Emergent Ethnicity: A Review and Reformulation

This paper is a review and partial reformulation of the sociological literature on the persistence of ethnicity in American society. In contrast to the traditional emphasis on the transplanted cultural heritage as the principal antecedent and defining characteristic of ethnic groups, we suggest that the development and persistence of ethnicity is dependent upon structural conditions characterizing American cities and position of groups in American social structure. Attention is focused on the question: under what conditions does ethnic culture emerge? Specifically, what social forces promote the crystallization and development of ethnic solidarity and identification? As an emergent phenomenon, ethnicity continues to develop with the changing positions of groups and individuals within society. As society changes, old forms of ethnic culture may die oui but new forms may be generated.