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Key research themes
1. How do ethnic boundaries shape social identity and group dynamics through spatial and social interaction?
This theme focuses on the conceptualization of ethnicity as a social organization defined by boundaries rather than simply cultural traits. It emphasizes the relational and constructed nature of ethnic group boundaries, how these boundaries are maintained, negotiated, and transformed in social contexts, and their material and spatial manifestations. Understanding ethnic boundaries is pivotal for grasping the dynamics of inclusion, exclusion, and identity formation within and between groups.
Key finding: Reaffirms Barth’s core insight that ethnicity is a form of social organization defined by boundaries, not by cultural content. The paper highlights the ongoing relevance of focusing on ethnic boundaries as sites of social... Read more
Key finding: Builds on Barth’s constructivist approach by emphasizing boundaries as social media of association shaped by power relations, institutions, and cognitive processes. It shows boundary construction as dynamic, highlighting the... Read more
Key finding: Provides a detailed historical and comparative account of Barth’s boundary theory’s diffusion and adaptation in Central European anthropology, illustrating how ethnicity is understood as socially constructed identities... Read more
Key finding: Advocates for materialist, contextually grounded race and ethnicity theories that connect micro social contexts with macro processes such as migration. It stresses race/ethnicity as produced through social interaction and... Read more
Key finding: Defines ethnicity as identity based on common cultural affiliation and shared ancestry linked to specific places, distinguishing immigrant and homeland ethnicities. The paper underscores the fluidity and political nature of... Read more
2. How is physical and social space racialized or ethnicized as a cultural product that shapes and reinforces identities and inequalities?
Research under this theme examines the role of physical space — including urban neighborhoods, public spaces, and cultural landscapes — as both shaped by and constitutive of ethnic and racial identities. It considers how spatial configurations, segregation, and ethnic enclaves produce symbolic and structural boundaries, affect social interactions, and reproduce racialized experiences and inequalities. Understanding ‘ethnic space’ as a cultural product elucidates the interplay between geography, identity, and power.
Key finding: Proposes that physical spaces are structurally racialized through historical practices such as segregation and discriminatory policies, creating mental images that connect race with space. These racialized perceptions... Read more
Key finding: Conceptualizes space in multiple dimensions — physical, cultural, social, ideological, political, and commercial — showing how ethnic identity is constructed and contested through spatial practices in marketplaces,... Read more
Key finding: Identifies two major strands of literature regarding ethnicity and public space: one focusing on human-place relations through policy and urban design to manage diversity, and another on interpersonal human-human interactions... Read more
Key finding: Documents the emergence of ethnic socio-commercial spaces (business areas) and informal ethnic arenas used by Ethiopian immigrants, demonstrating how these spaces function as essential social and cultural hubs sustaining... Read more
Key finding: Analyzes the spatial concentration and segregation of ethnic immigrant communities, focusing on how ethnic identities are expressed and negotiated through placemaking in diverse urban and suburban contexts, illustrating the... Read more
3. How do immigration and multicultural policies influence the formation and identity of ethnic spaces in urban and regional contexts?
This theme explores the impact of migration flows, multiculturalism, and policy frameworks on the spatial and social production of ethnic spaces. It investigates how immigrant communities integrate or segregate within cities and regions, how public policies promote or regulate cultural diversity, and how local and transnational dynamics shape ethnic identities and the socio-political ecology of ethnic spaces.
Key finding: Demonstrates how increasing migration contributes to cultural diversity in urban public squares, influencing space identity, usage patterns, and social interaction. Highlights challenges and potentials of multicultural urban... Read more
Key finding: Conceptualizes ethnicity as socially constructed identities and examines multiculturalism as both political philosophy and policy, alongside transnationalism describing migrants’ multi-sited relationships. This integrative... Read more
Key finding: Reflects on two decades of research emphasizing how multiculturalism policies and societal changes influence the recognition and management of ethnic, racial and religious diversity. It documents the continuing evolution of... Read more
Key finding: Examines grassroots and institutional initiatives creating 'welcoming spaces' in non-urban areas, analyzing how immigration reshapes regional development, fosters social inclusion, and challenges dominant exclusionary... Read more
Key finding: Uses linguistic landscape analysis and ethnographic interviews to empirically map and qualify the contested boundaries and multi-layered ethnic identity of Liverpool’s Chinatown, illustrating how immigrant communities,... Read more