Union soviétique-Afrique du Sud : les « théories » de l'etnos

P. Skalnik — The Soviet Etnos 'Theory' and its South African Parallel. Only in the Soviet Union and in South Africa scholars (and politicians) operate with a reified concept of ethnicity which they call etnos. The article first documents the etiological relationship of Soviet and South African etnos 'theories', which both draw from the work of the Russian emigre ethnologist S. M. Sirokogorov, although in a slanted way. In both Soviet etnografija and South African volkekunde, etnos is aware of its distinctiveness and has its own origin and culture. Most important, intrinsic features of etnos are its self-awareness and psychological identity both perceived subjectively by members of any etnos. The article then shows etnos 'theories' in both countries as political myths serving to justify the status quo and the policies of their governments as ruling parties. Soviet etnos 'theory' is designed to support the myth of the supra-ethnic category of the 'Soviet people', while South African volkekundiges (ethnologists) similarly speculate about the formation of a South African nation.