Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Towards An Impure, Dynamic Concept Of Identity?, Rafael Rodríguez Prieto

Rafael Rodríguez Prieto

We live in homogenizing times, in an increasingly globalized world; at the same time, we are witnessing an era of ferocious particularities and rabid individualism. Both trends—rooted in essentialisms of identity—deny entire populations the opportunity to emancipate themselves and participate in self-government. Universalizing (or imposing a specific hierarchy of values and ideas on others) is as dangerous as refusing to recognize the role other values and ideas play in shaping one’s own value set. This paper will take a closer look at the notion of identity through the looking glass of globalization.