Discourses of ethnic minority identity

This article is concerned with the way ethnic minority identity is presented in natural talk. The construction and representation of ethnic categories are studied by analysing discussions held by some ethnically Turkish inhabitants of an inner‐city quarter in Rotterdam. The participants defined their situation within The Netherlands. This definition provided shape and coherence to what was said, and guided the comparisons that were made and the way different categories were presented. It is argued, first, that existing social psychological theories have a restricted and one‐sided view of how people from ethnic minority groups make social comparisons and define themselves because they predominantly focus on status differences. It is shown that the participants construct and cross borders of various categories in defining themselves. Second, it is shown that there is indeterminacy in the dimensions of comparison used for self‐categorization and for the inclusive self‐category in terms of which comparisons are made. Third, it is shown that self‐definition in group terms is unavoidably divisive but not necessarily oppositional.