The Evolution of the Concept of "Ethnic Minority" in Latvian Sociology in the Period 1991-2009 Cover Image

The Evolution of the Concept of "Ethnic Minority" in Latvian Sociology in the Period 1991-2009
The Evolution of the Concept of "Ethnic Minority" in Latvian Sociology in the Period 1991-2009

Author(s): Vladislav Volkov
Subject(s): Social Sciences
Published by: Polskie Towarzystwo Socjologiczne
Keywords: ethnic minority; ethno-sociological research; ethnic stratification; collective identity.

Summary/Abstract: The article reveals the evolution of the concept of "ethnic minority" in Latvian sociology. Sociologists' research carried out in the first half of the 1990s showed the impossibility of applying the concept of "ethnic minority" to all ethnic groups in Latvia. During the 2000s, multicultural ideas of Latvian sociologists about a multi-ethnic Latvian society are taking on more special significance. The concept of "ethnic minority" also is important for the clarification of a concrete issue: in what way is the Russian ethnic group, as the largest ethnic minority, "built in" to the civil community and the Latvian national state.

  • Issue Year: 169/2010
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 99-114
  • Page Count: 15
  • Language: English