ASA 114
Culture
In Stuart Hall's Cultural Identity and Diaspora, he explains that "there are at least two different ways of thinking about 'cultural identity'" (223). Hall's first position on the term suggests that it has to do with one's historical and shared cultural backgrounds. In other words, it is referring to shared cultural codes and historical experiences. Though, this is not to be confused with the second concept of cultural identity. The second position offers that the term is centered around development and how our identities are not fixed, as they are always transitioning with time and change. The reason that one must not get this confused with the first position is because this also has to do with histories. Because cultural histories are not to be forgotten and become a significant part of culture, it shapes how identity transforms over time. Hall mentions that a good example of this is the trauma from the "colonial experience." Relating to Benedict Anderson's Imagined Communities, it is individual and communal experiences that shape our perceptions of nations. Moreover, culture is a large part of what makes a nation. Imagined communities refers to a narrative about a nation that is spread by the people who perceive themselves as part of that group. This shows that it is easy for outsiders to create a false narrative, i.e. bias towards colonialism, while the identity and diaspora of natives are heavily impacted by such histories. What does globalization have to do with each of these concepts of cultural identity?
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