The controversy surrounding the concept of “ethnicity” when applied to Africa, begins with its definition. Since research on African cultures was spearheaded by western scholars before and during colonial rule, their “streamlining” and “categorizing” of Africans into “ethnic groups” and “tribes” became the acceptable way of viewing Africa.
This trend however, came under challenge with the birth of Afro-centrism, an attempt to rewrite African history from an African perspective. The definition of “ethnicity” therefore remains a conflict between “Euro-centrism” and “Afro-centrism,” the former being widely accepted in the West and the latter being revolutionary.
Western Definitions of "Ethnicity"
Many western scholars define “ethnicity” from a cultural dimension. This, however, adds to the confusion because the concept of culture is equally so vast and controversial. Political scientist Alex Thomson for example, sees an ethnic group as “a community of people who have the conviction that they have a common fate based on issues of origin, kinship ties, traditional, cultural uniqueness, a shared history and possibly a shared language.”
Craig Calhoun on his part contends that “notions of ethnicity become pronounced when they are used to distinguish one social group from another within a specific territory.” This view is shared by Thomas Hylland Erikson who sees an ethnic group simply as a “people.” In his view, this “people” or group of people must have a minimum of contact with each other and entertain ideas of each other as being culturally different from themselves.
How Africans view the concept of "Ethnicity"
Because of its explosive potential, many African scholars treat the concept of ethnicity with extreme caution. Many deliberately refrain from using the term, preferring instead to talk about “nationalities.” This view is very common among African scholars who uphold the thesis that Africa was made up of strong and prosperous nation states before establishing contacts with Europeans.
To many African pundits therefore, attempting to define “ethnicity” is simply another way of justifying a false and divisive concept. As a result, they have been less concerned with defining or redefining ethnicity, preferring instead to explore its damages on postcolonial Africa.
G. I. C Eluwa for example, observes that ethnicity is a concept that has been unwisely fostered by African leaders for selfish and ephemeral advantages. On his part, Okudiba Nnoli points to the socio-economic competition among postcolonial Africans within the multiparty system.
From "Ethnicity" to Linguistics: Joseph Greenberg’s Approach
American anthropologist Joseph Greenberg was less inclined to view Africa from an ethnic perspective. Having conducted fieldwork for graduate studies among the Hausas of Nigeria where he came to grips with not only the Hausa language but some basic elements of African life, Greenberg devised his method for studying Africa based on linguistic classification.
In his ground breaking work The Languages of Africa, Greenberg classified African languages into four main groups – Afro-Asiatic, Nilo-Saharan, Niger-Congo and Khoisan. He also identified the Bantu languages of sub-Saharan Africa as not as independent languages but as part of Niger-Congo group of languages.
The main significance of Greenberg’s linguistic classification of Africa is that it exposes the inherent weakness of the western concept of “ethnicity.” By (western) “ethnic” standards, Africa comprises of millions of “ethnic groups” or “tribes” which is suggestive of division, competition and conflict. Greenberg holds a contrary view, suggesting that the entire continent comprises four main language groups, an indication that pre-colonial Africa was more united than “ethnic” theorists had suggested.
See also: How Africa was streamlined into “Tribes” and “Ethnic” groups
Defenders of Ethnicity and their Arguments
Sources:
Calhoun, Graig. Nationalism, 1977.
Greenberg, H. Joseph. The Languages of Africa, 1963.
Nnoli, Okwudiba. Ethnicity and Democracy in Africa, 1994.
Thomson, Alex. An Introduction to African Politics, 2000.
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