that go into identity formation are not the same everywhere.
The indigenization of psychology outside the Western world led to the discovery
of personality traits and to the development of analytic concepts that Western
individualism de-emphasizes or ignores. Kapwa or ‘shared inner self’ is such a
concept that Filipino psychologists proposed as a core value of the Filipino
psyche. It integrates elements of Confucian ethics, mutual trust, a sense of being
one with others, and the ability to adapt and surrender one’s identity in favour of
conformity.
The Japanese notion of amae or ‘passive love’ is another example of an analytic
concept strongly linked to a non-Western culture. It expresses the desire
unconditionally to be loved and being cared for by a trusted other. Both kapwa
and amae have invited criticism and debate in their national contexts and
beyond. The importance of these concepts is not that they have conclusively
pinpointed personality traits so far overlooked, but to call attention to the fact
that if identity formation involves acts of identifying with, the range of values,
mores, and models offered to the individual to this end has to be taken into
account. This is a project of merging individual psychology with cultural
psychology by way of acknowledging the possibility of a Eurocentric bias in
established theories of personal identity formation, without falling into the trap
of unqualified cultural relativism.
Adjusting to how things are done in one’s environment is part and parcel of
individual identity formation. This is nowhere more obvious than in language
(which is both nature and culture).
Conclusions
Rather than a fixed state, personal identity is an ongoing project. The individual
forms his or her identity by identifying with someone or something. Individuals
who are unable to reconcile competing personal and social demands may suffer
an identity crisis, an experience once associated with adolescence, which,
however, in recent decades has been linked to mental troubles in adult life
stages, too. Personal identity is something we are, something we have, and
something we act. We perform acts of identity following culture-specific stage
directions that leave room for individual expressivity.