Preserving National Unity: Culturometric Rapid Appraisals of Ethnic Inequalities

by Beatrice Boufoy-Bastick, Tony Bastick

Overview

Modern developing multi-cultural countries claim their status as progressive democracies by promulgating policies of civic cohesion engendering ethnic equity within a national unity. However, what is promulgated through government mission statements, public speeches and the sentiments of national anthems might hot successfully align with realities of citizen concern. This book introduces a Culturometric application for evaluating these claims to progressive democracy within multi-cultural developing countries. The Culturometric method is demonstrated in this book by evaluating claims to ethnic equity and national unity In Trinidad. The evaluation uses a representative sample of Trinidadian households surveyed to identify advantaged and disadvantaged demographic groups by education/income, wealth, etc. and to measure the equity of their-ethnic identities and comparative national allegiances. This new area of research has been made possible by the innovative tools of Culturometrics. Socio-cultural bricolage in modern multi-cultural societies undermines the utility of traditional, cultural research that uses simplistic binary self-labelling of ethnicity based on ancestral genetic body types. The Culturometric methodology is more rigorous and applicable than traditional cultural studies in that, rather than a binary count of heads, it utilises Cultural Index Regulators that measure, the strength of cultural components within individual identity. This quick and sensitive appraisal of ethnic allegiances among population subgroups rapidly measures inequalities that threaten national unity so that governments and NGOs can be proactive in avoiding flash-point civic disorder and its attendant human suffering.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781619424104
Publisher:	Nova Science Publishers, Incorporated
Publication date:	09/01/2012
Series:	Social Issues, Justice and Status Social Justice, Equality and Empowerment Series
Pages:	87
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.20(d)

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Chapter 1 Culturometric Monitoring of Ethnic Equality and National Unity 1

Introduction 1

Background 2

Part 1 National Unity and Cultural Diversity 5

Chapter 2 The Role of National Unity and Ethnic Equality in Democratic Nation Building 7

Civic Cohesion and Civic Impartiality 7

Territorial and Ethnic Nationalisms 8

Government Interventions towards Ideal Trajectories of Nationhood 9

Situating the Case of Trinidad and Tobago 10

Dangers of Delay with Traditional Measures 11

Avoiding Flash-Points of Civil Violence 12

Chapter 3 Culturometric Refraining of Nominal Ethnic Labels as Ethnic Cultural Identity Components 13

Nominal Ethnic Labels Refrained as Composite Cultural Identities 13

Trinidadian Ethnic Cultural Identity Components Measuring Ethnic Equality, and Civic Cohesion 15

Part 2 Measuring Cultural Identity, National Unity and Ethnic Equality 17

Chapter 4 Using Cultural Index Regulators: Sample, Data, Variables, Instrument and Method 19

Sample 19

Data and Variables 19

Self-Labelled Ethnicity 20

Generations 21

Measuring Cultural Identity 21

Cultural Indices - Construct and Criterion Validity 23

Chapter 5 Culturometric Refraining of Social Constructs as Cultural Identities 25

Applications to Trinidadian Ethnic Labels 25

Chapter 6 Rapid Appraisal of National Unity and Ethnic Equality 29

Affirmations of Ethnic and Civic Cultural Identities 29

Measures of Inequality of Opportunities and Outcomes, and of Civic Cohesion and Impartiality 30

Inter-Ethnic Difference as a Measure of Inequality of Ethnic Opportunities 31

Inter-Ethnic Difference as a Measure of Inequality of Ethnic Outcomes/Attainments 32

Difference between Civic Identity and Maximum Ethnic Identity Measures Civic Cohesion 33

Differences in Civic Affirmation of Outcome Groups Measures Lack of Civic Impartiality 33

Simple Statistics of Social Stability 34

Part 3 Validity Measures of Results and Findings 35

Chapter 7 Sub-Group Definitions, Veracity of Cultural Index Identity Measures and Optimised Public Object 37

Distribution Definitions of Population Sub-Groups 37

Construct Validity of the Cultural Indices 38

Criterion Validity of the Cultural Indices 42

Optimised Choice of Public Object 45

Chapter 8 Evaluations of National Unity and Ethnic Equality in Trinidad 47

Evaluations of National Unity and Ethnic Equality by Gender 48

Evaluations of National Unity and Ethnic Equality by Generation 50

Evaluations of National Unity and Ethnic Equality by Education 52

Evaluations of National Unity and Ethnic Equality by Wealth 53

Evaluations of National Unity and Ethnic Equality by Income 55

Evaluations of National Unity and Ethnic Equality by Creed 57

Evaluations of National Unity and Ethnic Equality by Ethnicity 59

Chapter 9 Conclusions and Recommendations 63

Evaluating Government Success in Attaining and Maintaining Ethnic Equality and National Unity 63

Culturometric Reframes Identify Change Factors Contributing to Civic Unrest 64

360° Evaluation Was Given by Visioning this Study in Terms of Traditional Human Rights 64

Governments Were Compared on Their Civic Manipulations for Containing Ethnic Inequality within National Unity 65

Potential Destabilising Ethnic Differences between Income Groups 65

Destabilising Effects of Trinidad's Two-Party Voting System 66

Minimising the Ethnic-Religious Threat to Nationhood 66

The Way Forward - Avoiding Civil Unrest by Proactive Rapid Appraisal of Ethnic Inequalities 67

References 69

Index 75