What is interethnic relations?

Interethnic relations ... This term has recently been quite often heard from radio and television screens, and those interested in hot news can also find it on the pages of modern periodicals or popular Internet resources. Sometimes in a good context, but more often, you will agree, still in a sad or unsettling. Unfortunately…

In my article, I propose to consider this term in more detail, give it a definition, look into the history and give some typical examples.

Interethnic relations. Definition of concept

Interethnic relations are a set of individually experienced relationships between people who belong either to different nationalities or are representatives of different ethnic communities. This concept is studied immediately by two social sciences: general psychology and ethnopsychology.

How does this relationship arise?

Yes, strictly speaking, they are formed gradually, in the process of labor or political life, and also flow from the family, everyday life, friendly and any other informal communication.

Depending on the historical past of this or that country, the socio-political situation, economic, cultural and living conditions of life, the nature of such relationships can change and adopt friendly, neutral or (at most extreme) negative forms. In addition, personal interest in communication can significantly influence him.

Interethnic relations. Their varieties and forms

Such relations can arise between representatives of different nationalities at the level of one state, and also, of course, they can arise between different states or nations.

Scientists managed to distinguish two main forms of interethnic relations:

• Ethnic or national conflict;

• Peaceful cooperation, which includes several subspecies:

- Ethnic mixing. Occurs in the event that different groups, spontaneously mixing up with each other, after a certain number of years begin to form one nation. As a rule, this happens through inter-ethnic marriages. If you go deeper into history, you can learn that it was in this fashion that once there were Latinos, in the traditions of which, to this day, the customs of the Spaniards, Portuguese, African slaves, and local natives are mixed.

- Ethnic assimilation or absorption. It happens in the event that one people almost completely dissolve in another or even simultaneously several. This can happen both in a peaceful and a war period. For example, without bloodshed and enslavement, the United States was formed. But in antiquity everything happened much more rigidly, and as an example it is possible to bring the conflict between Assyria and Rome.

If the assimilation scenario is violent, then a larger and stronger nation prohibits the second, for example, using one's own language or sticking to one's own customs and traditions.

Interethnic relations. Ways to resolve conflicts

According to modern sociologists and political scientists, if the relations between the nations have reached a deadlock and any attempts to get out of the situation that has arisen eventually led to an even greater aggravation of the situation, there are several real ways to influence this conflict:

• Recognize the existence of interethnic problems and solve them through the methods of national policy.

• At the level of the nation, realize the unacceptability of violence and the mastery of the culture of another people. Allow any nationality to realize its freedoms and rights, respect its identity, language and customs, without showing any animosity or mistrust.

• To normalize the ethnopolitical situation, use different levers of the economy.

• To create a different kind of cultural infrastructure in those regions for which a mixed national composition is characteristic. For example, national centers, schools with the opportunity to attend lessons in their native language, as well as to give the opportunity to observe all national traditions and customs.

• Organize special international commissions, councils or other structures that will deal with the peaceful resolution of all emerging national disputes.

The problem of interethnic relations arises, first of all, where people do not hear each other and do not even want to try to negotiate peacefully.