The State in the Construction of Ethnicity and Ideological Labor: The Case of German Jewry

Abstract

While there is an abundance of literature on ethnicity and ethnic group formation, the relationship of ethnicity to the state is rarely addressed. This paper discusses some classical and contemporary approaches to this question and proposes the concept of "ideological labor": ethnic groups performing a specific ideological function within society. The case discussed here is that of postwar German Jewry. The presence of Jews in postwar West Germany, it is argued, was vital for domestic and foreign policy reasons and Jews performed the role that was expected of them.