The Concept of Identity as an Issue of Intense Discussion in Social Theory - Essay Example

Introduction The concept of identity has been an issue of intense discussion in social theory for a considerable period. The main basis of argument is that the traditional identities, which stabilized the social world for a prolonged period, are declining significantly. As a result of this decline, there is the emergence of new identities and fragmentation of the contemporary individual as a unified individual. This phenomenon, which is now referred to as crisis of identity, is viewed as a section of a wide process of change. This “crisis of identity”, brings about a dislocation of the central structures and processes within modern societies and assuming the frameworks, which allowed humans to have a stable anchorage in the social world (Modood 2007, p. 91). Theorists who believe that modern identities are falling apart argue that there is the existence of a distinctive form of structural change, which transformed the modern societies in the better part of the late twentieth century. This transformation led to the fragmentation of the cultural landscapes of race, class, nationality, gender, sexuality, and ethnicity, which has given human beings a firm location as social individuals. In addition, the prevailing transformations are also bringing a shift in peoples’ personal identities; undermining people sense of own self as integrated subjects. The loss of a stable oneself is at times referred to as dislocation or de-centering of an individual. The issue of double displacements brings about a “crisis of identity” on the side of the individual (Modood & Werbner 1997, p. 21). Processes of change in identity indicate a process of transformation that is fundamental and wide ranging, posing the question of whether it is modernity, which is undergoing a transformation (Halls et. al. 1992, p. 558). The concepts of identity There are three concepts of identity; enlightenment subject, sociological subject, and post-modern subject. The concept of enlightenment forms its basis of argument from the view that a human being is “a fully centered, unified individual, endowed with the capacities of reason, consciousness, and action”. This concept further suggests that humans have a “center” that forms an inner core, which came into existence the moment an individual was born, and changed with it while staying the same throughout a person’s existence. The vital part of the center of the self was an individual’s identity (Halls et al 1992, p. 559). With further exploration on the subject of enlightenment, there was a hugely individualist conception about the subject. This is supported by the fact that the enlightenment concept was built on the basis of a person being a fully centered, a unified subject, endowed with abilities of reason, consciousness, and action. As mentioned earlier, individuals emerged with a centre made of an inner core and developed with it as they grew. The inner core stayed the same throughout a person’s life and was considered to be identical with it. The essential centre of the self emerged to be a person’s identity (Halls et al 1992, p. 559). The second aspect of identity; the sociological concept signified the rising complexity of the contemporary world and the realization that the inner core of an individual was neither autonomous nor self-sufficient, but came into existence in relation to “significant others.” The latter mediated to an individual the values, meanings, and symbols within the world that the individual lived. Therefore, there existed an interactive development of identity and the self. Based on this approach, which is considered as the classic sociological emergence of the issue, identity develops as a result of interaction between self and society. The concept of sociological conception also takes into consideration the issue of the inner core, but it is created and modified in a continuous discussion with the cultural worlds and their existing identities (Halls et al 1992, p. 560). In sociological conception, identity bridges the gap between the inside and outside, which is the gap between personal and public worlds. Projecting ourselves into cultural identities and at the same time taking their meanings and values, and adopting them as part of us plays a key role in aligning peoples subjective feelings with the objective spaces we hold in the social and cultural world. Therefore, identity stitches an individual into the structure. It brings a state of stability to individuals and the cultural world they occupy, making the dual reciprocally much unified and predictable. This phenomenon is now described as shifting. Previously, the individual could be perceived as having a unified and strong identity, but is now getting fragmented, bringing about several unresolved identities (Modood & Werbner 1997, p. 25). On the other hand, identities that used to form the social landscapes traditionally, and which brought about peoples subjective conformity with the subjective requirements of the culture, can now be seen to fall apart due to structural and institutional changes. For this reason, the process of identification, which people base themselves with in relation to peoples cultural identities, are now variable, problematic, and more open- ended than they were before. The result is a post-modern individual, conceptualized as lacking fixed, permanent, or essential identity. This changes identity into a moveable feast, which can be created and changed on a continuous basis in relation to mechanism adopted in representing or addressing people in the cultural systems surrounding them. This subject takes an assumption of different identities at different points in time. These identities are not unified on grounds of a coherent “self” (Halls et al 1992, p. 560). Further arguments point out that there tends to be contradictory identities within individuals, which usually pull in different directions. This pulling causes peoples identification to keep on shifting in a continuous manner. The feeling of having a unified identity from birth to death arises due to the fact that people usually come up with a comforting narrative of the self regarding themselves. “The fully unified, completed, secure, and coherent identity is a fantasy”. However, as the systems of recognition and cultural identification multiply, individuals face a multiplicity of possible identities. This high number of identities give individuals a chance to identify with one as a temporally identity (Halls et al 1992, p. 563). Change in late-modernity Identity changes in the late modernity offers an additional aspect of identity; identity changes arising from globalization and its impact on identity. The argument is that identity in the late modernity present with a certain character. Theorists point out that modern societies are examples of societies of rapid, constant, and permanent change. This characterization brings out the difference between modern and traditional societies. While considering the traditional societies, the past and symbols were highly valued because they were critical in developing and perpetuating the experience of generations (Kivisto 2008, p77). Tradition creates a way of handling time and space that brings in any activity within the progress of the past, present, and future. The outcomes are then shaped by recurrent social practices. On the other hand, modernity not only refers to the experience of co-existing with rapid, continuous, and extensive change, but also refers to a detailed reflexive form of life whereby social behaviors are continuously examined and restructured using emerging evidence regarding certain practices. By doing so, there is the alteration of social practices. Therefore, ways of life brought about by modernity have cleared away all forms of traditional practices in an unprecedented manner. In their external and internal aspect, transformations involved in modernity appear to be more profound than a majority of changes that occurred in prior periods (Modood 2007, p95). However, these changes have helped in establishing forms of social interconnection, which run around the globe. In a different approach, changes through modernity have come to change some vital intimate and personal characteristics of people’s day to day existence. With modernity in place, the society is no longer the same as sociologists used to think; a unified and perfectly bound unit, totality generating itself through changes in evolution that come from within. In addition, the society is under continuous dislocation as a result of external forces. In late modern societies, societies are marked by differences, different social divisions cut through societies, and there is the presence of social antagonism, which brings about varying identities (Kivisto 2008, p80). If it happens that societies described above hold together, it is not as a result of unification, but rather due to varying elements and identities, which under unique circumstances, articulate such societies together. However, this articulation may take place partially, but the identity structure remains open. Lack of such occurrences suggests that there we would not have any history (Modood 2007, p97). Globalization This far it is crucial to discuss the issue of globalization in relation to identities. In this concept of identity, globalization describes processes that are in operation, in a global scale that runs across national boundaries in a way that integrates and connects communities and organizations within a new ground. This aspect makes the world a reality and much interconnected. Therefore, globalization stands for a movement different from the classical sociological view of a society as a strongly bound system. One notable issue is that globalization has been in existence for ages, which that modernity is innately globalizing (Crossley et al 2003, p. 233). References List Halls, S., Held. D, Hubert, D., & Thompson, K. (1992). Modernity: An introduction to modern societies, Oxford, Black well. Pp. 558-575 Kivisto, P. (2008). Multiculturalism in a Global Society, New York, John Wiley & Sons. pp70-80 Modood, T. (2007). Multiculturalism, New York, Polity. pp87-95 Crossley, P. K. , Lees, L. H., & Servos, J. W. (2003). Global society: the world since 1900, London, Houghton Mifflin.pp230-235 Modood, T. & Werbner, P. (1997). The Politics of Multiculturalism in the New Europe: Racism, Identity and Community, Chicago, Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 20-27 Read More