Cultural Identity
Cultural identity refers to the sense of belonging and attachment that individuals have to a particular cultural group. It encompasses the customs, traditions, beliefs, and values that shape a person's self-perception and how they relate to others. Cultural identity is influenced by factors such as nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, and social norms, and it plays a significant role in shaping individual and collective identities.
8 Key excerpts on "Cultural Identity"
eBook - ePub- Daniel K. Lapsley, Darcia Narv ez, Daniel K. Lapsley, Darcia Narv ez(Authors)
- 2004(Publication Date)
- Psychology Press(Publisher)
...In clinical and other psychological contexts, Cultural Identity is thought of either as a relatively high level of self-actualization or, at the other extreme, as a rather regrettable stage of conformism that is just a little better than indoctrination and brainwashing. Outside the relatively narrow subdiscipline of experimental social psychology, psychologists divide on whether Cultural Identity enhances or competes with personal agency, as well as whether it is something one has or something one does—in short, whether it is inside, outside, or the same as one’s self. Social scientists and philosophers find still other issues connected to the concept of Cultural Identity, such as whether groups determine individual consciousness or vice versa and whether selves and groups are stable entities or whether they are like Heraclites’ river, so fluid that one can only name them but never truly know or possess them. However, despite this diversity there are commonalities, and even orthodoxies, in the literature of modern social psychology, especially that published in the United States. Cultural Identity is nearly always discussed oppositionally: It is a figure that takes its shape when contrasted with the conceptual background and social horizon of cultural assimilation. More specifically, it is those who would resist the rhetoric and social practice of assimilation who wind up talking about Cultural Identity; when assimilationists speak of Cultural Identity they only do so to characterize their opponents’ position...
eBook - ePubChildren and Families in the Social Environment
Modern Applications of Social Work
- James Garbarino(Author)
- 2017(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
...Being part of an ethnic group contributes to personal, social, and ethnic identity for its members—for better or for worse. It cannot be avoided—even if it is taken for granted, as it is so often for the dominant majority group in a society. Ethnicity—belonging to a group that shares unique cultural and social traditions that continue across generations—is an important factor in shaping identity (McGoldrick, Pearce, & Giordano, 1982). Ethnicity is linked to the way an individual thinks, feels, and behaves because of membership in such a group. Race and ethnicity are not identical. For example, Hispanics have the common cultural heritage of Latin America and the common language of Spanish, but may be White, Black, Indian, or a mixture of the above. However, race and ethnicity can overlap, as in the case of African-Americans and Chinese-Americans. Members of ethnic groups view their differences in language, customs, and beliefs as distinguishing them from others in important ways. Membership in an ethnic group gives the individual a Cultural Identity, a sense of belonging and continuity, and a belief and value system with established norms, values, and social behaviors (Gibbs & Huang, 1989; Spencer & Markstrom-Adams, 1990). Successful identity formation is achieved by exploring an ethnic identity, and then choosing to commit to it (Marcia, 1980). This is why group pride is crucial for individual positive identity. If you reject your group, you may come to hate yourself. Ethnicity enables children to form a map of how they perceive themselves and their world, and bestows meaning on their experiences. Ethnicity influences such factors as a child’s role in his or her family, how he or she is perceived at school, how he or she is treated by peers, and how he or she is accepted by the community...
eBook - ePub- Maykel Verkuyten(Author)
- 2018(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
...Cultural diversity and continuing immigration has changed the situation in such a way that one’s own ethnic majority background is no longer invisible or taken for granted. What it means to be ‘white’ or ‘just English, French, German, or Dutch’ is something that is challenged and problematized, for example in relation to structural privileges and dominance. The multicultural situation confronts people directly with the question of boundary construction and with the value and meaning of what is considered typical of one’s majority group. The topic of identity In the social sciences, many authors have argued that questions of identity have become more urgent and profound in our global era. Economic and cultural changes, the disappearance of dominant political ideologies and of traditional symbols, the extremely rapid exchange of information, the large mobility of goods, services and people, the increasing cultural diversity, and the large number of national and international conflicts are all seen as responsible for the growing importance of identity issues. p.20 In the past decades, the number of writings and empirical studies on (ethnic) identity has increased enormously. One important reason for this is that identity is the key word for conceptualizing the relationship between the individual and society: identity is ‘the best device I know for bringing together “public issues” and “private troubles” ’ (Jenkins, 1997, p. 3). The concept tells us something about how people, as individuals or as a group, position themselves and are positioned by others in their social environment, and how such positions get personal meaning and value. The concept refers to the way in which we see ourselves and others and how we would like to be seen by others. This makes it understandable that, in a period of important societal changes, issues of identity are in the spotlight and that concepts such as identity crisis and the search for one’s own identity are frequently brought up...
eBook - ePubAmong Cultures
The Challenge of Communication
- Bradford 'J' Hall, Patricia O. Covarrubias, Kristin A. Kirschbaum(Authors)
- 2022(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
...Some identities, such as pearly queen, best boy, and shaman, are very community specific; other identities, like mother and father, cut across many cultures even though the expectations that constitute them may vary. Identities empower us and also imply social expectations for both ourselves and others, the violation of which can have serious consequences for our identities. Identities are a social creation and can change over time and through interaction. 2 In this chapter, we will explore the impact of identities on intercultural communication by discussing the difference between personal and social identities and the fundamental role of similarities and differences in understanding these forms of identity, the nature of expectations created by identities, the relationship between identity and communication, and the pathways people take to establish and recognize particular identities. Personal and Social Identities Each of us has two types of identity that, depending upon the context, may or may not be salient in our interactions with others. We have a personal identity and a social identity. Personal identity refers to our perception of ourselves and others as unique, idiosyncratic individuals, distinct from all others. Often this identity is centered on characteristics we associate with ourselves, such as being stubborn, friendly, or open-minded. Social identity refers to the perceived role or communal memberships we and others have. Roles, such as student/teacher, boss/employee, parent/child, customer/salesperson, imply an identity that is grounded in particular tasks and relationships to other people in terms of their roles. Communal memberships tend to be quite broad in nature and are often resilient to change. They are typically associated with large-scale communities, such as nationality, ethnicity, gender, or religious or political affiliation. Indianness, which we read about in the incident that led off this chapter, is an example of a social identity...
- Louise Derman-Sparks, Julie Olsen Edwards(Authors)
- 2020(Publication Date)
...These attributes are what give each person a sense of individuality. Personal identity is primarily fostered by a child’s temperament, home, and extended family, and then by community and school experiences. In contrast, social identity refers to the significant group categories that are created and defined by the society in which people live. These include culture, economic class, family structure, gender, language, race, religion, and more. In addition, societal attitudes toward physical attributes such as body size and shape make them part of people’s social identities. For example, one child’s social identities might include being male, East Coast urban, African American, Muslim, and from a two-parent, middle-class family. A second child’s social identity might include being female, White, rural, Christian, English and Russian speaking, and from a working-class, grandparent-led family. A third child might be gender fluid, West Coast urban, Jewish, and from a professional, blended family. Some of these social identities receive support and approval within the dominant culture. Some are diminished and defined as “other.” Every social identity has societal policies, stereotypes, and attitudes connected with it. These may affect how teachers view the children and families with whom they work as well as how they think of themselves. At various times in one’s life, some social identities may play a more important part than others. A person might also have shifting feelings about various social identities—being proud of some identities and downplaying or denying others depending on the circumstances of that person’s life. Some social identities may shift throughout life: Economic class may shift. Marital status and family structures may evolve...
eBook - ePubSocial Psychology
Fourth Edition
- Eliot R. Smith, Diane M. Mackie, Heather M. Claypool(Authors)
- 2014(Publication Date)
- Psychology Press(Publisher)
...Interpret the group and its history, culture, and other distinctive aspects in positive terms (social creativity) or struggle to change the group’s generally low status and power in society (social competition). CONCLUDING COMMENTS Social identity is central to every aspect of social behavior, just as this chapter occupies a central place in this text. The concept of social identity, as discussed in this chapter, makes clear how intertwined are people’s knowledge about groups, their conceptions of themselves, and their impressions of others. Group memberships not only shape the ways we perceive our own and other groups, but also fundamentally affect the ways we perceive other individuals and ourselves. Not only do we see ourselves in group terms and act in accordance with in-group standards and norms, but as in-groups become part of the self, we think about our groups in many of the same ways that we think about ourselves as individuals. For example, various biases lead us to value me and mine—to view not only ourselves but also our groups through rose-colored glasses. Social identities anchor us in the social world by connecting us to other people—people we otherwise might have little reason to trust, to like, or even to know at all. Because relationships are encouraged and even made possible by our assumptions about what we have in common, group belonging and identification provide a truly social basis for thinking, feeling, and acting. Thus, understanding group membership is vital for understanding many aspects of social behavior. As you will see in later chapters, the effects of our groups on our beliefs, opinions, and behavior; on our close and loving relationships with other individuals; and on the ways we act in face-to-face groups all depend crucially on the ways we accept and identify with in-groups...
eBook - ePubDynamics of National Identity
Media and Societal Factors of What We Are
- Jürgen Grimm, Leonie Huddy, Peter Schmidt, Josef Seethaler, Jürgen Grimm, Leonie Huddy, Peter Schmidt, Josef Seethaler(Authors)
- 2016(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
...According to the social identity perspective, identification entails relinquishing some degree of one’s unique selfhood in favor of perceiving the self as an interchangeable exemplar of a social category – one that is relevant and cognitively accessible at that time. Consequently, individuals are connected through their shared representations of themselves as group members. Here, the social identity is defined as “that part of an individual’s self-concept which derives from his knowledge of his membership of a social group (or groups) together with the value and emotional significance attached to the membership” (Tajfel, 1978, p. 63). That is, group identification consists of three basic elements: cognitive (knowledge of membership), evaluative (value attached to membership) and affective (emotional significance of membership) (cf. Tajfel, 1982). Recently, Leach and colleagues (2008) suggested a two-tier model consisting of two higher-order dimensions, each comprising multiple components: self-investment and self-definition. Self-investment consists of solidarity (sense of belonging and bond with the ingroup), satisfaction (positive evaluation of affiliation with the group) and centrality (subjective importance and salience of the group in one’s self-concept). Self-definition consists of individual self-stereotyping (perceived similarity to an ingroup exemplar) and ingroup homogeneity (perceived ingroup homogeneity) (Leach, Mosquera, Vliek & Hirt, 2010)...
eBook - ePub- Richard Jenkins(Author)
- 2014(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
...4 UNDERSTANDING IDENTIFICATION One of the assumptions that much social science shares with the ‘everyday thinking’ of ‘common sense’ or ‘common knowledge’ is a radical distinction between the individual and the collective. 1 This means that collective identity and individual identity are typically understood as different kinds of phenomena, and the relationships between unique individuality and shared collectivity tend to be unexamined or treated as axiomatic. Much otherwise sophisticated sociological argument, for example, offers a ‘black box’ where there should be an attempt to understand identification processes. Social psychology does look at process, of course, but whether it be symbolic interactionist ‘identity theory’ (Burke and Stets 2009), ‘social identity theory’ (Brewer and Hewstone 2004; Capozza and Brown 2000; Ellemers and Haslam 2012; Hogg and Abrams 1988; Robinson 1996), or ‘discourse theory’ (Antaki and Widdicombe 1998; Potter 1996; Potter and Wetherell 1987), the focus is typically on individuals: ‘personal’ identification and ‘social’ identification are treated as different psychological conditions or constructs, and groups are understood in a coarse-grained and reified fashion. Something important is still taken for granted, something important still missed (although for a psychological contribution that begins to problematise this absence, see Ashton et al. 2004). In this book I adopt another approach...
