ABSTRACT
Although ethnicity is an important identity marker in many countries, people have multiple identities relating to (among others things) ethnicity, religion, region of origin, occupation and gender. None of these identities exists in isolation and they are usually linked in intricate ways and sometimes overlap, partially or completely. This study investigates the hypothesis that religious and ethnic affiliations can be and are held concomitantly, but that the relative importance attached to a specific dimension cannot only vary between different groups but also fluctuate between different contexts. While religious identification may be ascriptively or prescriptively considered relatively more important in certain social settings, ethnic identification may take on prime importance in other contexts. This hypothesis is examined through an analysis of survey data of attitudes and perceptions towards identity in Ghana.
