On Ethnic “Communities” in Non-Native Environments

According to the author, the concept of ethnic community is often used uncritically in the literature concerned with ethnic groups in non-native environments. The basis for this type of argumentation is sociological (yet not equivocal) conceptualization of “community”. The concept of ethnic “community” as used in everyday language as well as in theory and politics ignores heterogeneity and conflict in these “communities” and constructs the image of homogeneity and non-differentiation where they do not exist. A paper is based on a study of second generation non- English speaking migrants in Australia.