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The Individual in a Multicultural Context

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Multiculturalism, Identity and Difference

Part of the book series: Palgrave Politics of Identity and Citizenship Series ((CAL))

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Abstract

The focus of this chapter is on the individual within a multicultural context. As Chen (2013) noted, opening up is one reaction to globalization, ethnic protectionism being another. Within this chapter, some aspects pertinent to individuals living within an increasingly multicultural context will be highlighted. Firstly, the persistence of primordial sentiments will be explored, turning to evolutionary psychology in search for some explanations. Core human motives will then be examined further with a special emphasis on the need to belong and the need for self-enhancement. Human beings need to negotiate stability and change—core elements of identity development. Selected identity theories will be reviewed, including the structure of the self and the link between the self and the cultural context. In the final part of this chapter an empirical study will be presented which explores the salience of national identity as a function of the multicultural context.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Living together with so many unfamiliar people represents a stress factor which should not be underestimated despite all the contact-avoidance measures people have developed.

  2. 2.

    Modern, industrial mass society overstrains the human motivation inventory.

  3. 3.

    It appears that living with conspecifics produces the “material” on which the idea of the own “self” is built.

  4. 4.

    Increasing and intensifying the feeling of self-worth becomes a motivational goal.

  5. 5.

    Society precedes the individual genetically.

  6. 6.

    It is essential of human beings to belong to a system.

  7. 7.

    Countries must answer the question whether they define their sense of membership (in-group) in terms of ethnic blood ties (Nationalstaat) or on the basis of actual living together (multicultural society).

  8. 8.

    Need for stimulation, however literally the terms can be translated as “Lust for adventure.”

  9. 9.

    With the feedback loop that each completion of a motivational task provides, including the additional feeling of competence conducive for self-esteem, the satisfaction of the self-worth becomes the guiding principle for human motivation and an additional factor in guiding behaviour.

  10. 10.

    Experiencing insecurity as joy, who has ever taught this to us?

  11. 11.

    The following is largely based on Triandis (1989) and page numbers refer to his article.

  12. 12.

    A full account of this study was published in: Murdock, E., Hirt, F. S. and Ferring, D. (2014). Salience of nationality in students’ spontaneous self-concept: A comparative study of a nationally homogeneous and a heterogeneous school context. Journal of Research in International Education, 13 (2), 1–6. 1475240914539797.

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  1. University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg

    Elke Murdock

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Murdock, E. (2016). The Individual in a Multicultural Context. In: Multiculturalism, Identity and Difference. Palgrave Politics of Identity and Citizenship Series. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-59679-6_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-59679-6_4

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