For a young social scientist from the post-Soviet Caucasus, these two weeks
of intensive library work, professional guidance and meetings with relevant
specialists in the field, along with assistance from graduate students and
professors, were useful for compiling a comprehensive reading list, syllabus and
a preliminary literature review on the topic of ethnic identity. This report begins
with an etymology of "ethnicity" as a concept. Then, I go on to discuss
sociological perspectives on nation, ethnicity, and identity. Furthermore, I
discuss ethnic socialization issues, focusing on education and identity. Lastly, in
a small section, titled “Hypothesis for Future Research,” I address some
anthropological and cultural perspectives related to identity in Georgia and
Armenia.