ABSTRACT
We all have multiple identities. At any given time we select one or a limited number of them as a guideline for our social behaviour. Different identities become relevant in different situations. In some situations we want to mark a difference; in others we are looking for a shared characteristic or a common affiliation. A Rendille who meets a Gabbra can either underline his different ethnicity, especially in a hostile context, or he can point to a clan affiliation which he or one of his relatives shares with the Gabbra in question to establish an in-group relationship.
