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What Is Cultural Identity

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Introduction One of the most important aspect of the development of an individual is the development of the individual’s identity. Identity refers to “a definition placed on self” which has two simultaneous characteristics. The first is a sense of sameness or continuity across various situations and over a period of time and the second is a difference that makes an individual distinct from others. The formation of an identity is imperative to ensure an individual’s psychological and social well-being and must always be considered within the socio-cultural context which the individual exists in. Durkheim in the year 1895 paved the way towards acknowledging the importance n individual’s culture has on his or her definition of themselves (Usborne …show more content…

It has been theorized to be one of the major factors that influences the formation of an individual’s idea about themselves. In recent literature the term ‘Cultural Identity’ has been mentioned, which refers to the aspect of an individual’s definition of self that derives directly from his or her link with one of more cultural groups. Cultural Identity comprises of the “shared traits, values, norms, experiences and history that are associated with one’s group and are internalized by the individual to make up an essential component of his or her identity” (Ashmore, 2004 as cited in Usborne & Sablonniere,2014). The importance of cultural identity can be understood in terms of the fact that it is now seen as an essential part of the overall identity development of a person and has been shown to affect the levels of psychological well-being in …show more content…

2000), the process of formation of ethnic identity is a result of the individual’s efforts to gain knowledge and an understanding of their culture and also develop a feeling of belongingness to the said culture or cultures and also states that the development of cultural identity follows certain stages. The first stage according to this model is the stage of Identity Diffusion/ Foreclosure where the individual either lacks the interest to explore their ethic culture or has not as yet professed a preference for a specific cultural identity. This is followed by the stage of Identity Search where the individual makes conscious efforts to gain knowledge about the culture and this can be a very turbulent period for the individual as they come face to face with a lot of emotions. This is followed by the stage of Identity Achievement where the individual has been able to balance the various cultural forces in his or her life and come up with a stable cultural identity (As cited in Wijeyesinghe & Jackson,

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Most would agree with Marcus Garvey, a civil rights activist, when he remarked, “A people without the knowledge of their past, history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.” Cultural identity can be defined as how one identifies personally from the precedent of his or her culture. Through the narratives “Mrs. Sen’s”, “This Blessed House”, and “The Third and Final Continent” in Jhumpa Lahiri’s compilation, Interpreter of Maladies, that by having a secure system to teach one about morals, a person can evolve to become a better person. However, it is important to immerse oneself with other cultures and customs. By doing so, one can start to understand the hardships another culture had to overcome at one point.

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Identity speaks of who we are as individuals but it also comes from two different groups: social and cultural. These groups are connected to power, values and ideology. Social identities are related to how we interact with people and how we present ourselves. Meanwhile cultural identities relate to society in whole such as religion, values, etc. In this paper I will talk about the dominant and subordinate identities.

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Positionality Paper Throughout the semester, we have had the opportunity to study many different social identities and their impacts on my life. For the purpose of this paper, the three social identities I have decided to focus on are: gender, nation of origin and race. Key Influences/Specific Events My gender was my first known identity, even before my name was given or before I had taken my first breath.

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For years psychologist have studied the concept of ethnic identity and the effects it has on a person’s psychological wellbeing. The term ethnic identity means the extent to which an individual identifies with a particular ethnic group(s). It is essentially ones sense of belongingness to an ethnic group and part of one’s thinking, perceptions, feelings, and behavior that is due to ethnic group membership. While someone can be Caucasian (race) that says nothing about his or her ethnicity. Ethnicity is about traditions, learned behavior, and customs.

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Each individual has their own different social identity. One’s social identity is constructed based on the different influences around them. The development of social identity is influenced by various factors such as the historical, cultural and religious beliefs of the society, community or family where one is brought up. It is influenced by the behaviours and attitudes of authority figures such as parents, teachers and community leaders around them, it is also influenced by external factors such as the media, one’s peers and the overall exposure one has (Carrim, 2006, p56).

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“Through others we become ourselves” ( Vygotsky ). In order to understand one's identity we must look at the contributing factors that society has to offer. Cultural identity can be discerned as “invisible web composed of values, beliefs, ideas about appropriate behavior, and socially constructed truths” ( Trumbul 9 ). Considering this definition, I realize that my cultural identity can be best represented by my family because they have taught me their morals and expanded my views on the world as a whole. Various aspects of a person's life may determine his or her cultural identity including education, religion, and community.

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Practically, it has also not been proven whether there is positive correlation between in-group and out-group assessments. Managing numerous identities such as religion, race and politics in the multi-cultural society to come up with a harmonious social identity is still a challenge to Social Identity Theory. Finally he proposes that Social Identity Theory should try to explain tool, both theoretical and methodological, that may assist in understanding the operation of social identity processes in an automatic level, how it happens and the likely effect for attitudes and behavior in a controlled

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Cultural Identity Paper Casey Tjandra (5010-1697) Intercultural Communication University at Buffalo There has always been and always will be an element of controversy when it comes to one’s cultural identity. Some may see it as qualities adapted from wherever you were born and raised, while others may see it as something you develop from being around groups of people that are most prevalent in your life. However, one thing’s for sure, throughout life there has to be at least one moment that you have felt different from everyone else around you. Everyone around you may have lived different experiences, witnessed different events, or just know different things, because of the fact that we all didn’t grow up the same way.

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Identity Identity uniquely defines a person and is the main driving force of a diverse social dynamic. In many ways the identities of a society’s individuals speaks about its variety. The definition of identity itself is so ambiguous because it is used for a multitude of meanings. In a paper of James D. Fearon to attempt to analytically define the word identity incorporating all its uses today, he states that “identity” is presently used in two linked senses, which may be termed “social” and “personal” (Fearon, 2). Taking into consideration the former term of identity defined by an identity that “refers simply to a social category, a set of persons marked by a label and distinguished by rules deciding membership and (alleged) characteristic

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There is no cultural identity there is only self identity. What makes me, me, what gives me an identity that is different than anyone else are the parts of my life that I go through everyday, where my family comes from, and how I was born. Where I come from is right here in St.Paul Minnesota where I was born

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Introduction The concept of identity has been a notion of significant interest not just to sociologists and psychologists, but also to individuals found in a social context of perpetually trying to define themselves. Often times, identities are given to individuals based on their social status within a certain community, after the assessment of predominant characteristics that said individual has. However, within the context of an ethnicity, the concept identity is most probably applied to all members of the ethnical group, and not just one individual. When there is one identity designated for the entire group, often times the factor of “individuality” loses its significance, especially when referring to the relationship between the ethnic

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So, in looking at my cultural identity, I am examining both my own labels and what they mean to me and layering on top of that cultural influencers that operate within my life and how the interplay between these layers works. In looking at all of the groups I listed as being important parts of my cultural identity, I think the one aspect of internalized or deep culture seen as an undertone throughout all of them is the theme of independence. I was raised to believe that as long as what I was doing was not hurting anyone else, it was okay. I was also taught early on that I am the only one who can make me happy, and that has to happen before I will be able to help others.

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2.1 Representation and identity A Cultural theorist, also a leading figure of the development of media and cultural studies, Stuart Hall’s cultural representation theory is very representative and has a significant impact in the field of cultural studies. His book “Representation: Cultural representations and signifying practices” published in 1997 is a study of the crucial links between language, culture and how shared meanings are constructed and represented within the language. Hall believes culture plays the primary role in how we construct meaning and representation was closely related to culture. Representation is the process by which meaning is produced and exchanged between members of a culture through the use of language, such as

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Culture assumes an imperative part in one's life on the grounds that it is an in number variable in molding one's identity. Culture identity is one's own feeling of culture. It is the impact one additions by having a place with a sure gathering or culture. It additionally alludes to the traditions, traditions, and practices that influence a man. Cultural Identity is the apparent character of a spot or an individual’s, based on these cultural manifestations.

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Considering the different ways an individual may form his/her identity, it is necessary to highlight its classification into Personal Identity, Collective Identity, National Identity and Ethnic Identity. An individual identifies him/herself as unique and different from the other when constructing his/her personal identity. Here, the relevant factor is to be, to a certain extent, free to make their own choices without being imposed to obey the collective (Wiewiorka, 1998, p.893). On the other hand, individuals feel the necessity to belong, or have a sense of belonging, to a group. This collective identity enhances their self-esteem and it is “a condition of group esteem and of its recognition” without being stigmatised (Wiewiorka, 1998,

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