THE cultural identity it is still widely discussed within the theoretical circles of Social Sciences due to its complexity. Among the possible ways of understanding the idea of cultural identity, there are two distinct conceptions that we should highlight within the most recent sociological studies. These conceptions of identity are briefly explained by Anthony Giddens, British sociologist, and will help us to better understand this concept.
culture concept
Before talking about the different concepts of cultural identity, we must first clarify the general idea of culture and identity. THE notion of culture it alludes to socially inherited and learned characteristics that individuals acquire from their social life. Among these characteristics are language, cuisine, way of dressing, religious beliefs, norms and values. These cultural traits have a direct influence on the construction of our identities, since they constitute a large part of the set of attributes that form the common context between individuals in the same society and are a fundamental part of communication and cooperation between subjects.
identity concept
The concept of identity refers to a more individual part of the social subject, but that is still totally dependent on the common sphere and on social coexistence. Generally speaking, identity is understood as that which relates to the set of understandings that a person has about himself and about everything that is significant to him. This understanding is built from certain sources of meaning that are socially constructed, such as the gender, nationality or social class, and which are now used by individuals as a platform for building their identity.
Within this concept of identity, there are two important distinctions that we must understand before proceeding. Sociological theory distinguishes two apprehensions: social identity and self-identity. THE social identity it refers to the characteristics attributed to an individual by others, which serves as a kind of categorization performed by other individuals to identify what a particular person is. Therefore, the professional title of physician, for example, when assigned to a subject, has a series of predefined qualities in the social context that are attributed to the individuals who exercise this profession. From this, the subject positions himself and is positioned in his social scope in relation to other individuals who share the same attributes.
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The concept of self-identity (or personal identity) refers to the formulation of a unique meaning that we attribute to ourselves and to our individual relationship that we develop with the rest of the world. The theoretical school of "symbolic interactionism" is the main point of support for this idea, as it starts from the notion that it is in the face of the interaction between the individual and the outside world that the formation of a sense of “oneself” arises. This dialogue between the individual's inner world and the outer world of society shapes the individual's identity that is formed from his choices throughout his life.
cultural identity
Finally, we can establish, in light of what has already been clarified, that the concept of cultural identity alludes to the identity construction of each individual in their cultural context. In other words, cultural identity is related to how we see the outside world and how we position ourselves in relation to it. This process is continuous and perpetual, which means that a subject's identity is always subject to change. In this sense, cultural identity fills the spaces of mediation between the “inside” and the “outside” world, between the personal world and the public world. In this process, at the same time we project our particularities on the outside world (actions individuals of particular will or desire), we also internalize the outside world (norms, values, tongue...). It is in this relationship that we build our identities.
by Lucas Oliveira
Graduated in Sociology
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
RODRIGUES, Lucas de Oliveira. "Cultural identity"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/sociologia/identidade-cultural.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.
