Cultural identity can be expressed through certain styles of clothing or other aesthetic markers
Cultural identity is the identity or feeling of belonging to a group. It is part of a person's self-conception and self-perception and is related to nationality, ethnicity, religion, social class, generation, locality or any kind of social group that has its own distinct culture. In this way, cultural identity is both characteristic of the individual but also of the culturally identical group of members sharing the same cultural identity or upbringing.
Cultural (and Ethnic) Identity is a subset of the communication theory of identity
that establishes four "frames of identity" that allow us to view how we
build identity. These frames include the personal frame, enactment of
communication frame, relationship frame, and communal frame. The communal frame
refers to the cultural constraints or the sense of "right" that people
live by (which varies by cultural group). Therefore, Cultural (and
Ethnic) Identity become central to a persons identity, how they see
themselves and how they relate to the world.
Description
Child with flag and a gun
Various modern cultural studies and social theories
have investigated cultural identity and understanding . In recent
decades, a new form of identification has emerged which breaks down the
understanding of the individual as a coherent whole subject into a
collection of various cultural identifiers. These cultural identifiers
may be the result of various conditions including: location, gender, race, history, nationality, language, sexuality, religious beliefs, ethnicity, aesthetics, and even food. As one author writes, recognizing both coherence and fragmentation:
| “ | categorizations about identity, even when codified and hardened into clear typologies by processes of colonization, state formation or general modernizing processes, are always full of tensions and contradictions. Sometimes these contradictions are destructive, but they can also be creative and positive. | ” |
The divisions between cultures can be very fine in some parts of the
world, especially in rapidly changing cities where the population is
ethnically diverse and social unity is based primarily on locational
contiguity.
As a "historical reservoir," culture is an important factor in shaping identity.
Since one of the main characteristics of a culture is its "historical
reservoir," many if not all groups entertain revisions, either
consciously or unconsciously, in their historical record in order to
either bolster the strength of their cultural identity or to forge one
which gives them precedent for actual reform or change.
Some critics of cultural identity argue that the preservation of
cultural identity, being based upon difference, is a divisive force in
society, and that cosmopolitanism gives individuals a greater sense of shared citizenship.
When considering practical association in international society, states
may share an inherent part of their 'make up' that gives common ground
and an alternative means of identifying with each other.
Nations provide the framework for culture identities called external
cultural reality, which influences the unique internal cultural
realities of the individuals within the nation.
Also of interest is the interplay between cultural identity and new media.
Rather than necessarily representing an individual's interaction
within a certain group, cultural identity may be defined by the social
network of people imitating and following the social norms as presented by the media. Accordingly, instead of learning behaviour
and knowledge from cultural/religious groups, individuals may be
learning these social norms from the media to build on their cultural
identity.
A range of cultural complexities structure the way individuals operate with the cultural realities in their lives. Nation
is a large factor of the cultural complexity, as it constructs the
foundation for individual's identity but it may contrast with ones
cultural reality. Cultural identities are influenced by several
different factors such as ones religion, ancestry, skin colour, language, class, education, profession, skill, family and political attitudes. These factors contribute to the development of one's identity.
Cultural identity is essentially how we as individuals cater to
all positions of our lives. We may be teachers, students, friends,
bosses, employees, etc. How we act and how our schemas contribute to our
positions are the building blocks of your overall cultural identity.
Cultural arena
It is also noted that an individual's "cultural arena",
or place where one lives, impacts the culture that person chooses to
abide by. The surroundings, the environment, the people in these places
play a factor in how one feels about the culture they wish to adopt.
Many immigrants find the need to change their culture in order to fit into the culture of most citizens in the country. This can conflict with an immigrant's current belief in their culture and might pose a problem, as the immigrant feels compelled to choose between the two presenting cultures.
Some might be able to adjust to the various cultures in the world by committing to two or more cultures.
It is not required to stick to one culture. Many people socialize and
interact with people in one culture in addition to another group of
people in another culture. Thus cultural identity is able to take many
forms and can change depending on the cultural area. The nature of the
impact of cultural arena has changed with the advent of the Internet,
bringing together groups of people with shared cultural interests who
before would have been more likely to integrate into their real world
cultural arena. This plasticity is what allows people to feel like part
of society wherever they go.
Language
Language
develops from the wants of the people who tend to disperse themselves
in a common given location over a particular period of time. This tends
to allow people to share a way of life that generally links individuals
in a certain culture that is identified by the people of that group. The
affluence of communication that comes along with sharing a language
promotes connections and roots to ancestors and cultural histories.
Language can function as a fluid and ever changing identifier, and can
be developed in response or rebellion of another cultural code, such as
creole languages in the US.
Language also includes the way people speak with peers, family
members, authority figures, and strangers, including the tone and
familiarity that is included in the language.
Language learning process can also be affected by cultural
identity via the understanding of specific words, and the preference for
specific words when learning and using a second language.
Since many aspects of a person's cultural identity can be
changed, such as citizenship or influence from outside cultures can
change cultural traditions, language is a main component of cultural
identity.
Education
Kevin
McDonough pointed out, in his article, several factors concerning
support or rejection of the government for different cultural identity
education systems. Other authors have also shown concern for the state support regarding equity for children, school transitions
and multicultural education. During March 1998, the two authors, Linda
D. Labbo and Sherry L. Field collected several useful books and
resources to promote multicultural education in South Africa.
Immigrant identity development
Identity development among immigrant groups has been studied across a multi-dimensional view of acculturation. Dina Birman and Edison Trickett (2001) conducted a qualitative study
through informal interviews with first-generation Soviet Jewish Refugee
adolescents looking at the process of acculturation through three
different dimensions: language competence, behavioral acculturation, and
cultural identity. The results indicated that, “…acculturation
appears to occur in a linear pattern over time for most dimensions of
acculturation, with acculturation to the American culture increasing and
acculturation to the Russian culture decreasing. However, Russian
language competence for the parents did not diminish with length of
residence in the country” (Birman & Trickett, 2001).
In a similar study, Phinney, Horencyzk, Liebkind, and Vedder
(2001) focused on a model, which concentrates on the interaction between
immigrant characteristics and the responses of the majority society in
order to understand the psychological effects of immigration. The
researchers concluded that most studies find that being bicultural,
having a combination of having a strong ethnic and national identity,
yields the best adaptation in the new country of residence. An article
by LaFromboise, L. K. Colemna, and Gerton, reviews the literature on the
impact of being bicultural. It is shown that it is possible to have
the ability to obtain competence within two cultures without losing
one’s sense of identity or having to identity with one culture over the
other. (LaFromboise Et Al. 1993) The importance of ethnic and national
identity in the educational adaptation of immigrants indicates that a
bicultural orientation is advantageous for school performance (Portes
& Rumbaut, 1990). Educators can assume their positions of power in
beneficially impactful ways for immigrant students, by providing them
with access to their native cultural support groups, classes,
after–school activities, and clubs in order to help them feel more
connected to both native and national cultures. It is clear that the
new country of residence can impact immigrants’ identity development
across multiple dimensions. Biculturalism can allow for a healthy
adaptation to life and school. With many new immigrant youth, a school
district in Alberta, Canada has gone as far as to partner with various
agencies and professionals in an effort to aid the cultural adjustment
of new Filipino immigrant youths.
In the study cited, a combination of family workshops and teacher
professional development aimed to improve the language learning and
emotional development of these youths and families.
School transitions
How
great is "Achievement Loss Associated with the Transition to Middle
School and High School"? John W. Alspaugh's research is in the
September/October 1998 Journal of Educational Research (vol. 92,
no. 1), 2026. Comparing three groups of 16 school districts, the loss
was greater where the transition was from sixth grade than from a K-8
system. It was also greater when students from multiple elementary
schools merged into a single middle school. Students from both K-8 and
middle schools lost achievement in transition to high school, though
this was greater for middle school students, and high school dropout
rates were higher for districts with grades 6-8 middle schools than for
those with K-8 elementary schools.
The Jean S. Phinney Three-Stage Model of Ethnic Identity
Development is a widely accepted view of the formation of cultural
identity. In this model cultural Identity is often developed through a
three-stage process: unexamined cultural identity, cultural identity
search, and cultural identity achievement.
Unexamined cultural identity: "a stage where one's cultural
characteristics are taken for granted, and consequently there is little
interest in exploring cultural issues." This for example is the stage
one is in throughout their childhood when one doesn't distinguish
between cultural characteristics of their household and others. Usually a
person in this stage accepts the ideas they find on culture from their
parents, the media, community, and others.
An example of thought in this stage: "I don't have a culture I'm
just an American." "My parents tell me about where they lived, but what
do I care? I've never lived there."
Cultural identity search: "is the process of exploration and
questioning about one's culture in order to learn more about it and to
understand the implications of membership in that culture." During this
stage a person will begin to question why they hold their beliefs and
compare it to the beliefs of other cultures. For some this stage may
arise from a turning point in their life or from a growing awareness of
other cultures. This stage is characterized by growing awareness in
social and political forums and a desire to learn more about culture.
This can be expressed by asking family members questions about heritage,
visiting museums, reading of relevant cultural sources, enrolling in
school courses, or attendance at cultural events. This stage might have
an emotional component as well.
An example of thought in this stage: "I want to know what we do
and how our culture is different from others." "There are a lot of
non-Japanese people around me, and it gets pretty confusing to try and
decide who I am."
Cultural identity achievement: "is characterized by a clear,
confident acceptance of oneself and an internalization of one's cultural
identity." In this stage people often allow the acceptance of their
cultural identity play a role in their future choices such as how to
raise children, how to deal with stereotypes and any discrimination, and
approach negative perceptions. This usually leads to an increase in
self-confidence and positive psychological adjustment.
The role of the internet
There is a set of phenomena that occur in conjunction between virtual culture – understood as the modes and norms of behaviour associated with the internet and the online world – and youth culture. While we can speak of a duality between the virtual (online) and real
sphere (face-to-face relations), for youth, this frontier is implicit
and permeable. On occasions – to the annoyance of parents and teachers –
these spheres are even superposed, meaning that young people may be in
the real world without ceasing to be connected.
In the present techno-cultural context, the relationship between
the real world and the virtual world cannot be understood as a link
between two independent and separate worlds, possibly coinciding at a
pointghghg, but as a Moebius strip
where there exists no inside and outside and where it is impossible to
identify limits between both. For new generations, to an ever-greater
extent, digital life merges with their home life as yet another element
of nature. In this naturalizing of digital life, the learning processes
from that environment are frequently mentioned not just since they are
explicitly asked but because the subject of the internet comes up
spontaneously among those polled. The ideas of active learning, of googling
'when you don’t know', of recourse to tutorials for 'learning' a
programme or a game, or the expression 'I learnt English better and in a
more entertaining way by playing' are examples often cited as to why
the internet is the place most frequented by the young people polled.
The internet is becoming an extension of the expressive dimension
of the youth condition. There, youth talk about their lives and
concerns, design the content that they make available to others and
assess others reactions to it in the form of optimized and
electronically mediated social approval. Many of today's youth go
through processes of affirmation procedures and is often the case for
how youth today grow dependency for peer approval. When connected, youth
speak of their daily routines and lives. With each post, image or video they upload,
they have the possibility of asking themselves who they are and to try
out profiles differing from those they assume in the ‘real’ world. The
connections they feel in more recent times have become much less
interactive through personal means compared to past generations. The
influx of new technology and access has created new fields of research
on effects on teens and young adults. They thus negotiate their identity
and create senses of belonging, putting the acceptance and censure of
others to the test, an essential mark of the process of identity construction.
Youth ask themselves about what they think of themselves, how
they see themselves personally and, especially, how others see them. On
the basis of these questions, youth make decisions which, through a long
process of trial and error, shape their identity. This experimentation
is also a form through which they can think about their insertion,
membership and sociability in the ‘real’ world.
From other perspectives, the question arises on what impact the
internet has had on youth through accessing this sort of ‘identity
laboratory’ and what role it plays in the shaping of youth identity.
On the one hand, the internet enables young people to explore and
perform various roles and personifications while on the other, the
virtual forums – some of them highly attractive, vivid and absorbing
(e.g. video games or virtual games of personification) – could present a risk to the construction of a stable and viable personal identity.
