Globalisation and identity
Culture, place and identity are closely bound. The languages we speak, together with the music and food we enjoy, form a big part of our identities. Globalisation impacts on our identities by enabling us to experience a wider range of material cultures (such as food and music). How we make sense of these global cultural flows will modify on our sense of who we are.
Our identities are complex and forever changing. When we experience different places our identities change - often in response to the variety of people we meet in those places. Home or away, globalisation causes us to meet people whose identities maybe rooted in distant places. Our engagement with people who hail from afar will influence how we build and reshape our own identities.
In many parts of the world, such as London, Berlin or Hong Kong, people inhabit transnational spaces. Without leaving home it is possible to experience cultures that have their origins in nations across the planet. How we engage with these cultural flows into our neighbourhoods will alter our sense of who we are. For example, transnational spaces enable us to effortlessly graze between Indian, Chinese and European menus. This pattern of globalised consumption creates new identities that can challenge traditional identities that were once based on family, work and religion.
Our identities are complex and forever changing. When we experience different places our identities change - often in response to the variety of people we meet in those places. Home or away, globalisation causes us to meet people whose identities maybe rooted in distant places. Our engagement with people who hail from afar will influence how we build and reshape our own identities.
In many parts of the world, such as London, Berlin or Hong Kong, people inhabit transnational spaces. Without leaving home it is possible to experience cultures that have their origins in nations across the planet. How we engage with these cultural flows into our neighbourhoods will alter our sense of who we are. For example, transnational spaces enable us to effortlessly graze between Indian, Chinese and European menus. This pattern of globalised consumption creates new identities that can challenge traditional identities that were once based on family, work and religion.
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In response to globalisation, some people are localising their identities by consuming premium local products - especially if they are branded as artisan or craft products. For example, our engagement with a locally produced 'traditional' cheese may say something about who we are, especially when juxtaposed to the local supermarket which may have an array of exotic cheeses from many nations. Likewise, when we become tourists, far from home, we might aim to become a connoisseur of local artisan products to build a new aspect of our identity and to justify our need to travel.
Globalisation impacts on our identities by enabling us to experience a wider range of material cultures |
"One of the cheeses from Baron Robert Pouget's collection, Oxford Isis was first produced in 2003 especially to supply Oxford Colleges." Credit: Amanda Slater, Flickr.
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Our collective identities are also being reshaped by globalisation because of our consumption of communications technology. Facebook, Weibo, Line are all examples of social media that have become an integral part of many people's lives. In contrast, those on the other side of the digital divide are left isolated and excluded.
Finally, there is no right way of understanding identities. Geographers have had long discussions about identity but most now agree that identities are plural, fluid and unstable. This means we generally refer to people as having multiple identities, rather than a single fixed identity. Long gone are the days when geographers would refer to singular national identities such as the "German sense of humour" or the "French love of wine".
Finally, there is no right way of understanding identities. Geographers have had long discussions about identity but most now agree that identities are plural, fluid and unstable. This means we generally refer to people as having multiple identities, rather than a single fixed identity. Long gone are the days when geographers would refer to singular national identities such as the "German sense of humour" or the "French love of wine".
Third Culture Kids
In an increasingly globalising world, the bonds that tie identity to a single geographical place are being weakened. To appreciate the power of geography in building our identities, we can look to Third Culture Kids.
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Where is home?
Where is home? A simple question for most, but one that may be a difficult question to answer if you are living in a third culture that is detached from a specific locality. Third culture kids (TCK, 3CK) are a cultural group that have grown in size in our increasingly globalised world. Sometimes referred to as cultural chameleons or global nomads, TCKs are examples of people that are highly affected by globalisation. Their lives illustrate the importance of geography in the process of building our identities. |
Photo credits:
Houses in India - the Himalaya region. Ralf Kayser. Flickr Creative Commons: 26/04/2016
Houses in India - the Himalaya region. Ralf Kayser. Flickr Creative Commons: 26/04/2016
