Ethnie

Ethnie is a term used in social sciences to describe a social category of people who perceive themselves and are perceived by others as sharing a common culture, language, ancestry, religion, or historical territory. It denotes a collective identity that emerges from perceived similarities and shared experiences, rather than a strictly biological basis. Unlike race, which is often treated as a biological construct, ethnicity is widely regarded as a social and cultural construct that can be fluid over time and across contexts. Ethnic belonging is often self-identified but may also be ascribed by others, and individuals may identify with multiple ethnies or reconfigure their affiliation through migration, intermarriage, or cultural change.

Ethnic groups can form through processes of ethnogenesis and sustain themselves through shared symbols, rituals, cuisine, literature, and memory. In many societies, ethnicity intersects with language policy, education, migration, and politics, influencing representation, voting, and access to resources. Ethnicity is frequently measured in censuses and surveys to study demographics, inequality, and social mobility, though its boundaries are debated and contested. Critics caution against essentialism—the idea that ethnicity defines fixed traits—and highlight the diversity within groups as well as the fluidity of identities.

The term Ethnie is widely used in non-English contexts (for example, in French and German), where it is often translated as ethnicity. Related concepts include race, nationality, culture, and identity politics.