moderated by strength of Native identity. Finally, the results suggested a significant relationship between greater strength of aspects of cultural identity and greater well-being. / Study 2 expanded upon these findings, employing revised measures to assess perceived control, identity clarity, and substance use. Similar to Study 1, the results of Study 2 indicated an association between greater perceived individual-level internal control and greater psychological well-being, as well as between individual-level others control and well-being. Additionally, multidimensional measures of control indicated an association between greater perceived individual-level control over drinking and decreased well-being. Furthermore, Study 2 indicated an association between greater perceived group-level internal control and greater psychological well-being. This relationship was partially mediated by individual-level internal control. Finally, the results suggested an association between greater strength of cultural identity and greater well-being. / Overall, the present program of research provides key preliminary support for a greater consideration of group-level factors in well-being, particularly in efforts to enhance and support Aboriginal youth well-being.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 130-138) and glossary. / Photocopy. / v, 138 leaves ill. 28 cm