THE TERMINOLOGY OF ETHNIC IDENTITY IN THE CONTEXT OF SOCIO-ADAPTIVE PROCESSES

Abstract

The study explores the conceptual nature of an individual's ethnic identity within the context of interconnected socio-adaptive processes. In contemporary psychological science, the relevance of this issue stems from ongoing processes of globalisation—spanning the socio-psychological, economic, and cultural spheres—which create new socio-adaptive conditions for an individual's life and activity. Under these circumstances, as societal processes become volatile and perceptions of one's environment are shaped by diverse information flows, specific transformations in the manifestations of an individual's ethnic identity are emerging. Moreover, alongside the formation and consolidation of ethnic identity, an individual's tendencies and mechanisms for adapting to the social environment also begin to change; this underscores the importance of conducting socio-psychological research into the interaction between ethnic identity and the processes of adapting to the social environment, as well as clarifying the terminology surrounding ethnic identity.