many social identities and the different ways they are acquired and developed. A dis-
cussion of the different ways that you establish and enact your various identities and
the role they play in communication is then provided. Next, the growing phenome-
non of binational and multiethnic identities emerging from the globalized social order
is examined. Finally, the chapter concludes with a brief discussion on ways of devel-
oping competency when dealing with people possessing dissimilar identities in inter-
cultural communication interactions.Identity: Defining the Concept
As we have just indicated, identity is an abstract, complex, dynamic, and socially con-
structed concept. As a result, identity is not easily defined, and scholars have provided
a rich variety of descriptions. For instance, Tracy finds identity to be both inclusive
and contradictory:“Identities, then, are best thought of as stable features of persons
that exist prior to any particular situationandas dynamic and situated accomplish-
ments, enacted through talk, changing from one occasion to the next. Similarly, iden-
tities are social categoriesandare personal and unique.”^1 Ting-Toomey echoes this
inclusive nature when she considers iden-
tity to be the“reflective self-conception or
self-image that we derive from our family,
gender, cultural, ethnic and individual
socialization processes. Identity basically
refers to the reflective views of ourselves
and other perceptions of our self-images.”^2
These two definitions treat identity in a
broad sense, but some communication
scholars address“cultural identity” more
specifically. For instance, Fong contends,
“culture and cultural identity in the study
of intercultural relations have become umbrella terms that subsume racial and ethnic
identity.”^3 Fong goes on to define cultural identity as“the identification of commu-
nications of a shared system of symbolic verbal and nonverbal behavior that are
meaningful to group members who have a sense of belonging and who share traditions,
heritage, language, and similar norms of appropriate behavior. Cultural identity is a
social construction.”^4
Cultural identity for Ting-Toomey and Chung is“the emotional significance that
we attach to our sense of belonging or affiliation with the larger culture.”^5 Klyukanov
sees cultural identity as“membership in a group in which all people share the same
symbolic meanings.”^6 Dervin defines cultural identity as“what we construct whenever
we are in contact with other human beings—regardless of the fact that they are from
the same‘environment’or not.”^7 This series of definitions is not an attempt to con-
fuse you. Instead, we are trying to demonstrate that due to its complexity and
abstractness, it is difficult to construct a single, concise definition of identity that
will be agreed on by everyone across the various academic disciplines. Some of the
definitions use“identity,”while others rely on“cultural identity.”However, as we
will illustrate throughout this chapter, we believe that culture plays a role in each of
your many identities, no matter how they are acquired.
Regardless of the definition or term used, it is important to recognize that identities
are dynamic and multiple. Throughout life you are continually acquiring newCONSIDER THIS
Who am I? Who and what help to define me? Pause for a
moment and reflect on those two questions. Write down a
few of your thoughts. The answers you produce will provide
insights into some of your many identities and the sources of
those identities.244 CHAPTER 7•Culture and Identity: Situating the Individual
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