The Global Resurgence of Ethnicity: An Inquiry into the Sociology of Ideological Discontent

This essay takes the position that global resurgence of ethnic hostil it ies can be seen as a manifestation of discontent with the proclaimed national ideologies. The b reakdown in the con viction that adherence to an ideology and the appl ication of a re lated social agenda would amel iorate the critical ly felt i l ls of a society. has resu lted in the redirection of frustrations towards scapegoat minorit ies. Whether the ideology has been demo cratic secularism or socialism. the inabi lity to "deliver the cargo" of economic and social wel l being. polit ical stabl i ltiy has proven to be a d i rect indictment against the ideology itself. And. l ike opportun istic diseases. ethn ic suspicion. hatred. and hosti l i ty have invaded the body pol it ic of the national communities weakened by a c risis of ideological faith . In I nd ia. for example, the trend towards " Hinduization" indicates disi l lusionment with a forty-year experiment with secular ism. This essay proposes that resu rgent ethn icity has f i l led the vacuum created by the loss of ideology. and it takes a different trajectory to the "end of idealogy end of history" theme of K. Marx , D. Bel l , H . Marcuse. and F. Fukuyama. I ts objective i s to enqui re into the conditions needed for ideological realization and the conse quences of its loss.