we have not examined the role of religion, which occupies a significant place in the
lives of many people. To illustrate, New York City is home to the largest Jewish
population outside of Israel,^44 and a visit to Brooklyn will demonstrate the impor-
tant role that religion plays in the identity of the Jewish community, especially the
large number of Hasidic Jews, who adhere to a strict dress code and diet. Christian
women often include a cross in their accessory wardrobe, and thehijabhead cover-
ing and theabayacloak represent a part of many Muslim women’sidentity.^45 Age,
political affiliation, socioeconomic class, physical ability, and minority status, all of
which are part of most individuals’culturally influenced identity, have not been
addressed. Nor have we examined the very important role that tribal identity plays
in such places as Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and Pakistan. Indeed, much of the ongo-
ing Middle East conflict can be attributed torenascent tribal affiliation, which
became prominent after several of the authoritarian leaders were removed from
power.^46 However, the various identities discussed here should provide you with
insight into the complexity of the topic and the important influence of culture on
identity. Let us look now at how we acquire our identities.Identity Acquisition and Development
As previously discussed, identities are a product of contact with others. Ting-Toomey
sees identities as being acquired and developed“through interaction with others in
their cultural group.”^47 Thus, your individual identity(ies) are derived from your larger
group identities (e.g., you can only identify as a male, daughter, college student, etc.
due to the existence of the larger collectivity of similar individuals).^48 Identity develop-
ment, then, can be described as a dynamic process of familial influences, cultural social-
ization, and personal experiences. We have already looked at the family in Chapter 3,
but familial influence on identity is so great that we need to touch on a few points here.
The initial exposure to your identity came from your family, where you began to
learn culturally appropriate beliefs, values, and social role behaviors.^49 Development of
gender identity commences at a very early age when family members start teaching
children culturally based behaviors specific to boys and girls. Interacting with extended
family members also instills age-appropriate behaviors. Moreover, it is the family that
first begins to inculcate the concept of an individual- or group-based identity. At the
start of your school years, you were required to learn and enact the culturally mandated
behaviors of a student. Media also play a major role in your identity development. The
near-constant exposure to media stereotypes creates a sense of how you should look,
dress, and act in order to exhibit age- and gender-appropriate identities. Media also serve
to recruit people to join different groups, for example those for or against a specific activ-
ity, such as gay marriage, abortion, or the use of enhanced interrogation techniques.
From a theoretical perspective, Phinney provides a three-stage model to help
explain identity development. Although the model focuses on adolescent ethnic iden-
tity, it is equally applicable to the acquisition and growth of cultural identity. The
initial stage,unexamined ethnic identity,is“characterized by the lack of exploration of
ethnicity.”^50 During this phase individuals are not particularly interested in examining
or demonstrating their personal ethnicity. For members of minority cultures, dimin-
ished interest may result from a desire to suppress their own ethnicity in an effort to
identify with the majority culture. Majority members in the United States, on the
other hand, seem to take for granted that their identity is the societal norm and
give little thought to their own ethnicity.^51256 CHAPTER 7•Culture and Identity: Situating the Individual
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