The Role of the Family in the Transmission of Ethnic Identity among the Irish of Savannah, Georgia

Field: Social Sciences (Social Sciences)

ABSTRACT To better understand importance of family in transmission of identity, this paper suggests answers to following questions: (1) How strong is among members of Irish organizations in Savannah, Georgia? and (2) How important is family in transmission of among members of these groups? role of family in transmission of is an important one as indicated by quantitative and qualitative findings. strength of was salient among older respondents, among those who attended church regularly, and among members who attached higher levels of importance to religion, organizations, and family in forming and maintaining their identities. importance of organizations and particularly importance of family as transmitters of ethnicity are most significantly related to strength of identity. This discussion is part of larger study about members of Irish organizations in Savannah as well as contribution to ongoing scholarly debate about transformation of or consciousness among Americans of European ancestry (Alba 1990; Brodkin 1998; Gans 1979, 1994; Glazer 1997; Greeley 1974; Hout and Goldstein 1994; Ignatiev 1995; McDermott and Samson 2005; Nagel 1994; Waters 1990). During last 40 to 50 years there has been much debate among social scientists about and their rate of assimilation in American society (Alba and Nee 2003; Chong 1998; Ebaugh 2003; Gans 1979, 1992; Glazer and Moynihan 1970; Gordon 1964; Greeley 1974; Sears, Fu Henry, and Bui 2003). transformation taking place today among is more complex than simply distinguishing whether United States is melting pot or culturally pluralistic (Alba 1990:3). Nagel (1994:154) stated that while some scholars point to weakening of boundaries in white American population others show a maintenance or increase in identification thus producing what she calls an ethnic paradox. Gans (1979, 1994) argued that ethnicity and religiosity have become mostly subjective identities for contemporary white European Americans. Later-generation white ethnics may practice what Gans (1994:577-578) calls symbolic ethnicity, The consumption and use of symbols intended mainly for purpose of feeling or being identified with particular ethnicity, but without participating in an existing organization (formal or informal) or practicing an ongoing culture. Symbolic religiosity is defined as, the consumption of religious symbols apart from regular participation in religious culture or in religious organizations. Hammond and Warner (1993:66) determined that religion and ethnicity maintain significant relationship in late-twentieth century America, but it is just as plausible to note that this relationship systematically varies from one kind of group to another such that groups with high rates of tend also to have high rates of religious identity (Hammond and Warner (1993:63). Hammond and Warner (1993:66) believe that even though religion and ethnicity presently influence each other, this relationship will decline in future as more Americans choose their own religious and identities instead of accepting those identities ascribed to them at birth. One's religious and identities have become increasingly voluntary (Waters 1990). Ethnicity in United States is being transformed among white European Americans and symbolic ethnicity is one outcome of such transformation. Two other outcomes are stronger emphasis on regional identities (based on geography) and development of panethnic European American (Alba 1990; Kivisto and Ng 2005). We addressed issues of symbolic ethnicity, symbolic religiosity, panethnic European American identity, and regional identities in previous papers. …