What is identity?

In Rogers Brubaker and Frederick Cooper’s piece on "identity", the authors argue that the term "identity" is too loaded to be practically useful in an analytical or scientific manner. By this they mean it has too many meanings (often contradictory meanings) and in another sense, no meaning at all. The term causes us to think about a person’s “identity” as something that is “real” in an objective sense which may or may not reflect our intended meaning behind the term. In their discussion, the authors juxtapose “weak” conceptions of "identity" with “strong” conceptions of "identity", and highlight the issues with conceiving of "identity" as either hard and stable (strong) or fluid and open to change (weak). Brubaker and Cooper ultimately suggest that it may be beneficial to abandon the term "identity" in favor of varied, more specific terminology. 

To consider the question, What is "identity"?, we must first determine what the word "identity" actually signifies. Brubaker and Cooper’s article points out that it is not entirely accurate to think about "identity" as stable and objectively existent, but it is also not entirely accurate to conceive of "identity" as fluid and malleable. In a sense, "identity" points to a commonality between individuals, and this commonality often helps define or create a group that often has specific interests. These interests often reveal themselves in politics, as certain groups are organized, strengthened, imposed, or created to pursue specific goals in the political arena. One idea from the article that I found quite helpful in thinking about the term "identity" is the distinction between thinking that "identity" is something to be discovered, and something about which one can be mistaken” (10). In other words, the “commonality,” “identification,” and “self-understanding” of individuals described by Brubaker and Cooper are all aspects of "identity", and perhaps better words to use in its place. Through examples such as African ethnic history, East European nationalism, and racial history in the United States, Brubaker and Cooper point out that "identity", specifically what they call collective "identity", is a hazy concept. This is not to say that groups do not exist in society, but rather that entirely distinct groups may not exist in the concrete way we often think they do. This implies that membership in a certain group, which is, in one aspect, a person’s "identity", can be unclear. Based on the reading, I would argue that one’s "identity" is one’s belonging to a relevant group (this group is socially constructed, but real in the sense that some specific characteristic defines or alters the life experience of people who share the characteristic). By this I mean that there are countless characteristics through which we may create or observe groups or “identities,” but only certain characteristics are “activated” in a critical way. It could be argued that any characteristic, even one that has not been “activated” could constitute an "identity,” and this is true, but unactivated characteristics lack the power to engender common narratives among their members or define a member’s life experiences in a significant way. The term "identity" could, in theory, apply to any of a person’s characteristics, but it will only meaningfully apply to a person’s characteristics that are socially or politically salient.

I found the reading to be quite engaging and thought-provoking, as I had never previously considered what "identity" really means. It became evident as I attempted to answer the reading question that defining "identity" is much more complicated that it would initially seem. Answering the reading question was difficult. I am not entirely satisfied with my answer, and I am sure my definition of the term "identity" will evolve as the class progresses. All in all, I think the article is incredibly relevant in political and social spheres today, and caused me to consider why I may associate myself with certain groups, or why those groups are even considered to exist in the first place.