Table of Contents
Introduction
This is an introduction to the topic.
Negative Ethnicity
The Bible contains ethnocentrism
Ethnocentrism in Old Testament
The mass departure of the ancient Israelites from Egypt.
Rahab & Achan
Inflection
Ruth
Ethnocentrism is a New Testament concept
Jesus Genealogy
History of Kenyan Ethnicity
Ethnocentrism and negative ethnicity have negative effects on people
Economic Impacts
Social effects
Cites
This is an introduction to the topic.
Ethnocentrism is a term that has been used by different scholars. Anthrologists say that ethnocentrism is the belief and practice of judging the culture of others by their own culture. According to the Oxford dictionary, ethnicity is defined as belonging to a group with a common cultural or natural tradition. Ethnocentrism is the opposite. It refers to individuals who view their culture as superior to that of others. Ethnocentrism can be characterized by a belief in cross-cultural differences, which can cause cultural conflict or negative stereotypes. Charles Darwin (1874), a nineteenth Century biologist, noted that tribal members were more friendly to each other than their own tribes. W. G. Sumner (1906), coined the term. Ethnocentrism, which is the perception of cultural difference across cultures, can contribute to cultural conflict as well as negative stereotypes. Ethnocentrism comes from root words which suggest judgements and feelings of “centrism” in an individual’s cultural (“ethno”) experiences.
Ethnocentrism is a human trait that has been present in almost all societies throughout history. Being aware of people outside one’s own cultural or national borders is essential to feeling superior to them. Being superior to others requires knowledge of other cultures and ways of living. Engagement with the outside world is essential for ethnocentrism’s growth and development. A society without the ability to trade with other countries, either through conquest or trade, isn’t considered ethnocentric. Ethnocentrism can be described as a universal human phenomenon. Some scholars believe it is as old as humanity. It is believed that the concept is as old and universal as humankind. Ethnicity can be misunderstood academically, and is always regarded as a negative aspect. Understanding ethnicity is a positive thing. These include the many cultures, languages, and organizations that people often travel to learn and understand them. Newspapers and other media outlets have placed more emphasis on negative ethnicity. The situational approach to ethnicity suggests that negative ethnicity refers to how ethnic groups may use their identity or superiority to manipulate or harm the interests of other ethnic groups.
Ethnocentrism as a Biblical CharacteristicEthnocentrism can pose a serious threat to Christian credibility in cases where the old concept of tribes or ‘urban tribes is not applicable. Ethnocentrism is a combination of pride and divisiveness that can lead to the most destructive and potentially violent human traits. The mere awareness of its existence in us opens up a whole new way of looking at what it means that we are the people God created. Narrative enables human beings to define their identity and express themselves in a natural literary form. Hence, it seems that looking at biblical narratives is the best and most appropriate way to understand the worldview the Bible hopes to create in its readers about the role of ethnicity in God’s people.
Ethnocentrism, Old TestamentThe ExodusWe’ll start with the fundamental event that created Israel as a country: the exodus. It is not difficult for the biblical writer to tell us that there were a lot of non-Hebrews who fled Egypt with the Hebrews. This information is important. Exodus makes this theologically interesting. Hebrew for “mixed people/race” is the term used in this passage. It was possible to save Israel from its infancy as a nation. The ‘peasant revolution’ was in Egypt. It was inclusive.
The pervasive warning from the Bible against’mingling the nations’ is not in the mingling but in observing what the nations do. The same Hebrew root is used in Ex 12 and Ezra 9 as well. Ezra is more clear about the doing than in Psalm 106. Ezra could be an indication that we are beginning to see a distortion of the idea of purity. Oder maybe it’s something else. It is important to remember that Jews oppressing Jews was a major problem after the return exiles. This shows that you can do as the nations without interfering with them. The people of God are identified and held in permanence by their faith and obedience towards the Word of God.
Rahab & AchanThe book Joshua can be difficult to understand these days. It’s not possible to improve the text and the theology that inspired it. The book is not as nationalism as some critics and as triumphalistalistas some Christians believe it to be. The issue of exclusion and inclusion is dealt with in two detailed, personal stories. Rahab is a Canaanite prostitute that becomes part of Israel with her family. She understood God’s plan for Israel at that moment in history. She was Israel. Achan was, however, an Israelite that didn’t understand God and who took souvenirs from Jericho he wasn’t supposed to. He was expelled. Achan was expelled. Achan enters the hall for shame. Both women enter the hall of faith, while Achan joins the hall of shame. Joshua is also a good example. The Gibeonites are a group of people who become part Israel. Acts contains parallels to Achan’s and Rahab’s stories. Ananias (Acts 5), Saphira (Acts 10), and many other Rahabs are the New Testament’s Rahabs. Vanhoozer defines theology as those who have ruled speech and action about God. We see ‘insiders entangled in greed and outsiders displaying piety.
AccentIt is difficult to believe that accent was used in Israel’s past to distinguish between tribes. Judges 12 illustrates this tragic case: At one point, one Hebrew consonant’s pronunciation was life-or-death. The only way for Israelites to recognize themselves as a group was through accents. The Gileadites declared war on the Ephraimites due to confusing circumstances. The Gileadites caused many deaths among the Ephraimites. Evidently they couldn’t distinguish between each other by their heights, colors or clothing. Their only distinction was their accents. Ephraimites said “Sibolet” for the word for ear grain, while Gileadites called it “Shibolet”, presumably the ‘right’ way.
RuthRuth is Moab. Moab, Israel’s most hated enemy, was a major part of Israel OT history. The hatred was mutual. Eglon ruled over Israel while Moab was oppressing it for a time. Mesa was the Moabite monarch who refused to pay tribute. Israel attacked Mesa’s kingdom with a coalition comprising Judah, Edom and Judah. However, they were unable subdue Mesa (3Kgs). Later Mesa was crowned by Chemosh, his god of liberation. Numbers chapter 22-25 and 31 tell the story of these terrible relationships. Moab hires Balak a seer (Balaam), to curse Israel. Later some Moabite females lead the Israelites towards idolatry. Balaam may have been involved in both of these events. Moab is an ethnic group that is different from Israel and is Israel’s arch enemy. This is where Moab was born! She was not only Israel’s grandmother, but also the grandmother of King David. Why? Because she loved her mother, in a godly way and was able to adopt her mother’s fate and faith. Her ethnicity wasn’t an issue.
The New TestamentJesus Genealogy: Ethnocentrism This is a great way to measure yourself against others. It is quite shocking to learn who Matthew chose for Jesus’ genealogy. It’s quite appalling. It is very disturbing to see people calling Jesus a full-breed Jew’ while he talks with the Samaritan lady (supposedly a woman of a half-breed’). They should go back to their Bibles. This genealogy is particularly disturbing as Matthew establishes Jesus’ legitimacy to be the Messiah. He is someone who comes from the lineage Abraham and David. The first Evangelist needs to include people who some may not consider legitimate. All these women were subject to some form of’marital incontinence’. The first four of them weren’t of Israelite heritage. They were all worthy of a place among the Messiah’s family tree. Jesus included Moabites and Hittites as his ancestors.
According to one author, the focus of this genealogy isn’t in the women but in their stories. This may be true, but these women are the story. No story, no women. These women’s stories and the biblical tiology that resulted from them show that non-Israelites are not a new feature in the NT. Ethnicity, just like one’s history, isn’t a problem for God. If God can make a Messiah from such a genealogical background, he may also redeem all types of people. Ethniccentrism is difficult to overcome. The Bible is clear that the foundation of the identity of the people are not ethnic, linguistic, or geographical. Matthew does this by using a genealogical approach to theology.
History of Kenyan EthnicityKenya is multi-ethnic and contains approximately 42 ethnic communities that have been living together for a while. The Kikuyu is Kenya’s most dominant ethnic group. There are also many smaller ethnic groups in Kenya. This explains why ethnicity is so important in Kenya’s linguistic landscape.
The colonial era is long a part of Kenya’s history. The colonial past is one of many causes of conflict in Kenya. Historical facts show that Kenyans were polarized under the British colonialists’ indirect rule. This strategy created administrative structures such as provinces and districts without considering the wishes of Kenyan Communities. Later, the post-colonial administration inherited these structures. This was a contributing factor to the incompatibility that these ethnic groups experienced in Kenya. It is unfortunate that independence movements and nationalist movements in Kenya were founded on ethnic and regional foundations. They also had leadership at an early stage. They had ethnic names that indicated their interests. The earliest political parties were ethnic conglomerations. For example, the Kikuyu formed the Kikuyu Central Association. The Kamba: Ukambani Members Association was formed. The Luhya: The Luhya Union was formed by the Kalenjin Political Alliance. The Coastal tribes created the Mwambao Union front (MUF), and Taita formed Taita Hills Association.
British administration developed a formula for handing land over to Kenyan indigenous peoples at independence. The grant was to facilitate the re-distribution. It was the expectation of the independence struggle that the land would eventually be freed up for the people, since they had taken it away. The independence agreement with Britain stipulated that the Kenyan government would buy the land from the settlers. This meant there was no land available for distribution. Land became scarce due to the high price. This was the crucial point when land tenure became an ethnic factor and ethnic animosity grew. It is clear that the Kikuyu and their allies, Meru and Embu, were the biggest beneficiaries from this land distribution programr. They also had the alliance GEMA as a bargaining platform. With the blessing of Mzeejomo Kenyatta, the GEMA communities created land buying cooperatives and companies.
The Economic Impact of Ethnocentrism or Negative Ethnicity On PeopleEconomic effectsIt is difficult to calculate the full economic impact of ethnic violence in Kenya. As with all conflicts, ethnic conflicts can cause huge economic and human resource losses. In Kenya, for example, the Post-Election Violence 2007/08 conflict resulted in land ownership patterns being altered. For example, when economic production falls, agricultural activities become stale. Ethnic conflicts lead to over-valuing and under-valuing property. People seek to flee conflict zones to sell their huge properties at higher prices than usual. Other economic consequences of ethnic conflict include food insecurity, destruction and destruction of property, mis-allocation of expenditures, missed-allocation, unexpected expenditure infrastructural disruption and resource diversion, price fluctuation, inflation, and environmental destruction.
These conflicts could lead to economic instability. The conflicts have made international and local investors nervous about investing. The insecurity during conflicts can also affect tourism, which is a key component of Kenya’s economy. Conflicts drain energy and cause people to lose focus on other areas or work. The value of the local currency can also decline, which may delay the goal to have a stable and flexible currency. People may contract diseases like Kwashiorkor or Marasmus due to food insecurity. Investors on the other side may not be able to access capital, which can lead to high unemployment. High levels are often caused by high unemployment. This can make it easier to commit vices. Stress can be caused by the inability to find employment for those with families.
Social EffectsNegative ethnoity has been a major factor in the development of social effects. This includes the senses of identity, culture loss, displacement, traumatization and loss. Negative ethnicity has caused a greater disconnection in society. The most severe psycho-social effects were felt at the family and personal level. Other social effects include the loss of trust between family members, victims who were homeless, destitute, killed, or injured as well as those who are left behind. Victims felt traumatization more. For example, post-election violence 2007/08 saw more victims feel traumatization. The Kikuyus, Kalenjins and Kalenjins suffered loss of life. The main impact of ethnic conflict on society and families has been loss of lives. Ethnic conflicts can also have social effects. They cause divisions, polarization, and undermine positive attitudes.
Citing sources
Kasomo D. (2012.01.19). A review of ethnic conflict and the challenges it faces today. Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/bad7/257852ef60aec99b976c9cc57fd23e847f92.pdf