Sociological Cultural Studies

Sociological Cultural Studies

Construction of ethnic identity in female students of Sistan and Baluchistan University

Document Type : .

Author
Elham Shirdel
Assistant Professor in Social Sciences, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran
10.30465/scs.2024.49578.2888
Abstract

Ethnic identity can bring the experience of well-being, security, social capital, and development to a multicultural society. Thus, this research examines the social process of ethnic identity formation in female students of Sistan and Baluchistan University. This qualitative research was conducted using grounded theory methodology. Among the female students of Sistan and Baluchistan University, 18 people were selected by theoretical sampling method to achieve data saturation. Participant information was collected by semi-structured interview tool and analyzed by Strauss and Corbin method. The central phenomenon is “internalization and externalization of ethnic identity” that extracted of the core categories include “culturalization of inter-ethnic interactions”, ”the construction of a certain ethnic identity from another” and “ethnic feelings”. The paradigm model shows that the ethnic identity of girls arises in the context of family, educational, and virtual interactions and can lead to different consequences of emotional bonds between ethnic groups, separation between ethnic groups, and feelings of ethnocentrism. Therefore, it is recommended to institutionalize an egalitarian and participatory approach and method in organizations and social institutions with different ethnic groups.
Keywords: Ethnic identity, culture, social interactions, emotions, girls


Introduction
The formation of ethnic identity in adolescent girls is a multifaceted process that is rooted in historical memory and cultural-symbolic characteristics and shapes people's sense of belonging to a particular ethnic community. The political geography and cultural (ethnic-religious) differences of Sistan and Baluchistan province make the issue of ethnic identity significant. The diverse and abundant ethnic identity of girls with its special characteristics affects the experience of well-being, security, social capital and the development of a multicultural society. Ethnic identity includes cognitive, emotional and behavioral components that act as a vital aspect of social identity and self-concept. The study of ethnic identity involves examining how people describe their ethnicity, engage in practices related to their ethnic or religious background, and understand their belonging to broader social groups. Understanding ethnic identity is necessary to preserve the culture of ethnic minorities, resolve inter-ethnic tensions and foster favorable inter-ethnic relations in different societies. Socio-cultural changes caused by the process of globalization and the expansion of women's presence in social-cultural fields can overshadow their ethnic identity. Ethnic identity is reflected in the expectations, feelings, actions and reactions of girls and can help them to be resilient, adapt, reduce negative emotions and be satisfied with their life during their student life.
Various factors are involved in the construction of the ethnic identity of socio-cultural groups. This research explores the social process of ethnic identity formation of female students of Sistan and Baluchistan University. In this research, the construction process of girls' meaning system of ethnic identity in different contexts of social interaction is studied in a multifaceted way. Also, by extracting a conceptual model, it tries to identify and understand the actions, reactions, feelings and style of inter-ethnic relations of girls in social situations.

Materials & Methods
This research used qualitative methodology of grounded theory and semi-structured interview tool. Theoretical sampling and maximum diversity (religion and ethnicity) were used to select the participants. The cooperation of the participants in the interview was done with their consent, and at the beginning of the interview, all the rights were explained to the participants, and then the interview started with their consent. The sample of this research reached theoretical saturation after interviewing 18 people. The information obtained from the interviews was analyzed based on Strauss and Corbin's method. In this research, member check strategies and analytical comparisons were used to prove reliability and increase believability.

Discussion & Result
In the process of information analysis, 133 concepts, 27 subcategories, 8 main categories, and 3 core categories were extracted from the participants' statements. The central phenomenon is “internalization and externalization of ethnic identity” that extracted of the core categories include “culturalization of inter-ethnic interactions”, “the construction of a certain ethnic identity from another” and “ethnic feelings”. The main categories resulting from the analysis of information include “modeling of parents in interaction with other ethnic groups”, “inter-ethnic interactions in the educational environment and reducing ethnic prejudices”, “inter-ethnic interactions in the media and virtual environment”, “emotional disconnection between ethnic groups”, “sense of ethnocentrism”, “emotional bond between ethnic groups”, “belonging to cultural symbols and ethnic demarcation” and “maintaining social distance from other ethnic groups”. The definition of ethnic identity from the point of girls was determined based on the two dimensions of belonging to cultural symbols and ethnic demarcation and maintaining social distance from other ethnic groups. In fact, according to their ethnicity, girls have a sense of belonging to their cultural history and ethnic symbols, including language, clothes, traditions, religion, even handicrafts and common behavior, and accordingly they maintain a distance between themselves and others. The paradigmatic model of the research shows the central phenomenon of “internalization and externalization of ethnic identity” in different social contexts leads to the strategy of construction of a special ethnic identity among female students in a multicultural society, in which this special ethnic identity has various consequences such as “emotional separation between ethnic groups”, “sense of ethnocentrism” and the "emotional bond between ethnic groups”.

Conclusion
The present study shows that the social process of ethnic identity formation of girls starts from a childhood age in the family and continues in interactive situations of life stages. In other words, in interaction with other ethnic groups, people identify and represent themselves as a different ethnic group from others and realize their cultural differences and similarities from others. Based on ethnic symbols and conventions, girls form the borders between their ethnic groups and other ethnic groups and based on this, they label and separate themselves from others. From now on, relations between ethnic groups in social networks are formed based on ethnic identity. This research highlights the dimension of social feelings in girls' ethnic identity. The social feelings of ethnic groups are experienced in various forms in interactive processes and lead to the reproduction of their ethnic identity. The ethnic identity of girls arises in different interactive platforms such as family, school, university and virtual space and leads to ethnic feelings. The present study showed that social conflicts, inter-ethnic comparisons and feeling of injustice can lead to experiencing negative emotions and violent extreme reactions and destroy solidarity between ethnic groups. This lack of solidarity between ethnic groups reduces security, social capital and the development of multicultural societies. Therefore, it is necessary to create compatibility between ethnic groups and social institutions in a multicultural society through attention to needs, participation, institutionalization of interaction and equality. On the other hand, the trans-ethnic feelings of emotional connection such as altruism, respect, and security between ethnic groups should be strengthened. Therefore, it is recommended that an egalitarian and participatory approach and method be institutionalized in organizations and social institutions with different ethnic groups.
Keywords
Ethnic identity
culture
social interactions
emotions
girls
Subjects
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Sociological Cultural Studies
Volume 16, Issue 2 - Serial Number 56
Summer 2025
Spring 2025
Pages 201-239

  • Receive Date 29 July 2024
  • Revise Date 10 September 2024
  • Accept Date 14 September 2024
  • Publish Date 23 August 2025