Cultural Identity

We explain what cultural identity is, the elements that make it up and various examples. Also, how it changes or is lost.

What is cultural identity?

Cultural identity is the set of sociocultural manifestations (beliefs, traditions, symbols, customs and values) that provides the individuals who make up a community with a sense of belonging and communion with their peers.

In other words, it is a form of collective identification through which the members of a certain social group (understood as a culture) are differentiated from those who are not part of it.

All people have a cultural identity, which is largely determined by the conditions of birth and by the hegemonic or majority culture received. However, the subgroups that exist within a culture also influence. Thus, within an “official” culture (generally coinciding with the national culture or identity), there are different subcultures or subgroups that, despite being part of the majority, present certain different traits.

Cultural identities, in addition, are not monolithic or total. A person may be more or less traditional in their way of understanding and exercising their identity and culture in certain aspects, and in others they may tend towards multiculturalism, that is, the more or less harmonious coexistence of elements from different cultures.

See also: Collective identity

Importance of cultural identity

Cultural identity can be very relevant in dealing with others especially when it is built in opposition or resistance to others. On the other hand, it can also be important when experiencing cultural diversity from a more open point of view. In this sense, knowledge and acceptance of one's own cultural identity allows one to link with other identities based on tolerance and understanding.

In addition, Cultural identity is part of who one is and one's own history. In the case of migrants, it constitutes a legacy that they carry with them and contribute to the society that takes them in, while the latter offers them a new one.

Elements of cultural identity

Every cultural identity is defined, broadly speaking, by some of the following elements:

• Language. An important feature of cultural identity lies in language, that is, the language that is spoken. This may include geographical and social dialects that differ from the national language. Thus, for example, the various regions of a nation may have particular and distinct cultural identities, even though they all share the same national identity.
• Religion. Beliefs, values ​​and moral and ethical positions are fundamental elements that define cultural identity. Religion and spiritual practices are also marked by a history, a way of relating and certain ways of conceiving the individual within society.
• Ethnicity. Racial and ethnic origins also impact cultural identity, as communities have traditionally grouped around common ideas of race, culture, and geography.
• Social class. The social strata of a community share traits of cultural identity that may be exclusive or that allow its members to identify with each other, such as forms of speech or similar imagery.
• History. The elements that define a person's cultural identity are linked to the memory of the past. In this way, the practices of a community are often related to the processes it has gone through up to the present. For example, ancestral knowledge prior to European colonization plays a fundamental role in the identity of American aboriginal communities.

• You may be interested in: National identity

Examples of cultural identity

Some examples of particular cultural identities are the following:

• The Hong Kong identity. Although the city of Hong Kong is politically, territorially and formally part of the People's Republic of China, the fact that it spent almost a century under British colonial rule (until 1997) before being returned to China forever marked its traditions and its form of cultural identification. This has led to political and sociocultural conflicts between Hong Kongers (Cantonese and English speakers and identified with Western democracies) and traditional communist China.
• The otaku identity. This is a cultural group linked to Japanese pop culture, especially anime and manga. Otakus identify with a passion for these Japanese entertainment media, as well as other aspects of Japanese culture, such as music, fashion, and food. They actively participate in online communities, convention events, and activities related to otaku culture.
• The Goajiro indigenous people. They belong to the Wayúu ethnic group (one of the few Carib peoples that survived the Spanish conquest and colonization) and live in both Colombia and Venezuela. However, they have a strong cultural identity that separates them from both nations. The Wayúu speak their own language and are known for their economy based on livestock, fishing and crafts, especially the manufacture of backpacks and hammocks. Their society is matrilineal, with clans that own specific territories and their own leaders.

Changes in cultural identity

Cultural identity is not something immutable or fixed, but can change, be reformulated and be influenced by other cultures. This exchange can occur in a friendly and peaceful way, through social, cultural or commercial relationships in which the participants share practices, ways of thinking and influence each other.

In other cases, the exchange occurs in a unidirectional and violent manner, through relations of domination, colonization and submission, such as those imposed by European empires on their colonies during the era of imperialism.

These processes of cultural identity change can be called in different ways:

• Acculturation. It occurs when elements of one's own culture are replaced by those from another as a consequence of acts of violence: conquest, invasion, colonization, among others.
• Transculturation. It occurs when two or more cultures exchange elements, usually in conjunction with commercial and economic exchange activities. They are natural and inevitable phenomena, which enrich both cultures.
• Inculturation. It occurs when an individual embraces elements from various cultures and assumes them as their own without feeling like something conflictive.

Loss of cultural identity: Sometimes we speak of loss of cultural identity when a person or group gradually loses its traditions, customs, values, language or other distinctive elements that identify them as part of a specific culture. This can occur for different reasons, such as the imposition of dominant cultures, migration, globalization or the implementation of oppressive government policies, among other factors.

• You may be interested in: Globalization

Cultural identity practices

The life of communities is crossed by different practices that, on many occasions, end up becoming fundamental symbols of cultural identity. For example:

• Parties and celebrations. Traditional celebrations, such as the commemoration of a national, religious or cultural event, are fundamental expressions of a community's identity. Celebrations may be accompanied by ceremonies, music, rituals, dance or food that highlight the history, beliefs and values ​​of the community.
• Gastronomy. Traditional foods and recipes go through the cultural identity of a community. The use of native ingredients, the methods of preparation and the creation of typical dishes are practices that are transmitted from generation to generation and that contribute to maintaining the identity of the group.
• Dress. Clothing is a visible expression of the cultural identity of a community, as well as the use of certain fabrics or accessories. In this sense, folklore costumes or traditional clothing can be linked to celebrations and social events, but also to beliefs and values. This practice often reflects the historical, geographical and social aspects of the community.

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References

• Barnard, A and Spencer, J. (2009). Identity; Culture. The Routledge Encyclopedia of Social and Cultural Anthropology. Routledge.
• Molano, OL (2007). Cultural identity. A concept that evolves. Opera Magazine(7), 69-84.
• Smelser, JJ and Baltes, PB (Eds.). (2001). Identity and Identification: Philosophical Aspects, Cultural Diversity. International Encyclopedia of Social Behavioral Sciences. Elsevier.
• Vergara Estévez, J and Vergara del Solar, J. (2002). Four theses on Latin American cultural identity. A sociological reflection. Journal of Social Sciences (Cl)(12), 77-92.
• White, L.A. (2022). Culture. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/