Communication Between Cultures

CHAPTER 7

Culture and Identity:

Situating the Individual

Who you are is determined by your past; who you will become is a product of your future.

ANONYMOUS

We define our identity always in dialogue with, sometimes in struggle against, the things our

significant others want to see in us. Even after we outgrow some of these others—our

parents, for instance—and they disappear from our lives, the conversation with them

continues within us as long as we live.

CHARLESTAYLOR

I move back and forth between the racial divides.

BARACKOBAMA

I

dentityis a term frequently used in media reports, popular culture discussions, academic

studies, and numerous other contexts, but all too often it is inadequately defined or

explained. Even here, you are probably wondering why identity has its own chapter in

an intercultural communication textbook. A very good question, and by the end of

this chapter you should have an answer as wellasgreaterinsightastowhatidentity

is and an appreciation for the complexity of the concept.

Identity is a multifaceted, dynamic, abstract concept that plays an integral role in

daily communicative interactions and particularly in intercultural communication. The

accelerated mixing of cultures arising from globalization has added to the complexity of

identity through increased immigration, cross-cultural marriage, international adoption,

and an overall broadening of opportunities for people of different cultures to meet and

interact across a variety of professional and social settings.

Because identity is so pervasive in social interactions and can be such a critical

factor in intercultural communication, it is necessary to have a thorough understand-

ing of what it entails. To help you attain that understanding, we begin by providing a

theoretical definition of identity. This is followed by a discussion of how identity

influences social roles and guides social behaviors. We then examine a few of your

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