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Abstract

The 20th Century has been marked by a return to ethnic and religious affiliations and identifications which continue to be in the foreground of political discourse. The rise of religious groups is represented by the media as a turbulent phenomenon, which spikes new conflicts globally. These representations of collective identities are politically utilized. Resource conflicts and controversies about citizenship and residence rights become more difficult to solve, because notions of identity fuel them with generalizations and prejudice. In this video, political anthropologist GÜNTHER SCHLEE argues that collective and individual identities (i.e. which collective identity an individual opts for) are subject to change over time. The ways in which groups and individuals identify often result from a dynamic interplay between political advantages, economic opportunities and plausible identity options for personal choice. Looking at the process of identification and analyzing which factors influence it, may help to improve human organization on all levels.