Do you agree with Fredrik Barth that to understand the continuity and Essay

Do you agree with Fredrik Barth that to understand the continuity and constitution of ethnic groups we should focus on interaction at the boundary - Essay Example Beliefs of one ethnic group vary from another group and each group strives to preserve its culture. The members of various ethnic groups separate themselves from other groups in the world by raising boundaries around themselves. These boundaries ensure that the cultural and religious beliefs of an ethnic group stay with their group. The book Ethnic Groups and Boundaries: The Social Organization of Culture Difference by Fredrik Barth focuses on the ethnic groups and the boundaries which these groups raise around themselves, in order to exclude the outsiders from assimilating in their culture. Fredrik Barth maintains that the association of the cultural differences is an essential feature of ethnic groups. In this paper, we will discuss the significance of interaction at the boundary while studying the continuity and constitution of ethnic groups. I agree with Barth’s claim that to understand the continuity and constitution of ethnic group it is necessary to focus on interaction at the boundary, for these are the boundaries which avert the outsiders from influencing the religious beliefs, cultural values and behavioral traits of an ethnic group. In his book Ethnic Groups and Boundaries: The Social Organization of Culture Difference, Fredrik Bath discuses ethnic groups and their various features, beliefs and cultural identities. Ethnic groups are defined differently by various historians, anthropologists and scholars. The term â€Å"ethnicity† had been interpreted in numerous ways. Some think that ethnicity refers to a set of religious beliefs that are followed by a group of people while others think that common behavioral traits and language is the essential aspect of an ethical group. Although it is an accepted fact that an ethnic group consists of people who share a common heritage and culture, there are differences among historians and scholars regarding the characteristics of an ethnic group. â€Å"Attempts to find an objective set of criteria which might