How does culture shape our collective identity?
Culture is explained as a set of beliefs, norms, values, customs, skills, roles, knowledge, diet, dress and language and certain other components which people acquire and adhere to follow a certain path to live life as per acceptable terms in the society. Culture is passed from previous generations due to an outcome of socialization. Eminent philosopher Charles Taylor explains that identity is formed by means of either the absence of recognition or recognition and may be applicable to discrepancies and similarities at the same time (Persson, 43). This is done by recognizing an individual by either similar of different quality. This explain the sentiment of nationalism which emits from the class of primary identify for most individuals across the globe. In this case the sentiment for nationalism is a collective identity wherein the people living in a particular nation have emotional attachment or emotional bearing for their motherland or fatherland. Hence, collective identity may be explained as a shared and interactive definition which is produced as an outcome of several groups or individuals and takes into account the action orientation, opportunity fields and the location of the action. The feeling of being a part of a greater social community leads to an individual’s collective identity. Certain aspects of self concept is contained in collective self and these things help in chalking out discrepancies between one social group to another and thereby helps in shaping the collective identity of an individual. However, collective identity of individuals does not imply having personal relationships with the members of the group (Brewer & Gardner, 84).
Elements of collective identity
There are several distinct elements which help in shaping the collective identity of an individual. These may be self categorization which is attained by earning a place in a particular social group or community or the sense of belongingness to a society, ethnic or minority group. The subjective evaluation of an individual with respect to the degree of relating to a particular social group also helps in shaping the collective identity. This also includes the negative or positive attitude an individual has in belonging to a group. Also the judgements and considerations made by the general public about the belongingness of an individual to be a part of a specific group. The un-favourability or favourability which an individual attains by belonging to a particular social group especially in the eyes of the general public also helps in shaping the collective identity of an individual. The amount of importance that an individual regards to be a part of a certain social group and the placement of being a member of a certain social group in the hierarchically organized system also helps in forming collective identity. In this case, it is not necessary that the individual is aware of the hierarchical posting of his or her own collective identity. Also the degree or attachment with a particular social group helps to shape opinions about collective identity. The manner in which group members are treated in the larger society also helps in developing individual perceptions about collective identity. Membership orientation towards a specific social group also helps in forming a sense of emotional belongingness with a particular social group. The extent to which individuals feel themselves to be interconnected with a particular social group and the manner in which culture helps in shaping the collective identity by means of daily social relationships that an individual may have helps in forming collective identity of an individual. Behavioural attributes of an individual also helps in determining the social embeddedness of an individual. By social embeddedness, one may imply the degree to which certain values and beliefs with respect to a particular collective identity are embedded in daily social relationships of an individual. Also the extent of performing certain actions or tasks which help in relating directly to the collective identity of an individual helps to understand the linkages of culture in shaping the collective identity of an individual. An individual may develop certain self attributed traits which help him or her to relate to a certain social class, narrative, ideology, group story and collective identity story helps in determining collective identity of an individual. By ideology, it means certain beliefs about the history, position and experience of a particular group in society. Narrative means a tale that an individual has self developed regarding his or her relationship with a particular social class (Ashmore, Deaux & McLaughlin-Volpe, 83).
Conclusion
Thus, the dialectical nature of identities helps in impacting the collective identity of an individual. The social classes that an individual may emotionally and socially be a part of helps in shaping the collective identity of an individual. This is one of the main reasons as to why categories based on nationality, gender or ethnicity are inflexible and depending on the culture of the individual helps in carrying strong social affiliation and values with a specific social group or community. The above mentioned categories are not naturally created but are developed through human intervention but stands to be among the main category of identity for most individuals. This is despite the fact that an individual belonging to a certain social class may not even be associated with most members belonging to the same social class, even hear about them or meet them in person but will emotionally relate to the other individual by means of the symbol of communism. Hence collective identity helps in forming certain impenetrable feelings which are both dialectical and fluid in nature. Also collective identity of an individual is associated with the social culture and class and hence extends to feelings of gender, ethnicity and nationality.
Works cited:
Ashmore, R.D., Deaux, K. & McLaughlin-Volpe, T. “An organizing framework for collective identity: articulation and significance of multidimensionality”. Psychology Bulletin, 130.1(2004): 80 – 114. Print.
Brewer, M.B. & Gardner, W. “Who is this “we”?: levels of collective identity and self-representations”. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71(1996): 83 – 93. Print.
Person, Stephanie. “The individual and the collective: a comparison of identity, individualism, and social categorization in the American and Chinese student”. Research Discourse, 1.1(2010): 42 – 57. Print.
