Performing Arts Chapter 2 Two Cultural Identity Issues Belonging Overview Collier Cultural Identity And Intercultural

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Chapter Two

Cultural Identity: Issues of Belonging

Overview

Collier, M. “Cultural Identity and Intercultural Communication” (pp. 53-61).

The author first defines culture and describes how culture operates and how cultures are formed

based on group membership related to ethnicity, gender, nationality, and several other factors.

The author then defines cultural identity and describes how cultural identities are created and

maintained through communication. Finally, Collier discusses cultural and intercultural

competence and closes with a summary of the advantages of the cultural identity approach.

Chen, G-M. “An Alternative View of Identity” (pp. 61-69).

A number of traditional approaches to understanding the concept identity are presented in this

Pratt, S., Pratt, M, & Dixon, L. “American Indian Identity: Communicating Indian–ness” (pp. 70-76).

How American Indians are defined, the problems related to research on American Indian culture

and issues, and contemporary issues of American Indian identity are the focus of this essay. The

Martin, J. “Understanding Whiteness in the United States” (pp. 76-84).

In this essay, Martin begins by explaining how identities are negotiated through communication,

and then discusses the ways that white identity is linked to power and hegemony before

describing three dimensions of white identity. The author also outlines the five stages involved in

white identity development.

Sauceda, J. “Chicano/a Ethnicity: A Concept in Search of Content” (pp. 85-91).

Onwumechili, C., Nwosu, P., & Jackson, R. “Straddling Cultural Borders: Exploring Identity in Multiple

Reacculturation” (pp. 92-104).

The authors of this article examine the identity shifting done by “cultural transients,” or people

who move back and forth between cultures, through a cultural contract framework. The authors

– Chapter Two –

Outline

I. CULTURAL IDENTITY AND INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION (Collier)

a. Culture: “a historically transmitted system of symbols, meanings, and norms” (p. 53)

i. Symbols and meanings

ii. Norms

iii. History

iv. Types of cultures

1. National and ethnic cultures

2. Ethnicity

3. Gender

5. Geographical area

7. Physical ability or disability

b. Cultural identification as a process

c. Cultural identity: “the particular character of the group communication system that

emerges in the particular situation” (p. 56)

ii. Properties of cultural identity

1. Avowal and ascription processes

3. Individual, relational, and communal forms of identity

5. Affective, cognitive, and behavioral components of identity

7. Salience and intensity differences

d. Cultural identity and communication competence

i. Cultural competence: “the demonstrated ability to enact a cultural identity in a

II. AN ALTERNATIVE VIEW OF IDENTTY (Chen)

a. An overview of identity research

i. Disciplines of anthropology, psychology, and sociology

1. Identity and social identity theory

a. Identity theory (sociology) “deals with the structure and function

1. Social

3. Group

4. Role identities in group contexts

c. Identity and social identity incompatible?

2. Identity in sociology

a. Identity maintenance

b. Identity formation

i. Chicago School of Symbolic Interactionism of an

emergent and procedural nature of social reality

3. Identity in anthropology

a. Embedded in culture

i. Boundary

ii. Space

b. Authenticity of the social or cultural identity enhanced by

“others”

c. Boundaries marking the beginning and end of cultural groups

d. This approach diverts attention from self and individual

ii. The discipline of communication

2. Identity is “socially constructed, interactive, negotiated, relational,

multifaceted, and space claimed

4. How identity is influenced by dominance and power from the intergroup

approach, critical cultural approach, and the postcolonial approach

b. An alternative view of the self and identity

1. Confucianism – five roles, the self is defined by them

a. Subdued self

3. Buddhism – no duality between subject and object

a. No realization of self because no self exists

iii. Taoist view on the self and identity

1. Unlike Buddhism and Hinduism, Taoism recognizes the existence of the

self and identity

3. The universe and I exist together, and all things and I are one

5. Egoless self-hood

a. The four great hindrances

i. Preconceptions

ii. Predeterminations

b. Creativity is the basis of egolessness

c. Sensitivity contracts diversity into unity

c. Conclusion

III. AMERICAN INDIAN IDENTITY: COMMUNICATING INDIAN-NESS

(Pratt, Pratt, & Dixon)

a. American Indian identity: Communicating Indian-ness

i. Other cultures typically do not get evaluated on degrees. When it comes to

b. Defining Indian-ness

i. Being Indian consists of more than just possessing a certain amount of Indian

blood

1. A person may look Indian but not be Indian

3. Identity is socially constructed and manifest in communication

ii. You’re not full blood, are you?

1. A constant process of establishing, confirming, and attesting to what is

termed Indian-ness

a. Tribe affiliation (what tribe are you? Do you sing around the bid

drum? Do you pow-wow?)

b. Non-Indians (How much Indian are you? You’re not a full

c. Defining the contemporary Indian experience

i. Indian-ness versus tribal-ness

ii. Indian-ness is the focus

d. Indian-ness and tribal identity

i. Tribal identity (Def.) “…is derived from an adherence to and acceptance of a

unique rather than a generalized lifestyle.”

ii. Both Indian and Osage

e. Negotiating American Indian identity

i. The “old west” image

ii. Worship forces of nature, the Great Spirit

iii. “Many Indians are Christians and do not believe in multiple gods or spirits and

are not able to withstand pain any better than their non-Indian counterparts.”

f. Issues in researching Indians

i. Unlike any other cultural group, American Indian identity is called into question

even when making themselves available to be studied.

ii. Are they a culturally competent member?

iii. What type of Indian identity they exhibit

iv. Indian or tribal communicative behavior?

v. Identify and delineate what Indian and tribal behavior is

vi. No single type of Indian identity nor a standard set of behaviors generalizable to

all Indians

g. Cultural Competency or Indian-ness

IV. UNDERSTANDING WHITENESS IN THE UNITED STATES (Martin)

a. A communication perspective on identity

i. “…cultural identities are negotiated, co-created, reinforced, and challenged

through communication” (p. 77)

b. White racial and ethnic identity

i. Race versus ethnicity

1. Race is a socially constructed category more than physiological category

1. Many whites may not think about their whiteness as part of their identity

because they don’t need to

c. Dimensions of white identity

i. Whiteness is a location of structural privilege

ii. Whiteness is a “standpoint.”

1. White identity entails a certain “place from which white people look at

themselves, at others, and at society”

iii. Whiteness is a set of core symbols, norms, and labels

d. White identity development

2. Active acceptance

iii. Stage 3: Resistance

iv. Stage 4: Redefinition

v. Stage 5: Internalization

e. Summary

V. CHICANO/A ETHNICITY: A CONCEPT IN SEARCH OF CONTENT (Sauceda)

a. Polemic introduction

b. Understanding the terms Mexican American and Chicano/a

i. The term Chicano/a is preferred over Mexican American

c. The entangled definitions of ethnicity

i. Isajiw’s review of research uncovered the five most frequently cited requirements

ii. Chicano/a membership does not meet any of these requirements

1. Cultural elements attributed to Chicanos/as are actually indicative of

socioeconomic status rather than ethnicity

3. Many Chicanos/as don’t speak any Spanish, while others are fluent

5. One does not have to share common ancestry to be a Chicano/a

d. The two interacting mechanisms of Chicano/a ethnicity

i. “The most elemental prerequisite for Chicano/a ethnic membership is one’s

ii. “Chicano/a ethnic membership is created by racist intolerance and stereotypic

classifications imposed by the mainstream American society.” (p. 90)

e. Conclusion: Or now we can begin

VI. STRADDLING CULTURAL BORDERS: EXPLORING IDENTITY IN MULTIPLE

REACCULTURATION (Onwumechili, Nwosu, & Jackson)

a. Introduction

i. “Cultural transients” are people who move back and forth between cultures

b. Acculturation research

i. U-curve hypothesis

ii. W-curve hypothesis

iii. Cyclical curves

c. Typologies of cultural transients

i. Short-term socioeconomic/political transients

ii. Long-term socioeconomic/political transients

iii. Short-term service/employment transients

iv. Long-term service/employment transients

d. Cultural identity shifting

i. The cultural identity model

ii. Other effects of identity shifting

iii. Networks upon reentry

iv. Transients and cultural contracts

1. Ready-to-sign cultural contracts

3. Co-created cultural contracts

e. Conclusion

– Chapter Two –

Discussion Ideas

Concepts & Questions from “Cultural Identity and Intercultural Communication” (Collier, pp. 53-61)

1. How does viewing intercultural communication from a cultural identity perspective increase your

competence as a communicator?

2. In what ways may the adherence to cultural norms vary depending upon one’s immediate cultural

identity?

3. Collier discusses types of cultures. Using her discussion as a basis for consideration, list the

names of various cultural groups with which you identify. Do you find conflict between any of

these identities?

4. How is cultural identity formed?

5. How does ascription contribute to the formation of cultural identity?

6. What are core symbols and how do they contribute to the formation of cultural identity? List

7. What does Collier mean when she asserts that cultural identities are both enduring and changing?

8. How does cultural identity relate to communication competence?

9. What are some of the benefits of using the cultural identity approach to intercultural

communication situations?

Concepts & Questions from “An Alternative View of Identity” (Chen, pp. 61-69):

1. What are Chen’s reason and purpose in proposing a new approach to viewing identity?

2. After reading about how anthropology, psychology, and sociology approach the study of identity,

which do you find is more closely aligned with your personal concept of what identity is and

does?

5. Explain the critical approach to studying identity. Do you agree with this perspective? Why or

why not?

6. In your opinion, which of the following is a religion and which is a philosophy? Explain your

7. What makes Taoism different from Confucianism, Hinduism, and Buddhism?

8. Can you think of any weaknesses in Chen’s Taoist approach to identity? What are they?

1. The essay states that identity is “socially constructed and manifested through communication.”

Explain this statement and provide an example.

2. What do the authors mean by the term Indian-ness?

4. What are some of the factors leading to the decline of cultural competency among American

Indians?

5. Contrast “tribal identity” and “Indian identity” as discussed in the essay. Why has one become

more prevalent than the other?

7. What are some of the difficulties encountered when researching American Indians?

8. How does one become a culturally competent tribal member?

9. What is meant by the phrase “identities are negotiated”?

1. According to Martin, what is the role played by communication in defining one’s ethnic identity?

2. How do the dimensions of white ethnic identity differ from the ethnic identity of other co-cultures

in U.S. society?

3. What are the development stages of white ethnic identity? Do these stages differ in any

significant way from ethnic identity development in other cultures or co-cultures?

5. How did Martin answer the following question: “What is the difference between racial and ethnic

identity”?

6. How does Martin define “bounded identities”? How does she define “dominant identities”?

7. Do you believe there is a set of cultural norms and symbols shared by most white people? If yes,

Concepts & Questions from “Chicano/a Ethnicity: A Concept in Search of Content” (Sauceda, pp. 85-92)

1. Why does Sauceda believe that the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo created the phrase

“Mexican American”?

2. What distinction does Sauceda make between the phrases “Mexican American” and “Chicano/a”?

3. Why does Sauceda maintain that there is confusion surrounding the word “ethnicity”? How does

6. Do you agree with Sauceda’s assertion, made nearly thirty–five years ago, that “Chicano/a ethnic

membership is “created by racist intolerance and stereotypic classifications imposed by the

mainstream American society”? If the assertion is true, can it be applied to other ethnic groups?

Concepts & Questions from “Straddling Cultural Borders: Exploring Identity in Multiple

Reacculturation” (Onwumechili, Nwosu, & Jackson, pp. 92-104)

1. What are some reasons people are moving across borders?

2. What is the U-curve hypothesis? What are its stages? Why do Onwumechili, Nwosu, and Jackson

believe it is no longer an accurate tool for analyzing culture shock?

3. What are some factors that can influence the reentry process?

4. How does cultural identity influence the reentry process?

5. What are the key variables that can mediate transient activity?

6. What are the three types of cultural contracts that can be negotiated? How do they apply to

transients?

7. Which of these three contracts do you believe would be most useful if you were in the role of a

cultural transient?

– Chapter Two –

Exercises

Exercise 2.1: Self-Narrative of Cultural Identity

As an out-of-class assignment, have students write a narrative of their own cultural identification. With

what cultural group did they most identify with when young? Was it different from the cultural group

they most identified with as they grew up? With what cultural groups do they most identify with now?

How would they describe each cultural identity they claim? Which of their cultural identities would they

say is the primary one?

Exercise 2.2: Stereotyping

This exercise can be done in two ways—one in which you pick a stereotype represented in the class and

discuss the effects of stereotyping on identity, the second in which you choose a stereotyped group not

represented in the class and discuss the effects of stereotyping.

Exercise 2.3: What Is Truly American? Uncovering Stereotypes

(1) From Dr. Neil’s Adventure (http://drneil.blogspot.com/2004/07/truly-american-

experience.html): A truly American experience (Dr. Neil is English-born but travels extensively

in Europe, Australia, and the United States). Retrieved 10/01/2010.

(2) Truly America’s pastime by Donald J. Ankney, Daily Staff (The Online Daily of the University of

Washington: Sports, http://dailyuw.com/1997/10/7/past100797/), 10/07/1997. Retrieved

10/01/2010.

I seldom go to baseball games.

Most sports are very European. Two groups of people—be they political states, ethnic groups, or

athletic teams—are battling one another, invading each other’s territory attempting to dominate.

Soccer is nothing more than a summary of European history.

Even football and basketball, two sports of United States origin, are homage to European cultural

dominance.

But baseball is a truly American sport.

There are no territories, no half-court line separating two peoples. There are no invaders and no

defenders.

In baseball, the two teams share the field. One team doesn’t actually try to stop the other from

running the bases. The goal of the fielder is to get the ball to the base before the runner gets there,

not to stop him from getting there.

Baseball doesn’t try to limit how far you can hit the ball—nothing is stopping you from sending it

into orbit. The only limit on the batter’s accomplishment is the batter himself.

Is this an overly idealistic view of America? Perhaps.

But is it an overly idealistic view of what baseball really stands for? I don’t think so.

Exercise 2.4: Analyzing American Indian Web Sites

Divide students into small groups and have each group conduct Web research into one of the following

Web sites. Have them gather the following information and report it to the class in a general discussion

session.

1. Is the Web site credible? Who sponsors the site? Does the site have a mission statement (may be

located on the “About Us” page)?

2. What is the site’s main message or emphasis?

3. Do you agree with what is said or presented at the site? If yes, why? If not, why not?

4. What stereotypes about American Indians do you think the Web site seeks to counter or address?

Is the site successful in this endeavor?

5. Is there any information on the sites that you think relate to Indian-ness or tribal identity? How

does the information you have found fit with Pratt, Pratt, & Dixon’s essay?

Exercise 2.5: White Culture

In small groups, ask students to come up with a definition of whiteness as an identity category to share

with the class. After examining the class’s definitions of whiteness, reflect on how their definitions are

different from or similar to the definitions discussed in Martin’s article. How do the students think issues

of power and normativity have shaped their definitions? How do they think their own racial identities

have shaped their definitions?

– Chapter Two –

Popular Film Suggestions

• American Fusion (2005). Review Summary. “A woman stuck in middle age may yet find love if

her mother can stay out of the way in this comedy from first-time director Frank Lin. Yvonne

(Sylvia Chang) is a divorcee who is about to turn fifty and feels as if life is passing her by.

Yvonne works for a throw-away newspaper where ad sales is more important than content, and

her life is dominated by her overbearing mother (Lan Yeung), and to a lesser extent her slacker

• Annie Hall (1977), “from director-actor-co-writer Woody Allen, is a quintessential masterpiece

of priceless, witty and quotable one-liners within a matured, focused and thoughtful film. It is a

bittersweet romantic comedy of modern contemporary love and urban relationships (a great

Review by Tom Dirks. http://www.filmsite.org/anni.html (retrieved 10/01/2010)

• Crash (2005). Review: “A provocative, unflinching look at the complexities of racial tolerance in

contemporary America. Diving headlong into the diverse melting pot of post-9/11 Los Angeles,

http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/crash (retrieved 10/01/2010)

• Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967). “Set in the 1960s, this movie tells of a dinner party

given by a bride’s parents to meet her fiancé (a doctor, no less) and his parents. The bride’s white

• My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002). Review Summary: “When Toula (Nia Vardalos) makes her

first appearance in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” she has the kind of shapeless clothes, bad

hairstyle and oversize glasses that invariably precede a Cinderella-like transformation in the

movies. And it doesn’t take long for Toula to emerge from her cocoon, a radiant Hellenic

butterfly with designer clothes and contact lenses. All that’s required is one long, swooning look

– Chapter Two –

Documentary Film Suggestion

• Imagining Indian. (1992, Victor Masayesva, Jr., 60 min .). With an all Indian crew, Victor

Masayesva visited tribal communities in Arizona, Montana, New Mexico, South Dakota,

Washington, and the Amazon to produce this film. Masayesva says, “Coming from a village

which became embroiled in the filming of Darkwind, a Hollywood production on the Hopi

Reservation, I felt a keen responsibility as a community member, not an individual, to address

these impositions on our tribal lives. Even as our communities say no, outsiders are responding to