Ethnic identity and national politics: A comparative analysis of indigenous identity and political participation in Bolivia and Guatemala

Abstract

Using the Latin American cases of Bolivia and Guatemala, this dissertation has produced findings in four different areas related to the relationship between ethnic identities and national politics: First, the definition and measurement of ethnic identities, which suggests that a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods is the best option for measuring a constructivist definition of ethnic identities. Second, the relationship between ethnic identification and political processes, in which is it shown that ethnic identities are not necessarily stable across time and that political processes can play a relevant role in their definition. Third, a strong civil society seems to be a necessary condition for the success of a political movement based on a particular identity category. And finally, that individuals who identify as part of an ethnic minority group do not necessarily have a weaker attachment to the nation than members of the majority group. The project employs a combination of quantitative analysis of survey data and the interpretation of qualitative information produced during fieldwork in the two countries. The knowledge obtained from this research is useful for understanding the general relationship between indigenous people and the national states in the Americas, and might also give clues about the general relationship between ethnic minority identities and the national political sphere.