12th December 2005, 12:13 PM
Hi Beer Beast,
Am Replying to you question of why Minorities feel excluded and discriminated agaisnt.
I am from an 'ethinic minority group', a term I hate, i believe it builds divisions, I am Cypriot, though born in London, both my parents were from Cyprus.
One of the reasons I feel that 'ethnic minority' archaeologists are so few in the UK is that it is not thier cultural history and they feel no responsibilty towards it, as such, the interest for it is not there. Another maybe that after they have studied in the UK they return to their native homelands to carry out archaeological projects there.
I myself have never felt excluded or discriminated agaisnt but that maybe because my ethnicity is not overtly visisble, being of mediterranean origins, permament slight tan and dark curly hair, or looking like an overwiegth churub as friend keeps telling me,is a possible explanation for this.
It is simply one of those of things if you are intrested in archaeology as a 'minority' you will be, while I was at Uni, we had 2 people from a British musilim backgroud, a Japanese individual and myself a Cypriot, a Palestinian individual and a Lebonese individual, a Turkinsh individaul.
Maybe the problem is that we look for diversity when we dont actually need to, it has always been, I have found within my own community (the Cypriot community) that it is inward looking, I myself have very few friends from my own ethnic background because I find them extremely inward looking, and if I may say it, backward, in thier veiws. We have a tendency to group together for mutual support and nothing else 'better to be with own kind then with others' to quote an insane and rather old relative.
While I beleive in ethnicity, i do not beleive in 'ethinic minorities' as that is where division in discrimination begin.
Hope the conference goes well,
Orkynowot
Am Replying to you question of why Minorities feel excluded and discriminated agaisnt.
I am from an 'ethinic minority group', a term I hate, i believe it builds divisions, I am Cypriot, though born in London, both my parents were from Cyprus.
One of the reasons I feel that 'ethnic minority' archaeologists are so few in the UK is that it is not thier cultural history and they feel no responsibilty towards it, as such, the interest for it is not there. Another maybe that after they have studied in the UK they return to their native homelands to carry out archaeological projects there.
I myself have never felt excluded or discriminated agaisnt but that maybe because my ethnicity is not overtly visisble, being of mediterranean origins, permament slight tan and dark curly hair, or looking like an overwiegth churub as friend keeps telling me,is a possible explanation for this.
It is simply one of those of things if you are intrested in archaeology as a 'minority' you will be, while I was at Uni, we had 2 people from a British musilim backgroud, a Japanese individual and myself a Cypriot, a Palestinian individual and a Lebonese individual, a Turkinsh individaul.
Maybe the problem is that we look for diversity when we dont actually need to, it has always been, I have found within my own community (the Cypriot community) that it is inward looking, I myself have very few friends from my own ethnic background because I find them extremely inward looking, and if I may say it, backward, in thier veiws. We have a tendency to group together for mutual support and nothing else 'better to be with own kind then with others' to quote an insane and rather old relative.
While I beleive in ethnicity, i do not beleive in 'ethinic minorities' as that is where division in discrimination begin.
Hope the conference goes well,
Orkynowot