Polyethnicity: Academic Discourses and Political Constructs

Abstract (English)

This panel examines the academic discourses and political constructs surrounding polyethnicity in Russia, China, India, and other nation-states. Through diachronic and synchronic analyses of interethnic/multiethnic interactions, empirical studies demonstrate that ethnic identity persistently intersects with other identity modalities. While archaeologists and anthropologists frequently posit linear narratives of ethnogenesis for specific ethnic groups, critical scholarship reveals that ethnic formation is inherently polycentric, characterized by the differentiation of activity spheres and spatial niches among distinct populations.
The differentiation/integration of ecological niches and the emergence of polyethnic alliances—ranging from ephemeral coalitions to institutionalized confederations—constitute pivotal mechanisms in ethnic evolution. When political borders bifurcate autochthonous populations, these groups frequently evolve into intermediary agents bridging state entities and polyethnic collectives. Significantly, religion operates as a dual-function catalyst, simultaneously facilitating cultural synthesis and demarcating ethnic boundaries. This panel employs a comparative cross-regional framework to advance theoretical paradigms for understanding polyethnic dynamics in global contexts.