I have always been at a loss as to why race was so inextricably linked to identity. Although the two often overlap, they are not one and the same in the postmodern era. As we work our way into the 2010s the population of mixed race individuals has steadily increased. An estimated one fifth to one-fourth of the global population is expected to be multiracial. If we are moving towards racial homogeneity why is one’s race so prevalent in the discussion of identity?
Many people cite nationality, religion or ethnic background as key factors in the discussion of identity. Whilst they do make up our identity, other factors should mean more. In Kuwait, views and attitudes regarding race and nationality are quite controversial. As someone who is mixed race (Arab/black/white) and the third generation of my family to be so, it is truly perplexing. I recently wrote an article entitled ‘Half Kuwaiti?’ for the Kuwait times and it left me deflated as to why women are still marginalised in the postmodern era. Is it the control of the Patriarchy? Is it the legislative power of the institutions which we elect to govern us? Or is it our own norms, values and social consensus that prevents us from being the drivers of change?
Personally, my identity meant little to me in that I saw it as malleable and adaptable to specific situations. Rather than a fixed identity, I found myself malleable to the individuals with whom I speak. Whether it be mareg bamya and machboos on a Friday with my family, or having a slice of Battenburg cake with my English/Scottish Uncles and Aunts. Moreover, identity defines many people, but my identity does not define me, it is merely an apparatus to use to develop myself. If anything identity should mean the development of shared consciousness which benefits all within society. Rather than identity being a divisive definition, shouldn’t identity be that of cohesion and societal hegemony?
Many argue that the breakdown of Identity in terms of race and nationality is beginning to have an impact globalization has in the modern world. Contemporaries would argue that the geo-political scene is further affected by supposed identity concerns. This was a key factor in the US Presidential election of 2016 in that many Americans voiced their racial concerns and prejudices through the electoral process. This sense of nationalism is rippling throughout the world. Sociologists often argue that now in the postmodern era society should have progressed beyond such boundaries. Thus, preferential identity should not be as rampant as it is. Many argue that misogynistic and ethnocentric boundaries also help divide identity. Therefore, is social identity a thing of waning relevance or of great prominence in the current era?
How does your identity define you? Are you mixed race, half Kuwaiti or merely interested in multiculturalism? If so, then leave a comment below!
