ABSTRACT
Ethnicity is one of the key sociological categories and an element of human identity that plays an important role in social life. This chapter introduces ethnicity and its utility as a lens for understanding diverse life-experiences and -outcomes in Australian society, including those of culturally and linguistically diverse people and communities. The chapter is divided into four parts. The first part defines the core features of the concept and distinguishes it from other key categories such as race and nationality, while the second part reviews various theories of ethnicity, its underpinnings in culture and biology, and its implications for human behaviour and experience. The third part illustrates the historical, political, and demographic contours of ethnicity in Australian society up until present day, and the final part provides an insight into contemporary discussions on migrant generations.
