Contemporary Approaches to the Study of Ethnic Identity

Abstract

Based on the analysis of contemporary theoretical and practical research in the fields of social philosophy, sociology and social psychology, the author considers trends related to the interpretation of the phenomenon of ethnic identity. A multiple interpretation of this phenomenon is described, which allows us to study its different forms and degrees of manifestation. Network social media, multi-ethnic urban environment and processes in non-systemic politics are considered as socio-cultural factors that influence the transformation of the phenomenon under consideration. It is concluded that the process of ethnic identification cannot be further unambiguously identified with a scale directed from the zero state (identity is not formed) to the positive pole (identity is formed and expressed). Instead of this onedimensional interpretation, a metaphor of space, which includes different forms and degrees of expression of ethnic identity, is proposed.