Identity and Intercultural Communication
Identity is categorized into three perspectives of communication, which consist of social science, interpretive, and critical. The social science perspective tells us, “identity is created in part by the self and in part in relation to group membership” (Martin & Nakayama, 2012, p. 171). This means that identity is not only affected by our own actions but also by our communication with groups, or in “group memberships”. As we begin to look at the interpretive perspective, it becomes evident that there are some overlapping ideas with the social science perspective. The interpretive perspective is described as, “identities that are negotiated, co-created, reinforced, and challenged through communication with others” (Martin & Nakayama, 2012, p. 171). This concept is solidified by the introduction of avowal and ascription. Avowal, or how you see yourself, is not necessarily how others see you, defined as ascription. Core symbols, or cultural values, are another important concept to assist in understanding that identities are affected by communication with others. The last perspective is known as the critical perspective. The critical perspective also contains elements of the interpretive perspective, however it elaborates on the contextual factors of identity development. It is vital to understand that history, economics, and politics, etc., are where we can gather the most useful resources in understanding the development of identity formation. Identity and communication are not only connected, but reliant on each other as well. Identity can be the root of conflict in many cases, however, without intercultural communication, there is no hope at peaceful resolution. 
As we all know by now, Syria is in a civil war, and the United States has been put on the spotlight to ensure that justice is served to President Bashar al-Assad, who is suspected of using chemical weapons. Syria, is described as “very diverse, ethnically and religiously” (Fisher, 2013) by Max Fisher in an article he wrote titled, 9 questions about Syria you were too embarrassed to ask. He then goes on the state that, “Armed civilians organized into rebel groups. The army deployed across the country, shelling and bombing whole neighborhoods and towns, trying to terrorize people into submission” (Fisher, 2013). Based on my analysis, the ascribed identity I would give to Syria would consist of religious and political conflict. It is because of the meaningless violence in Syria, that the President is requesting military action. I would go on to say that there are major socio-cultural identities affecting this situation. 
First of all, the religious identity of Syria can be described as many cultures sharing one space and ultimately not properly communicating, hence creating conflict. The next identity I would say has a large impact on this situation is the ethnic identity. Fisher states, “Syria has artificial borders that were created by European colonial powers, forcing together an amalgam of diverse religious and ethnic groups” (Fisher, 2013). The fact that Syria is so diverse in ethnic groups and ideology, made it difficult for intercultural communication to take place, especially when each side is on the extreme against the other. National and regional identities play a role in this conflict as well. “Syria's population stood at 22.5 million as of July 2013. So, slightly more than one-quarter of all Syrians have been driven from their homes by the fighting — so far.” (Memmott, 2013). This statement shows that the Syrian people’s national identities are being tested. Though not all 6 million displaced people have left Syria, all have felt a shift in national identity in the recent weeks.
I believe that the dynamic of intercultural communication is not looking very good in the case of Syria. There could have been a solution to this problem before it got this far. The fact that Syria’s borders include such a diverse range of people means that there needs to be much more communication to resolve some of these identity conflicts that have arose. After reading all the information about Syria and thinking about these concepts, I realized that they are very useful in everyday life. Communication affects identity, and identity affects communication. Therefore, it is important to be conscious of these effects so that you don’t find yourself in conflict. It is never too late to change.
References
Fisher, M. (2013). 9 Questions About Syria you were too Embarrassed to Ask. The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/08/29/9-questions-about-syria-you-were-too-embarrassed-to-ask/
Martin, J.N., & Nakayama, T.K. (2013). Intercultural communication in contexts (6th ed.) New York, NY: McGraw Hill.
Memmott, M. (2013, September 3). 2 Million Syrians Are Now Refugees and More are ‘On the Way’. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/09/03/218471534/2-million-syrians-are-now-refugees-and-more-are-on-the-way
I think you bring up a noteworthy point when you say that communication between these groups is so difficult because of the extreme opposing identities that can be found in Syria. While the main conflict is between the rebels and the regime, many other conflicts lie underneath, so much so that effective communication between the groups seems nearly impossible at this point.
ReplyDeleteI think you bring up a noteworthy point when you say that communication between these groups is so difficult because of the extreme opposing identities that can be found in Syria. While the main conflict is between the rebels and the regime, many other conflicts lie underneath, so much so that effective communication between the groups seems nearly impossible at this point.
ReplyDeleteGreat work with first blog. I appreciated the variety of identities that you discussed in light of the Syrian conflict. Good application of sources as well.
ReplyDelete