Ethnicity, assimilation and nation in plural Suriname

Abstract

Suriname is a developing nation with a colonial legacy of ethnic division and cultural dependence. The post-1945 urbanization of the Surinamese population ushered in new dynamics in ethnicity and assimilation. In the urban context, ethnicity emerged as a pre-eminent organizer of society. However, in this context, assimilation to the unique, evolving Surinamese-Dutch culture is on the rise, signalling a shift from a linguistically and culturally fragmented polity to a linguistically and culturally integrated nation. This article examines the role of ethnicity and assimilation, with particular attention paid to reactive ethnicity and segmented assimilation, on the formation of Suriname as a culturally integrated national entity. The mode of incorporation of each ethnic group into Surinamese society, as well as the economic and demographic strength of each group condition both the salience of group ethnicity and the patterns of group assimilation. The different ethnic groups of Suriname, by subscribing to a common, ethnically neutral lingua franca, have partially overcome traditional cultural and linguistic divisions to form a multi-ethnic national culture. However, historically grounded and persistent ethnic divisions embedded in the nation's institutions continue to preclude ethnic harmony and equitable national development.

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