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Cultural Identity Information

Cultural identity is the identity of a group or culture, or of an individual as far as one is influenced by one's belonging to a group or culture. Cultural identity is similar to and has overlaps with, but is not synonymous with, identity politics.

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Contents

Description

Various modern cultural studies and social theories have investigated cultural identity. In recent decades, a new form of identification has emerged which breaks down the understanding of the individual as a coherent whole subject into a collection of various cultural identifiers. These cultural identifiers may be the result of various conditions including: location, gender, race, history, nationality, language, sexuality, religious beliefs, ethnicity and aesthetics. The divisions between cultures can be very fine in some parts of the world, especially places such as Canada or the United States, where the population is ethnically diverse and social unity is based primarily on common social values and beliefs.

As a "historical reservoir", culture is an important factor in shaping identity.[1] Some critics of cultural identity argue that the preservation of cultural identity, being based upon difference, is a divisive force in society, and that cosmopolitanism gives individuals a greater sense of shared citizenship.[2] When considering practical association in international society, states may share an inherent part of their 'make up' that gives common ground, and alternate means of identifying with each other.[3]

Also of interest is the interplay between cultural identity and new media.[4]

See also

General
Identity
Culture
Politics

Footnotes

  1. ^ Pratt, Nicola (2005). "Identity, Culture and Democratization: The Case of Egypt". New Political Science 27 (1): 69–86. doi:10.1080/07393140500030832.
  2. ^ The Limits of Nationalism by Chaim Gans. ISBN 9780521004671 ISBN 0521004675
  3. ^ C Brown (2001) Understanding International Relations. Hampshire, Palgrave
  4. ^ Singh, C. L. (2010). "New media and cultural identity". China Media Research 6 (1): 86. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/New+media+and+cultural+identity.-a0219656567.

References

Further reading

Ethnicity
Related concepts Clan · Ethnic group · Ethno-linguistic group · Ethno-religious group · Indigenous peoples · Meta-ethnicity · Minority group · Nation · Nationality · Panethnicity · Population · Race · Tribe
Ethnology Anthropology · Ethnobotany · Ethnogeology · Ethnography · Ethnolinguistics · Ethnomathematics · Ethnopoetics · Ethnotaxonomy · Ethnomusicology
Groups by region Africa (Arab League) · America (Indigenous · Canada · United States · Central America · South America) · Asia (Central Asia · East Asia · Northern Asia · South Asia · Southeast Asia · West Asia) · Australia (Indigenous) · Europe · Oceania (Indigenous · European)
Identity and ethnogenesis Cross-race effect · Cultural assimilation · Cultural identity · Demonym · Endonym · Ethnic flag · Folk religion · Imagined communities · Lineage-bonded society · Mores · Nation-building · Nation state · National language · National myth · Origin myth · Pantribal sodalities · Tribal name · Tribalism
Multiethnic society Consociationalism · Diaspora politics · Dominant minority · Ethnic interest group · Ethnocracy · Ethnopluralism · Indigenous rights · Minority rights · Multinational state
Ideology and ethnic conflict Cultural genocide · Ethnic cleansing · Ethnic nationalism · Ethnic nepotism · Ethnic stereotype · Ethnocentrism · Ethnocide · Genocide · Indigenism · Separatist movements · Xenophobia

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