Shared norms and the evolution of ethnic markers

Unlike other primates, human populations are often divided into ethnic groups that have self-ascribed membership and are marked by seemingly arbitrary traits such as distinctive styles of dress or speech (Barth 1969, 1981). The modern understanding that ethnic identities are flexible and ethnic boundaries porous makes the origin and existence of such groups problematic because the movement of people and ideas between groups will tend to attenuate group differences. Thus, the persistence of existing boundaries and the birth of new ones suggests that there must be social processes that resist the homogenizing effects of migration and the strategic adoption of ethnic identities.