THE CULTURAL DIMENSION OF IDENTITY

Abstract

The article makes an analysis of the concept of identity and of the ways in which it is defined, through affiliation to the group on the one hand, and through the assertion of what makes us stand out, what we have different and
unique, on the other. The two sides of the process substantiate the relevance of the criterion individualism/collectivism in differentiating between cultures: as identity is a basic human need, the two sides of the process of defining it make up a basic dilemma that all cultures have to deal with. In historical perspective, identity was mainly defined as a result of living in a community and absorbing the values and norms of a certain culture, a process
that characterized the making of the nation states in Europe and still greatly characterizes traditional societies in the world. Modernity in the western world gave rise to a new reality in which individuals gradually asserted themselves through what distinguished them from their communities. Now, globalization and the spread of the western model of development create for individuals and nations a large variety of situations and face individuals and groups alike with the demand of redefining identity and adjusting to new circumstances. Adjustment, projection and reconstruction of identity represent key processes that condition functioning in this changing world. The cultural trait of individualism is spreading in the world as a result of the economic and political processes.