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Let's talk about identity.
Let's talk about identity.
As mentioned, in order to understand how one's heritage-based identity claim relates to social sustainability, we must first understand how identity forms, as well as the larger interactions and power dynamics that are at play between communities in a given society.
It was highlighted that a key idea in social sustainability is that the perspectives and voices of the community are heard and reflected. Accordingly, questions of identity and belonging are essential when it comes to considering the individuals and perspectives that are represented.
In considering who belongs to and represents what social groups, it is also important to understand how individual identity (i.e. self-concept or personal identity) is derived in part from social identity.
📖 An individual’s self-concept can be understood as their idea of themselves (American Psychological Association, n.d.-c; Greenberg et al., 2018), whereas social identity is “the part of self-concept that is derived from memberships in social groups or categories” (American Psychological Association, n.d.-d).
📖 Social identity theory is “the theory that people define and evaluate themselves largely in terms of the social groups with which they identify” (Greenberg et al., 2018, p. 164).
It is important to note, that social identity and belonging, are reciprocal processes, meaning that social identities are not simply self-ascribed, but rather ascribed in a process of interaction between the individual and the community in question. An individual does not simply become part of a group because they have decided that they are, but they must also be accepted by that group.
Theories of identity formation are quite elaborate, but for the purposes of the current project, what you need to understand is that identity is formed through a multi-directional process, not simply by one individual deciding they belong to a group. The adapted illustrations below show the two-way relationship between individual and social identity.
Image adapted from: Jetten, J., Reicher, S., Haslam, S. A., & Cruwys, T. (2020). A Social Identity Analysis of COVID-19: Introduction to ‘Together Apart’. S3 Social Science Space. Sage. https://www.socialsciencespace.com/2020/06/a-social-identity-analysis-of-covid-19-introduction-to-together-apart/
Image adapted from: Simplified Identity Formation Theory. (2018). ChicksDigScience. https://www.chicksdigscience.com/slog/2018/11/11/simplified-identity-formation-theory
These questions of membership and belonging are the way in which personal identification (or non-identification) with heritage-based identities can present an ethical challenge, i.e. due to social dynamics of power between groups. It is important to understand and evaluate these power differentials from a critical perspective, that is drawing on the principles of Critical Theory (Sensoy & DiAngelo, 2017).
📖 Critical Theory is “a scholarly approach that analyzes social conditions within their historical, cultural and ideological contexts” (Sensoy & DiAngelo, 2017, p. 23).
Society doesn't exist in isolation. There are many factors that have contributed to the specific set of conditions at any given time in any given place. For the purposes of the current project, it suffices to understand that we must consider these various contexts (ex. historical) and how they may contribute to the current social conditions that we are operating in.
One such facet is social stratification, and the factors that lead to this social stratification manifesting in the ways that we observe in contemporary Canadian society.
📖 Social stratification is defined as “the concept that social groups are relationally positioned in a hierarchy of unequal value [...], which is used to justify the unequal distribution of resources among social groups” (Sensoy & DiAngelo, 2017). Social stratification relates to well-documented, broad patterns of intergroup relations over time (Sensoy & DiAngelo, 2017).
This means that all social groups don't have equal power in society. Some groups are positioned "higher," meaning they have more influence, more access to resources, etc. Conversely, other groups are positioned "lower," meaning they have less influence, less access to resources, etc.
Hence, individuals experience differing degrees and areas of privilege and oppression based on the social groups they belong to, and how those groups are positioned in society. This is a fundamental principle that underlies the principles of intersectionality and positionality.
The graphics below are well-known illustrations of these concepts, and are followed by some additional explanation of each concept.
Image source: Duckworth, S. (2020). Intersectionality [Infographic]. Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/2jy46K4
Image source: Duckworth, S. (2020). Wheel of power/privilege [Infographic]. Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/2jWxeGG
📖 Intersectionality refers to an individual's overlapping identities or social positions. "Intersectionality supposes that an individual's experience is shaped simultaneously by their multiple social positions and that their experience 'cannot be adequately understood by considering social positions independently.'" (Bauer et al., 2021, as cited in Fancey & Marchak, 2024)
Intersectionality talks about how individual identities are multi-faceted. Nearly every individual has areas in which they experience more privilege. These would be their social identities that fall in to groups that tend to have more power in society. Nearly every individual also has areas where they experience marginalization, or discrimination. These would be their social identities that fall into groups that tend to have less power in society. These areas can also overlap and compound in their effects. For example, being a part of multiple marginalized groups can be seen as multiplying, rather than adding, an individual's experience of marginalization. While individual experiences will vary, it is once again important to note that this relates to broad, well-studied patterns that occur in society.
Intersectionality can be taken as referring to the specific variables of an individual. Positionality is more like looking at these variables in relation to the world around the individual: taking the individual in their specific context.
📖 Positionality relates to being aware of and acknowledging your "position" or "intersections," and understanding that this will impact your point of view, perspectives and how you engage in different aspects of life.
Our social positions inevitably influence our interactions with the world. Understanding where you are situated, and how this may impact the way you navigate and interact with the world around you is essential for ethical engagement, especially when you occupy a position of power.
This is all great in theory... But what does this all mean in practice? In the next section, we will look at some examples.
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