Construction Of Collective Identity Research Articles

The “I” as Implicated Subject: Performative Confession in Rian Malan’s My Traitor’s Heart

Confessional forms of autobiographical writing have predominated in post-apartheid South African literary studies. This paper discusses Rian Malan’s My Traitor’s Heart, published in 1990 during drastic social and political changes in South Africa’s transition to democracy. It was one of the first and most prominent examples of this genre. Focusing on Malan’s perspective as a white Afrikaner and an “implicated subject”, this study explored how his confessional account grappled with the existential dilemma of post-apartheid Afrikaner identity. Malan simultaneously affirmed his Afrikaner identity to confront his implication in apartheid and sought to establish a legitimate place for this identity within the new multicultural society. Through a close reading of Malan’s strategic performance, this paper argues that his work offers a means of reimagining the collective self in a new community and understanding historical injustices from a multidimensional perspective. Ultimately, My Traitor’s Heart contributes to the post-apartheid project of envisioning a more inclusive psychological and topographical construction of individual and collective identity, with the implicated subject as its centre.

Eternal Politics: Life and Death in the Evangelical Community

This study explores how evangelical communities in Latin America understand and structure the concepts of life and death, based on their interpretation of time and its impact on the construction of collective identities and communal memory. Through the analysis of funerary practices and rituals, the dual system of life and death under the evangelical prism is examined, highlighting the crucial role of death not only as a bio-logical event but as an act loaded with political and social meaning. The importance of rituals and ceremonies in shaping collective memory, as well as in defining community identity in contrast to other Christian denominations and in the broader public sphere, is emphasized. The paper reveals how these communities use their understanding of life and death to establish a "grand narrative" that strengthens their internal cohesion and outlines their symbolic boundaries, while addressing their insertion and participation in the broader society.

Unveiling the War and Constructing Identities: Exploring Memes in Ukrainian and Russian Social Media during the Russian Invasion of Ukraine

The article examines the generation and deployment of visual narratives in Ukrainian and Russian digital participatory cultures, with a specific focus on internet memes in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It analyzes the form, content, and functions of these memes and highlights their similarity in mobilizing and conveying political messages despite variations in their visual components. The study indicates that Ukrainian memes are used not only to promote political agendas but also serve as trauma coping and collective identity construction mechanisms in times of crisis, helping to promote new war narratives that are engaged in the construction of the self and the other.

‘Currying Identities’: A Literary Re-Crafting of South-Asian Identities through Diasporic Women’s Cookbooks

Food has been an enduring presence in the construction of collective identities of migrant communities. From honing cooking techniques and selecting ingredients and tools to developing cultures of consumption and appreciation, diasporic communities seem to hold food as one of the primary markers of identity. Women writers from the diaspora not only emblematized their identities by writing about food but also opened feminist methodological opportunities for writing resistance. These ‘culinary fictions’ have since been mined to delve into the gendering of migrant identities. The genre of cookbooks shares a significant overlap with ‘culinary fiction’ in terms of its scope by stabilizing ‘authentic’ identities. However, it surgically punctures the romantic appeal of food imagination, shifting its focus instead to the labor that produces the sensory stimulation of culinary memory. This article uses this overlap and this gap as incentives to read select cookbooks published in the heydays of culinary fiction. Reading cookbooks against the metrics of labor provides a certain intimacy of engagement that offers entry into complex negotiations of uncertain migrant identities. Affective labor and its postcolonial entanglements have been used as catalysts in the article to read into the multilayered understanding of the politics of women writing about food in the diaspora. To this extent, it will challenge the stabilized ways of reading culinary identities and open food writing to more robust negotiations of gendered writings of food.

The aesthetic values of the semiotic choices in Arab protests

Abstract This paper examines protest language from the late Arab Spring uprisings, more specifically in Tunisia, Egypt and Iraq – identified as the “Facebook Upheavals”. It explores the discursive aspects of these processes through which social protest and dissent are constructed and different forms of communication and expression are mobilized. It also examines how the various modes of representation and dissemination contribute to shaping and influencing social movements and resistance within the Arab political context, individually and collectively. On the collective level, the paper explores the discursive construction of collective identities, the formation of alliances, and the negotiation of power relations within and between different protest movements. This is done by reporting how discourses are used to challenge dominant narratives, contest oppressive structures, and then to shape the political landscape in the Arab region.

Memorials of Dragotin Kette from the poet’s death to the 100th anniversary of his birth

The contribution presents the building of memorials dedicated to the poet Dragotin Kette and the development of rituals to honour his memory from his death on 26 April 1899 to the 100th anniversary of his birth on 19 January 1976. In the span of eighty years, it is possible to observe how the attitude towards Kette changed in time and place as well as how the memorials and associated rituals served the authorities in the construction of collective identity under the given social, political, and ideological circumstances.

THEORETICAL CONCEPTUALISATIONS OF IDENTITY: ON THE FALSE PROBLEM OF NON-COMPLEMENTARITY OF COLLECTIVE

The research subject refers to the theoretical perspectives of the identity of several authors – N. Sekulic, Z. Golubovic, B. Anderson, N. Djukic, E. Goffman, M. Castells, R. Watson, G. Small, Z. Bauman, S. Hall, V. Jerotic, R. Jenkins and A. Benoist. The search is for an answer to the question: Could priority be given to personal or social identity, according to importance? A noticeable research problem is the pluralism of conceptions that attach more importance to either individual or collective identity. The main hypothesis is that there is a false problem of non-complementarity of collective and personal identity, as well as an experiential connection (scientific law) between the political construction of collective identity and totalitarianism. The scientific goals are: 1) to describe the identity and the process of its creation; 2) to classify and explain the difference between personal and collective identity, with an emphasis on the integrative point of view of Golubovic and Jenkins on the complementarity between them; 3) to anticipate the experiential connection between the political construction of collective identity and totalitarianism due to the exclusion of Others from the constructed identity pattern, in order to establish complete state-political (party) control over all dimensions of everyday life beyond States. The methods of (descriptive and comparative) analysis, deduction, synthesis, induction, case studies and content analysis of identity conceptions based on a simple classification (significant - less significant type of identity) (Kukic & Markic, 2006: 217) and desk research will be used. The results of qualitative research are knowledge about identity, its types, its construction and the consequences of identity engineering, which were obtained through secondary, qualitative data (Kothari, 2004; Dale, Wathan & Higgins, 2008) during 'research in the library' (Kuba & Koking, 2004: 90) on bibliographic units from an abstracted sample.

What Does It Meme? English–Spanish Codeswitching and Enregisterment in Virtual Social Space

This project investigates English–Spanish codeswitching in internet memes posted to the Facebook page, We are mitú (mitú), and analyzes how lexical insertions and quotatives contribute to the enregisterment of linguistic patterns and the construction of collective identity among U.S. Latinx millennials in virtual social spaces. Data include instances of lexical insertion (n = 280) and quotative mixed codes (n = 114) drawn from a collected corpus of 765 image–text memes. The most frequent lexical insertions included food items (e.g., elote and pozole), kinship terms (e.g., abuelita and tía), and culturally specific artifacts or practices (e.g., quinceañera and lotería), which reflect biculturalism and rely on a shared set of references for the construction of a group identity. Additionally, the quotatives in the data construct Spanish-speaking characterological figures that enregister a particular brand of U.S. Latinx millennial identity that includes being bilingual, having Spanish-speaking parents, and having strong ties to Latinx culture. Overall, this work highlights not only internet memes as a vehicle for enregisterment, but also, and more importantly, how the language resources employed within them work to enregister linguistic and cultural norms of U.S. Latinx millennials, and thereby, play a role in identity construction in virtual social spaces.

“All sisters must experience the endorphin rush!” A virtual discourse-ethnographic study on neoliberalism female fitness community on Bilibili

ABSTRACT Taking Bilibili as the analyzing platform, this study explores the linguistic and cultural features of neoliberalism female fitness communities on social media in China. By combining Discourse-Ethnographic Analysis (DEA), Corpus-assisted Discourse Analysis (CADA), and sentimental analysis, this study explores the construction of individual identities, societal values, and collective identities within these communities, as well as the ways in which members establish relationships and engage in fan-idol dynamics. The study reveals the presence of postfeminist biopedagogies, peer surveillance, and the formation of a fandom-centered discourse influenced by neoliberal and postfeminist values. Meanwhile, the use of terms like “sister” fosters pseudo-kin relationships, conveying both closeness and fellowship while challenging male-dominated societal norms. The findings contribute to understanding female fitness communities on social media, highlighting the construction of identity, relationships, and social values in digital spaces.

Irish English and Irish Studies: exploring language use and identity through fictional constructions of laddism

ABSTRACT The construction of a linguistic collective identity uses a pool of conscious and unconscious elements that deal with age, gender, or ethnic belonging. In the Irish communicative system, one present-day type of collective masculine identity is that of “the lads.” Previous studies on “laddish” behaviour and performance from literary or social perspectives explored conduct in contexts such as sports, violence, sex, or alcohol. To encourage interdisciplinary research in the field of Irish Studies, this paper analyses the language of “the lads” in literary discourse through corpus linguistics as a contribution to the field of digital humanities. Fourteen novels make up the specialised corpus on which the analysis is based paying attention to verbs of speech and adverbs. The verbs show utterances by “the lads” illustrating and providing aggressiveness and adverbs provide a second layer of meaning. Finally, a number of power struggles these characters experience in interaction are studied to differentiate the status quo of “the lads.”

Ministries of Culture from Andean Community of Nations: Digital Engagement in Facebook

Culture is essential for individual and collective identity construction, just as it contributes to economic development. Consequently, States present institutions responsible for its promotion, appreciation and preservation. In addition, recognizing the accelerated digitization of services and products, strengthened by the health crisis of COVID-19; States have enhanced the use of digital platforms for communication with their citizens. In response, it seeks to understand the involvement and participation of the digital society in the contents of Colombia, Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador ministries of culture Facebook accounts, to identify which types of posts develop greater engagement, of which there is a cultural apprehension. The method used was nethnographic, non-experimental and phenomenological; content analysis was used, approaching it descriptively and inferentially to derive truthful inferences. onvergences and divergences were identified between theory and digital engagement; the number of posts does not represent a relationship with the number of reactions, comments, or shares, so the quality of the content and other factors are influential. Furthermore, of the four countries, the highest content production is in Colombia, followed by Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador.However, Peru has the greatest digital involvement.

Conceptualizing Community-based Environmental Peacebuilding in Cesar, Colombia

In conflict studies, environmental peacebuilding (EPB) has become an established concept to explain how environmental cooperation among opposing parties provides a platform for peacebuilding. EPB literature has been shaped predominantly by political science perspectives, initially with a focus on interstate conflicts, and ecological dynamics have received little attention to date. Building on the Social-Ecological Systems Framework (SESF), we develop a framework for community-based EPB and test it in post-conflict settings in the department of Cesar, Colombia. We use a qualitative mixed-methods approach, with 26 semi-structured interviews, six focus group discussions, and a World Café session with 30 participants. Our findings show that in six cases communities self-organize to access, conserve, and defend water and land resources while striving to achieve recognition of their civic rights by state actors. A central outcome of cooperation within and among communities is the (re)construction of collective and territorial identities and increased social cohesion. However, community-based EPB does not contribute to improving relations between communities and the private sector or the state, thus failing to strengthen actor relationships that are essential for Colombian peacebuilding. Despite limitations of this exploratory analysis, our approach proves fruitful for integrating ecological aspects in the understanding of EPB. To further develop the EPB concept, future research should look to other disciplines to diversify the understanding of key terms like resource value, cooperation, and peace.

Crofts and Crofters: Definitions, Derivations and Consequences

The historical derivation, development and diffusion of the terms ‘croft’ and ‘crofter’ are explored in the light of the argument that their translation into Gaelic casts doubt on the existence of a ‘crofting community’ in the late nineteenth century. Tracing the use of the terms indicates transmission of the terms ‘croft’ and ‘toft’ into Lowland Scotland from England in the medieval period. Translated into the farming practices of Lowland Scotland, this saw the term ‘croft’ widely applied to the infield of the fermtouns. The early eighteenth century saw the rise of the term ‘crofter’ in the north-east of the country. The association with high-quality land and the place of the croft in the graduated farming system that emerged gave both terms a degree of status, with crofters in particular being part of a rich set of cultural practices. As Highland tenurial practices changed, so the terms ‘croft’ and ‘crofter’ were imported through the agency of those influenced by Lowland practices of agricultural improvement. However, the terms entered a very different material and cultural context. The association of both ‘croft’ and ‘crofter’ with the gulf between small tenant and sheep farmer and with terms which when translated into Gaelic might have less than favourable connotations suggests that they might not have provided to-hand resources for the construction of collective identity. Tracing the origins of the terms helps correct an imbalance in the historical account which tends to downplay the rich material and cultural practices of the crofters of north-east Scotland.

Food culture in Oonya Kempadoo’s All Decent Animals and Buxton Spice

The role of food culture in the construction of collective identity remains indispensable, considering that it results from consistent and prolonged practice by the given population. In the particular case of postcolonial literature, cultural markers such as food, clothing, rituals etc., act as powerful tools of sociocultural representation. In All Decent Animals (2013) and Buxton Spice (1998), Oonya Kempadoo posits the characters as the embodiments of various levels of association with the traditional culinary practices thereby showing their differential sense of cultural rootedness against the multicultural milieu of the novels’ settings. The study aims to extract such instances from the novels that show the impact of food culture in the creation of a common memory, hearkening back to the shared history of the characters. The authors concluded, that something as mundane as food occupies a pivotal role in co-navigating the characters’ journey from self-doubt to self-acceptance. The effect of food culture in eliciting an inclination towards one’s ethnic roots is considered, while also touching upon the matter of developing a sense of cultural, familial and individual identity by means of foodways.

Policemen and Their Moustaches: (Self-)Fashioning Professional Identity in Nineteenth Century Newcastle-Upon-Tyne

In April 1861, a local newspaper commented favourably on permission being granted to allow the policemen of Newcastle upon Tyne to wear moustaches, and on the moustaches they subsequently grew. The article demonstrates that these moustaches had an important role to play in the visual construction and performance of social, collective, and professional identities for individual members of the police force in Newcastle in 1861. It suggests that in requesting permission, acting upon it, and in the type of facial hair that they grew, the policemen revealed how they saw themselves, and how they wanted to be seen. This offers an opportunity to hear a voice often excluded from historical narratives, that of the ‘ordinary’ policemen in the provinces, exercising an agency that might be unexpected in the mid-nineteenth century. The article argues that their moustaches enabled Newcastle’s policemen to express a sense of belonging to their local force and their awareness of being part of a larger, nationwide phenomenon, evidence of the development of a police culture with a positive and specifically fashioned self-image. As such, it contributes an unusual perspective on police professionalisation and identity in an important period of change.

European Sentiment in time of crises. The point of view of young university students

The latest emergencies – economic, refugee, and the pandemic of Covid-19 – has impacted in European collective identity construction, especially in Southern Europe. This article investigates if the pandemic crisis has activated in young Italian and Spanish university students nationalistic or/and European responses. The analysis, based on an online survey, uses the partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) statistical method to perform an exploratory analysis of the explanatory theoretical model of European sentiment. The results show that young people attribute several meanings to Europe during the pandemic, which are based mainly on making informed decisions and recognizing a common space of interaction as an opportunity of peace, security and democracy. The findings highlight the role of EU communicative actions in increasing trust in national and European institutions.

СИМВОЛИЧЕСКИЕ РЕСУРСЫ ПОЛИТИЧЕСКОГО ЛИДЕРСТВА ТУРКМЕНИСТАНА

The research article aims to explore the role that symbols of Turkmenistan play in the process of constructing national identity. National symbols, such as flags, official emblems, historical monuments, and cultural symbols, serve as potent instruments in the construction of collective identity and the fostering of a sense of belonging among a country’s citizens. In the case of Turkmenistan, symbols have played a pivotal role since the country’s independence in 1991, as it sought to establish its distinct identity amidst the rapidly evolving socio-political landscape. This research article employs an analytical approach to examine the role of historical and contemporary symbols in the formation of a unified national identity in Turkmenistan. The article examines the various forms of national symbols, including state symbols, traditional national symbols, state events, and propaganda, in order to ascertain the methods employed by the regime to legitimate itself and to enhance its control over society. The author examines the relationship between symbolism and political power in Turkmenistan, noting the direct dependence of the symbolic tools used on the political figure of the leader of Turkmenistan in the post-Soviet period. This is particularly evident in Turkmenistan’s efforts to assert its uniqueness in the context of ongoing political and social change. The symbolic resources analyzed in the article are employed to demonstrate the cultural and national consolidation of the population in the context of foreign policy representation. The symbolic resources utilized also facilitate the domestic political process of legitimizing the regime and consolidating control over the titular nation of the state. The study integrates historical research, cultural analysis, and conclusions derived from Murray Edelman’s theory of symbolic politics.

The Dynamics of Online Fandom Communities: A Qualitative Study on Engagement and Identity

This study aims to explore the dynamics of online fandom communities, focusing on how these digital platforms influence engagement patterns, identity formation, community dynamics, motivations for participation, and the challenges and issues faced by members. It seeks to contribute to the existing literature by providing a comprehensive analysis of the multifaceted experiences of individuals within these communities. A qualitative research design was employed, utilizing semi-structured interviews with 33 participants actively involved in various online fandom communities. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify key themes and categories related to engagement, identity, and community dynamics. The study adhered to ethical guidelines, ensuring participant confidentiality and informed consent. The analysis revealed five main themes: Engagement Patterns, Identity Formation, Community Dynamics, Motivations for Participation, and Challenges and Issues. Engagement Patterns highlighted content creation, community interaction, and event participation. Identity Formation encompassed personal identity, group identity, and roles within the community. Community Dynamics focused on inclusion and exclusion, conflict and resolution, and support and solidarity. Motivations for Participation identified escapism, social connection, and skill development as key drivers. Challenges and Issues discussed toxic behaviors, identity safety, and content disputes. Online fandom communities play a significant role in shaping individuals' engagement patterns, identity formation, and community dynamics. These communities provide a supportive environment for creative expression, social interaction, and personal growth. However, challenges such as toxic behaviors and identity safety concerns highlight the need for effective community management and support mechanisms. The findings underscore the complexity of online fandom participation and its impact on individual and collective identity construction.

We Need to be as a Group: Using and Evaluating the Listening Guide in Feminist Collaborative Autoethnography With an Affective ‘Fifth Listen’ as a Tool to (re)construct Identities

As a UK-based group of female postgraduate researchers, the authors explored their experiences during COVID-19 pandemic through multivocal inquiry via a feminist collaborative autoethnographic project. In this paper, we use the Listening Guide as a tool to revisit and (re)analyse data from the aforementioned project, displaying findings in the form of voice poems. In utilising the Listening Guide, we discovered that listening is less of an exercise and more an art form. While the structured approach of the LG helped to enhance our understandings of wider individual experiences of disability and womanhood, identities that all authors inhabit, we were surprised to find that despite our established mutual trust and superficially similar experiences, we were unable to find emotional resonance through data that wasn’t our own voice. We also found that the traditional stepped process of the LG that incorporates four listens to the data left our interpretations feeling flat. Through reflexivity and the novel collaborative approach we undertook in this analysis, we identified and implemented an augmentation of the Listening Guide process. In this paper, we propose an additional fifth listen, focusing on emotion, to facilitate a more holistic analysis of voice data. We explore how the fifth listen assisted the (re)construction of individual and collective identities, helping us to reshape our understandings. Finally, we elucidate the positives and pitfalls we experienced in the Listening Guide as a data analysis tool, recommending to other researchers the adoption of an iterative, flexible and reflexive approach in using it during collaborative research.

Teatr partycypacyjny jako narzędzie pracy socjologa – tożsamość w procesie kreacji

The text presented here deals with the possibility of using participatory theatre as a site for constructing identity, and thus using it as a tool for the sociologist. The starting point for the presented considerations will be the theatrical experiments of Jerzy Grotowski, who initiated in Poland the tradition of using theatre as a tool for scientific analysis. In the context of his achievements, the author of the text seeks to answer the questions: whether and to what extent the activities of participatory theatre can constitute a research laboratory for the contemporary sociologist? Can participatory theatre serve as a tool for building personal identity? Following the thinking of contemporary scholars (Anthony Giddens, Peter J. Burke et al.), we know that, as a result of the changes associated with globalisation, the acquisition of personal identification has become a life-long task for individuals. Moreover, this process has become considerably complicated in the sense that participants in social life have to cope with a situation of too many choices and, consequently, are confronted with more risks in social situations. They need a variety of competencies in the processes of assuming and playing social roles and the ability to deal with emotions, of which participatory theatre seems to be a natural laboratory. In the author's opinion, it can be a potential basis for the study of group processes. It is therefore worth reflecting on the role of participatory theatre in the construction of collective identities.