The Sociology Book

200

M O D E R N I D E N T I T I E S

A R E B E I N G

D E C E N T E R E D

STUART HALL (1932–2014)

I

n the late 20th century,

sociologists began to speak

about a new “crisis of identity,”

because identity—once seen as

a simple idea—was becoming

increasingly hard to pin down.

Professor Stuart Hall claims that

this is due to the way in which

structural change has been

transforming modern societies,

fragmenting the cultural

landscapes of class, gender,

sexuality, ethnicity, race, and

nationality. These are the

frameworks that we have

traditionally relied upon to

tell us who we are, both within

society and as individuals.

Modern identity is no longer

fixed, because it stems from...

...increasing awareness

and incidence of mixed

ancestry, so no one nation

is seen as self-defining.

...a self-built “life story”

that is no longer felt to be

determined by class, race,

or gender.

...increasing awareness

of and identification

with differing countries’

traditions, values,

and beliefs.

...a questioning of

traditions and lifestyles

due to global

interconnections.

IN CONTEXT

FOCUS

Cultural identity

KEY DATES

17th century “The self”

becomes a noun for the first

time, gaining currency as an

idea worthy of investigation.

1900s Max Weber says that

individuals act according to

their subjective interpretations

of the world.

1920s G.H. Mead’s idea of

symbolic interactionism

examines the symbols that

allow people to communicate

to each other despite their

subjective interpretations.

1983 Anglo-American

professor Benedict Anderson

says that national identity is

an “imagined community.”

2010 British sociologist

Mike Featherstone examines

self-driven identity change

through bodily transformations

such as cosmetic surgery.