Juniper Publishers-Identity: A Cultural Perspective
Juniper Publishers- Open Access Journal of Social Sciences & Management studies
Opinion
Who are you? Though this question seems simple, the
syntax that ensues is anything but. The quantity of potential replies is
limitless when considering the parameters of defining the self. In
Westernized countries, such as the United States, responses typically
consist of: titles (president, manager, doctor), professions
(pediatrician, professional golfer, student), and relationships (wife
of…, son of…). The jury is still out on whether this sense of
individualistic identity is either symptomatic or resultant of, what
contemporaries call: “Generation Me”, whom are marked as tolerant,
confident, open-minded, and ambitious, yet narcissistic, distrustful,
anxious, and disengaged [1]. Whereas in traditional Eastern cultures,
based on social identities influencers’, responses tend to be more
aligned with: kin (Wang family) and role (family elder) [2]. However,
something that is consistent between both Western and Eastern cultures
is a period of personal uncertainty.
Identity is defined as the fact of being who or what a
person or thing is. According to one of the lead researchers on
identity, James Marcia [3], one’s identity status is quadfurcated into:
diffusion, foreclosure, moratorium, and achievement. Inter-status
examinations reveal a unique cultural discord between identity
foreclosure and moratorium. Within the theory, to foreclose one’s
identity is to be committed to a path in the absence of an identity
crisis. This, for instance, means that you want to be a blacksmith
because you were raised in the profession – you do not know any other
way. To possess identity moratorium, one must have explored various
commitments but has yet to fully commit. A third-party utilitarian
onlooker may argue that foreclosure is better because the individual is
in a position of security and fiscal power, however, they may also argue
that moratorium is better because the individual is in an advantageous
intellectual position – setting the seeds for the future. This is where
the cultural rift erupts.
In the United States, since the Baby Boomer
generation, there has been a culture of simultaneous differentiation and
conformity [4]. Denizens want to be different and special, yet they
will concede all their beliefs to appear relatable and likable. This
conformity breeds contempt and feelings of entitlement, “I deserve to do
X because I have given up so much in my past.” To me, this phenomenon
is known in contemporary literature as licensing. Persons believe their
“desirable” behavior justifies their “undesirable” behavior, in this
case the desirable behavior is conformity and the undesirable are
perceived selfishness. This environment bread Generation Me’s
recognition that they must redefine selfishness to permit the setting on
one’s own path to happiness.
Resultant of this recipe lies a distinct need to be
different from their predecessors. Therefore, a member of Generation Me
would view identity foreclosure as a life sentence – a fate worse than
death – for you are performing the ultimate conforming act. So, what of
identity moratorium? The average meritocratic American would argue that
moratorium is merely a step towards the American Dream. Growing up, the
American Dream is cited everywhere. When I say everywhere, I mean
everywhere: even when making small talk with a waitress at your favorite
restaurant, the topic of succeeding their current position; to elevate
their current standard of living, consistently arises. So, it is not
hard to imagine how a step towards such a galvanizing goal is regarded
positively.
To drive the point home, I will provide some numbers…
according to collegedata.com for the 2017-2018 academic year, the
average in-state public college tuition cost is $25,290 per year and the
average private college tuition cost is $50,900 per year. A
conservatively estimated 75% of all college students either register as
an “undeclared” major or change their major at some point in their
collegiate career. This illustrates that the importance of finding your
niche in American society is so important that
students will change their mind even after investing tens of
thousands of dollars.
So, what are the implications of this? Well, the implications are
that Generation Me inhabitants are scrutinizing their career path
in hopes of enjoying the third of their life spent working. Based
on the heaps of literature on motivation, we know that the more
intrinsic motivation (by enjoying their work) the higher quality and
quantity of work will be completed. Therefore, it is not too much
of a stretch to argue that through these sociological mechanisms
– we should be producing a more studious and dedicated
workforce than ever before. So, what does this mean? This means
that perhaps “Generation Me” is a misnomer. Perhaps we should
relabel it “Generation Us” because it is saving us, as a collective,
from another generation of artificial-selves that do what they must
rather than what they want. I certainly know that I would rather
have a dedicated doctor, who loves her job, performing my surgery
than a dilapidated surgeon who is only working for the paycheck.
So, I suppose, the only question remaining is: Who are you?
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