Concept of Identity

In this post I shall attempt to summarise the key points of the different concepts of identity that our group has been studying in the previous few lessons.

Firstly, just to clear up, the traits that are associated with modern ideas of identity are that it is given to you, as if you are born into a particular identity. That it is a stable set of attributes, fixed and very singular; meaning that one’s identity is relatively specific and does not change or shift as they grow older. Post modern views on the other hand, indicate that identity is chosen themselves by a particular person, in the forms of e.g. what media products they enjoy, how they dress, and who their role models are. It is viewed as being shifting, so that a person’s identity can change drastically over relatively short periods of time, depending on their surrounding environment. People are believed to have multiple identities, depending on the groups of people they are with and the company they keep, which is thought to be fragmented and frequently changing. Therefore you can see a clear divide between the two modern and post modern views of identity.

The actual phrase ‘Find Your Tribe’ brings about a number of connotations and implications about today’s youth. It actually implies that people’s social groups are actually more than just a social pass-time, but are of much greater importance being likened to a tribe, a close group that people are accepted into. It also implies that youth are having to ‘find’ a place where they can fit in, most often a social grouping in which the people involved listen to the same music, dress similarly, and have the same media and general interests! The way that it is stated as ‘Find Your Tribe’ is almost phrased as though it is a command, an order that must be followed! Almost as if to imply, if you don’t find somewhere to fit in, you will be left as an outcast.

Michel Maffesoli is a French sociologist, who was the originator of a study entitled ‘the time of tribes’, and believed greatly through his research into identity and social groups that the mass culture of old, where essentially all youth would listen to the same music dress the same etc. has disintegrated. Now youth groups are much more divided and have far more specific interests and opinions. This is a task I had been given to write a short couple of paragraphs of a possible speech that Maffesoli could give getting across his ideas of today’s modern ‘tribes’.

I, Michel Maffesoli, am here today to present to you all a speech, regarding “The Time of Tribes”. So sit back, relax, and absorb my words of wisdom.

It is to my belief that today’s youth no longer all follow each other like one big united group of sheeps in terms of their media culture. Said ‘mass culture’ of mon generation! has disintegrated, and insteads of every peoples listenings, readings and watchings all of the same things, they instead choose to listens, reads and watch what they desire themselves, depending on their clique (other little friends) also choose to do.

The groupings of childrens today is not nearly as sturdy as previous generations; instead of one large brick wall of a solid group, they are instead tiny fragmented leaves, crumpled, worn and torn apart (like brown, crispy autumn leaves, not the lively summer kinds.). if one children is to wear a particular waistcoat, all other childrens in their teeny social groupings will all buy the same waistcoat. If Tiny Stryder is to buy Adidas trainers, all other childrens buy Adidas trainers; like sheeps they are.