Identity Transformation Research Articles

Dungan ethnicity in transformation: from totalitarianism to contemporary adaptation

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to analyse the transformation of Dungan ethnic identity from the era of the Soviet Union to the present day. The Dungans, an ethnic group related to the Chinese Hui, are widespread in post-Soviet Central Asia. Their ethnic identity is influenced by a combination of Islamic and Chinese traditions, which is reflected in their distinctive language and way of life. The primary focus of this study was the influence exerted on the formation of Dungan identity by totalitarian regimes in the Soviet Union and China. The research combined historical analysis with fieldwork and oral history to analyse the impact of political, social and economic factors on ethnic consciousness. The findings illuminate how these regimes affected not only political and social structures but also the personal beliefs and behaviour of citizens.

Метаморфозы идентичности человека достроенного: от цифрового донора к цифровому кентавру

<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Objective. </strong>Identification of formation vectors of technologically completed personality and analysis of the specificity of identity of its different types through the prism of opportunities and risks of its construction.<br><strong>Background. </strong>The Fourth Industrial Revolution is gradually bringing us to the frontier of the steady transformation of the human being into a being increasingly connected to technology. Smartphones, computers, the Internet of Things, and AI assistants, which form an integral technosystem that mediates the everyday life of man, are complex cultural tools that become his complements and extensions – part of the personality. A new type of personality, technologically completed by advanced digital tools, is formed as the most important result of the modern stage of social and cognitive evolution of the human psyche in the conditions of digital transformations. Identity as an integrative personal formation is a key phenomenon for understanding the possible psychological transformations of a modern person in the conditions of convergence of online and offline worlds and determining the risks of various options of metamorphoses of technologically completed personality. <br><strong>Methodology. </strong>Externalist approaches to the study of a person (L.S. Vygotsky, E. Clark, D. Chalmers, L. Malafouris, etc.), the socio-cognitive concept of digital socialization (G.U. Soldatova, A.E. Voyskunsky), concepts and approaches to the analysis of identity (E. Erikson, K. Rogers, I. Hoffman, G. Tajfel, J. Turner, S. Moscovici, J. Marcia, etc.). <br><strong>Conclusions. </strong>The vectors of technologically extended personality are identified through the following types: digital natives, techno-conservatives, techno-isolationists, cyborgs, personoids, digital centaurs. Their main characteristics are described and the specifics of identity and possible risks of its development for each type are analyzed. One of the pre-adaptive vectors of identity transformation is the transition from digital natives-donors to digital centaurs.</p>

Are the Ideology, Values, Principles, and Identity of Cooperatives Shifting? A Lesson from Indonesia

Cooperatives have been a foundation for the Indonesian economy, however, there is a change in their operations. Therefore, this study aims to comprehend the implementation of university cooperatives toward the dynamic changes and explores the shift in ideology, values, principles, and identity of cooperatives. This study used a qualitative study with a phenomenology approach and involved eight selected informants to be interviewed using semi-structured interviews. The results disclosed that there is cooperatives identity transformation, shifting in cooperative principles, and mutual cooperation practice. In addition, it found challenges in maintaining cooperative ideology and deliberation value in decision-making. Lastly, identity and relevance crises are also the main issues in the majority of cooperatives in Indonesia. The insights gained will enable some parties, including government, academics, practitioners, and members to jointly revitalize the cooperative spirit, and ideological substance, and assert its relevant values.

Civil society actors and conflict management in Moldova

The article focuses on the role of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and its efforts, in collaboration with local NGOs, in bringing about conflict resolution in the Republic of Moldova. The OSCE has been active in the Republic of Moldova for the last twenty years and has been working with NGOS from both sides of the Dniester/ Nistru river. While the process has met with several challenges over the years, the recent full-fledged war against Ukraine has complicated the strategy for conflict settlement of the Transdniestrian conflict even more. The main goal of this article is to present and analyse various forms of cooperation between the OSCE and local civil society actors and to identify activities which encourage confidence-building. To this end, we will discuss relevant conceptual approaches in the field of Conflict Resolution and focus on mediation, conflict transformation, conflict settlement, and reconciliation. Moreover, we will explore activities of civil society organizations which are engaged in dialogue and collaboration with the OSCE. Methodologically, the article is built around a constructivist theorizing and the main argument is that the Transdniestrian conflict is an identity conflict and reconciling the parties, from grass-root level upwards to community leaders, ensures identity transformation and confidence building. The latter are key aspects in fostering trust, dialogue, and conflict management.

Associations: Mirrors for people living with Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease, with its profound impact on individuals and communities worldwide, calls for a comprehensive understanding of the social dimensions of the illness. This study explores the pivotal role of associations in influencing coping strategies and shaping identity among individuals living with Parkinson’s disease. Through a grounded theory approach, the research examines how participation in associative networks provides a platform for self-expression, mutual support, and engagement, fostering resilience and adaptation. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews with individuals diagnosed with Parkinson’s and facilitators actively involved in Italian Parkinson’s associations from northern, central, and southern regions of the country. The findings underscore the critical role associations play in addressing the collective needs and aspirations of their members while highlighting significant regional differences in activities, strategies, and support systems. Associations promote solidarity and shared understanding through homophily, offering a sense of belonging and mutual aid. They not only provide access to essential social and healthcare resources but also create spaces where individuals can reflect on their past, navigate the present, and envision a future beyond the limitations of their condition. This dynamic interplay of social engagement and identity transformation underscores the indispensable contribution of associations to the broader care ecosystem and their transformative impact on the lives of people with Parkinson’s.

“Seeking a better life”: Identity of Tanzanian urban residents

The paper is based on the results of field research conducted by the author in the United Republic of Tanzania in November 2023, focusing on the issue of nation formation in the multiethnic state. The study was carried out in Dar es Salaam and Bagamoyo cities, resulting in the collection of 33 formal and informal interviews in English and Swahili. The key aim of the research was to find out whether the national component of self-identity has taken precedence for Tanzanian citizens, or if local identities, ethnic or regional, remain more significant. Tanzania is characterized by very high rate of urbanization, and making the issue of changing identity under the new conditions especially relevant for understanding the adaptation mechanisms of migrants in the cities. It is important to note that in Tanzanian cities the majority of residents are at most, second- or third-generation urban residents. Young people usually move to the city alone, without family. Those who were born in the city usually have only parents and siblings living there. Thus, connections to the culture of one’s region of origin are often broken, leading to a search for new affiliations, which frequently involves a shift in self-identity.In the article we will examine issues of the transformation and significance of ethnic identity; the relationship between ethnic, regional, and national levels of self-identity; attitudes towards ethno-racial minorities; and the future of indigenous Tanzanian cultures, languages, and traditions within the multicultural environment of the city.

Digital transformation of societies with the use of digital identity: a case study in Turkey

How digital identity and digital transformation will be able to affect societies has been a matter of wonder, particularly in the last decades. This study aims to reveal the importance of the digital transformation of societies, the use of digital identity, and digital citizenship degrees in Turkey. The study was carried out on adult individuals over 18 years old living in Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir, the most significant three cities in terms of population and level of development in Turkey. As a result, this study shows that respondents' viewpoints differ in age, education levels, and lived cities in the sub-dimensions of the Digital Identity Scale.

Algorithmic imaginary in surveillance technicity: The renegotiation of minzu identity among China’s ethnic minority wanghongs on Douyin

This study investigates the role of Douyin, internationally known as TikTok, in shaping the presentation and perception of minzu (ethnicity) among ethnic minority wanghongs (internet celebrities) in China. It examines how Douyin’s techno-social environment, particularly the “surveillance technicity” embedded within its algorithms, interacts with the content production and engagement practices of ethnic minority creators, thereby co-constructing their self-perception and expression of ethnic identity. The paper emphasizes how wanghongs navigate both technology and identity, strategically crafting and materializing their minzu narratives within the constraints and opportunities of this digital platform. It highlights the complex interplay between Douyin’s algorithmic mechanisms and the emergent ethnic narratives of wanghongs, illustrating how Douyin is instrumental in the visibility, and renegotiation of ethnic identities among ethnic minority wanghongs. This analysis provides critical insights into the multifaceted impact of Douyin’s algorithms on the cultivation and transformation of ethnic identities within China’s digital spaces.

Змістова лінія «Функції» шкільного курсу математики та особливості її вивчення в середній школі

The article reveals the important circumstances and peculiarities of the study of the content line "Functions" in the school mathematics course. Among the circumstances is a different interpretation of the concept of function: in the basic school, the function is considered (classical approach) as a dependence between variables, and in the senior profile as a correspondence (modern, modern definition) between the elements of two sets. This leads to different schemes for studying the properties of a function and constructing its graph. It is noted that the content line "Functions" is the leading line of the school course of algebra, algebra and the beginnings of analysis. It is the basis for studying equations, inequalities, identical transformations of algebraic expressions, the beginnings of probability theory, geometric quantities (area of a figure, volume of a body, surface area of a body, etc.). It starts in grade 7 and is taught in three stages: Stage 1 - grades 7-9. The main purpose of studying functions is to justify the study of linear, quadratic, fractional rational equations and inequalities, identical transformations of single terms, polynomials and fractional expressions, to teach how to use them as mathematical models in the study of physics, solving practical and applied problems; Stage 2 - grades 10-11, when basic elementary functions and their important properties (increasing, decreasing, periodicity, continuity) are studied. The main goal of the course is to teach students to solve irrational, trigonometric, and exponential equations and inequalities, transform corresponding algebraic expressions, and create graphs of the glass

Disruptive diversity: Exploring racial commodification in the Norwegian cultural field.

Scholars have suggested that the heightened focus on diversity in Western cultural fields may drive forms of racial commodification, impacting cultural representations of 'race'. However, few studies apply Bourdieu's theory of cultural production to understand how racial commodification may also disrupt field dynamics. This article aims to explore how racialised minority cultural producers in Norway experience the intensified focus on diversity within the cultural field. Drawing on Bourdieu's theory of cultural production, critical diversity studies and the cultural industries approach, I analyse fieldwork and interviews with 41 Norwegian cultural producers. This analysis reveals three key diversity-related changes participants experienced: (1) a transformation of racial identities into commodities, (2) a shift towards racial self-commodification, and (3) a change in the value of 'diverse stories'. The findings suggest that the increased focus on diversity encourages a form of racial commodification, with a dual impact on racialised minorities' artistic freedom. While it restricts their potential for aesthetic recognition, it also creates a platform to redefine what counts as legitimate culture. This offers insights into an under-researched aspect of diversity efforts and racial commodification, revealing how this commodification can instigate change within the cultural field.

Shaping Scholars Across Borders: The Journey of Chinese Doctoral Students in Malaysia

There has been a surge in the number of individuals from China undertaking their doctoral studies in Malaysia. However, it is complicated to cultivate international doctoral students in an intercultural environment. Current research has been widely conducted to explore the experiences and qualities of international doctoral learning, but there is little attention paid to the transformation of the intercultural academic identity of the students. This study takes a perspective of acculturation theory to examine how Chinese international doctoral students reconstruct their academic identity in a new environment in Malaysia to complete their research goals. A qualitative semi-structured interview method was adopted to gain an in-depth perception, and 8 Chinese doctoral students in a Malaysian research-intensive university were interviewed. Themes are analyzed by using the software ATLAS.ti 24, and intercultural communication competence (ICC), intercultural supervision, and learning community influence the academic identity construction. Moreover, ICC is the core element, from which other relevant factors can play a more effective role in intercultural academic identity transformation. This research forms a model of how international doctoral students’ academic identity can be functionally constructed. Furthermore, it has implications for international students to improve their overall learning experiences and ultimately complete their PhD successfully.

Incorporating Critical Pedagogy into Second Language Teacher Education: An Identity Lens

Language teacher identity has become an established field of inquiry over the past decades. Despite strong calls to integrate critical pedagogy into language teacher education programs to foster student teachers’ critical awareness and catalyze their identity development, there is a paucity of empirical studies on how such integration can take place and influence student teachers’ identity construction. Adopting a case study approach, this article demonstrates two student teachers’ identity changes in an undergraduate Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages course with a critical pedagogy design. Multiple sources of data were collected including semi-structured individual interviews, online forum discussion records and final reflection essays. Throughout the course, the two student teachers actively engaged in multiple course activities and reflected on their personal beliefs about English and its learning and use. Diwata (pseudonym) regained confidence as a language teacher who was determined to disprove misconceptions in this field, and Ting (pseudonym) reclaimed ownership of English by unearthing her shining points in teaching (e.g. shared experience and empathy with students). The findings underscore the role of critical pedagogy in catalyzing student teachers’ identity transformation into linguistically inclusive, socially conscious and culturally responsive language teachers. Practical implications are also provided in the article.

Review of Ladegaard (2024): Migrant workers’ narratives of return: Alienation and identity transformations

Review of Ladegaard (2024): Migrant workers’ narratives of return: Alienation and identity transformations

From Existence to Being: Reflections on the Transformation of Personal Identity Through Confrontation with Cultural, Religious, and Spiritual Diversity

(1) Background: This study describes an exploration of the potential of cultural, religious, and spiritual diversity to trigger one’s psychological self-image and open the possibility of personal identity transformation as a tool for deep intercultural, interreligious, and interspiritual dialog (2) Results: The study provides a philosophical argument for understanding the existential experience of the “unknown” as a stimulus for critical reflection or even for the transformation of personal identity of the individuals involved in such interactions. (3) Methods: The method of phenomenological analysis was employed in this theoretical research. (4) Conclusions: The circumstances were philosophically considered under which the existential experience of the unknown in intercultural, interreligious, and interspiritual contexts can facilitate processes of critical reflection or the transformation of personal identity based on the philosophical distinction between ontic and ontological identity.

Interfaces numériques et représentation de soi dans Les Liens artificiels, de Nathan Devers

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the transformations of personal identity in the digital space as depicted in Nathan Devers’ novel Les Liens artificiels. We will follow the identity destruction process of the main character, Julien/Vangel, exploring the factors leading to this “self” decay phenomenon and his reaction to his imminent end. We will also discuss the humanization of the digital apparatus and the instrumentalization and objectification of Julien’s identity; we will address the immersion process into the digital space, identifying the steps and conditions enabling this immersion and the resulting identity transformations. Finally, we will explore how the character immerses himself in the digital device to the point of total identification, losing his real identity and becoming an integral part of the digital system.

Трансформация гражданской идентичности в республиках СКФО (сравнительный анализ Республик Северная Осетия ‒ Алания и Дагестан)

The article examines the process of transformation of civic identity among the populations of the republics of North Ossetia – Alania and Dagestan. In a multiethnic country, the investigation of issues pertaining to political socialization and the formation of civic identity constitutes an especially pressing task, as it allows for the trac-ing of risks associated with the crisis or disintegration of civic identity. Currently, social processes are rapidly evolving both on a global scale and at the level of individual states. Hence, each research study related to iden-tity reveals new trends. Therefore, new trends are emerging in every study related to identity. Based on empiri-cal material, this work demonstrates that, for the national republics of the North Caucasus, ethnic and local identities are currently perceived as more advantageous tools for social adaptation than civic one. In order to preserve the integrity and stability of a country like Russia, it is extremely important that its inhabitants consider the all-Russian civic identity as a priority. This will guarantee its further existence and effective development.

Becoming Black? African Migrants’ Social Identity Constructions and Experiences of Racialization in Germany

ABSTRACT Becoming Black has been described as a common experience of racialization and social identity transformation for people migrating from countries in Africa to the United Kingdom or the United States. In shifting the socio-political research context to Germany, a society that has adopted a post-racialist self-conception, this registered report explores whether African migrants in Germany identify as Black, and how they negotiate experiences of racialization and their overlapping and often contradictory and competing social identities. The study combines narrative-style interviews with a mapping exercise and photo-elicitation. Research participants were interviewed in three cities in Germany and sampled based on region of origin (i.e. the African continent) rather than whether they identify as Black and/or African. Data collection and analysis were treated as an iterative process, and the final data analysis was guided by reflexive thematic analysis. The study presents three themes that capture the dynamic interplay between existing and evolving identities in the interview and migration context. While few participants explicitly spoke about “becoming Black,” the themes show that migrants’ identities were shaped by experiences of racialized Othering, giving rise to strategic identity performances to navigate social expectations, avoid discrimination, and assert belonging.

Exploring Identity in Poetry: Love, Loss, and Belonging in Sylvia Plath and Elizabeth Bishop through the Lens of Social Identity Theory

This study leverages Social Identity Theory (SIT) to explore themes of identity, belonging, and relationships in Sylvia Plath's "Mad Girl's Love Song" and Elizabeth Bishop's "One Art." Using a comparative qualitative approach, the research examines how personal and social identities influence the speakers' experiences of love and loss. Plath's poem illustrates a crisis of social identity marked by the speaker's detachment and internal conflict, reflecting struggles with isolation and idealization. In contrast, Bishop portrays loss as a communal experience, highlighting an evolving identity characterized by resilience and acceptance. The findings reveal that while both poets illustrate identity transformations shaped by relationships and loss, they utilize different coping mechanisms—Plath through fantasy and Bishop through pragmatic acceptance. This analysis underscores the intricate relationship between social identity and emotional responses, enhancing our understanding of how societal contexts impact individual identity formation.

Formation of Civil Identity in the Educational Policy System in the Context of Transformation of the Political Space

The relevance lies in the institutionalization of education in the new subjects of the Russian Federation (DPR, LPR, Zaporizhia, Kherson regions, the Republic of Crimea, the federal city of Sevastopol), as well as the processes of re-socialization, adaptation to the socio-cultural, political, value-ideological realities of Russian society, which affects the construction of the civic identity of school youth. Understanding the processes of formation of civic identity in the educational policy system in the context of the transformation of the political space allows identifying the mechanisms of actualization and transformation of identity. Тhe experience of the post-Soviet states, as well as the processes taking place in Russia today, enables making interesting theoretical generalizations and practical recommendations.Aim and Tasks. Identification and systematization of practices, mechanisms and technologies for the formation of civil identity of schoolchildren in new subjects in the educational policy system of the Russian Federation, determination of existing problems and barriers, identification of models of civil identity formation in the context of comparing the experience of Russia and the EAEU countries.Methods. The study uses a focus group interview with senior and middle school students living in the new territories of the Russian Federation, an expert interview with representatives of institutional structures involved in the processes of political socialization and implementation of identity policy, as well as the analysis of secondary data reflecting the processes of formation of civil identity in the EAEU countries.Results. As a result, the key practices of forming the civil identity of schoolchildren in the new subjects of the Russian Federation are revealed and systematized, barriers and problems of implementing educational policy in the system of forming civil identity are identified. The authors propose recommendations for improving the model of formation of the identity of schoolchildren in the new subjects of the Russian Federation. The article shows the difference between the model of formation of Russian civil identity in the new regions and the models of formation of civil identity used in the EAEU countries.Conclusions. The study revealed the existing contradictions that arise in the process of adaptation to a new educational and value-ideological model, manifested in the assimilation of new social norms and educational standards; the difference in the level of political education and the degree of involvement in civic activity of young people was noted. It is necessary to search for effective practices and technologies that contribute to building a consistent model of civic identity formation in the basic education system of new subjects of the Russian Federation. The EAEU member states can use the practical experience of civil identity formation in the education system of new subjects of the Russian Federation to improve their own models of civil identity formation.

FORMATION OF NATIONAL IDENTITY AS A PEDAGOGICAL PROBLEM

The relevance of the study of the problem of national identity is determined by the permanent, multidirectional socio-cultural changes that accompany the formation and development of the information society at both the global and local levels. These changes are caused by the effects of globalization, the development of information and telecommunication technologies, the intensification of cultural exchange and the dominance of mass culture.The article considers the formation of national identity of schoolchildren in the world space of out-of-school institutions as a pedagogical problem. The author reveals the multicomponent nature of national identity, which is represented by the constituent elements of the phenomenon of national identity.The article considers general theoretical approaches to the study of national identity as a multidimensional process of personality formation, which can be revealed through various aspects. It is argued that the formation of national identity of schoolchildren is based on the values of national culture and its cultural and historical foundation.The author identifies and describes the actual characteristics of the modern socio-cultural situation of schoolchildren’s development that determine the formation of their identity, identifies the components of national identity and presents the content and identification markers that are associated with the components and are the result of pedagogical influence in the educational process of an out-of-school institution.The article analyzes the phenomenon of national identity of an individual, based on a wide range of concepts of domestic and foreign researchers in the field of national identity theories.The need to include this category in the toolkit of pedagogical science is actualized. The author’s conceptual idea of the formation of national identity in the educational space of out-of-school institutions is schematically presented, its main elements are characterized. The article outlines a number of trends in the transformation of national identity in the information society.