Nonverbal communication and culture. Identity, stereotypes and prejudices, страница 14

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SEMINAR 2

IDENTITY, STEREOTYPES AND PREJUDICE

* Identity * A dialectical approach to understanding identity * Perspectives of identity (social, psychological, communication, critical) * Types of identity (gender, racial and ethnic, religious, class, national, regional, personal) * Identity and communication * Stereotypes * Problems in stereotyping * Prejudice * Expressions of Prejudice

Key words:

Antilocution, ascription, avowal, core symbols, cultural conventions, discrimination, distortions, ethnic, ethnicity, femininity, gender, gendered notions (of attractiveness), hostility, identity, label, masculinity, “melting pot”, preconceived notion (idea), prejudices, positivity, process of identity development, rigid preconceptions, self-identification, self-reliance, sharing, stereotyping, target group, untrue premises.

We are born without a specific identity. However, as we interact with other people, we begin to develop a variety of identities.

Identity is a bridge between culture and communication. It is important because we communicate our identity to others and we learn who we are through communication. It is through communication with our family, friends, and others that we come to understand ourselves and form our identity. Issues of identity are particularly important in intercultural interactions.

In this lecture, we are going to examine the relationship between communication and identity and the role of identity in intercultural communication. The identity issues are considered in the context of stereotyping and prejudices.

A DIALECTICAL APPROACH TO IDENTITY

How do we come to understand who we are? What are the characteristics of identity? There are three main contemporary perspectives on identity. The social psychological perspective views the self in a static fashion, in relation to the community to which a person belongs. The communication perspective is more dynamic and recognizes the role of interaction with others as a factor in developing the self. Finally, the critical perspective views identity even more dynamically – as the result of contexts quite distant from the individual.

Social Psychological Perspective

The social psychological perspective emphasizes that identity is created in part by the self and in part in relation to group membership. This perspective recognizes that the self is composed of multiple identities, and that these notions of identity are culture bound.

How do we come to understand who we are? One helpful perspective comes from the notion of self-concept. Identities are not created in one smooth process. They are created with some events providing good insights about who we are and interrupting long periods during which we may not think much about ourselves or our identities. The process of identity development involves an exploration of one's abilities, interests, options, and values, which often occur in relation to group membership.

We identify with many groups as we are growing up. Groups may be based on gender, race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, religion, and nationality (Tajfel). By comparing ourselves and others to such groups, we come to understand who we are. Gender identification seems to occur early (between 1 and 3 years of age); racial and ethnic identification occurs later (between 7 and 9 years of age). Members of minority groups seem to develop a sense of identity earlier than majority group members.