Passage Two

Globalization and Identity

1．What globalization had definitely contributed to was the erosion of the“master identities”such as，for example，citizenship in the abstract meaning of membership in the territorially defined and state-governed society，and its replacement by an identity based on ethnicity，race，local community，language，and other“local”and culturally concrete forms．In other words，the trends towards unification that were exacerbating during the past decades in turn provoked the appreciation of the role and importance of the opposing trends towards the specific and the local．

2．One of the explanations of these contradicting tendencies may be as follows:though the process of globalization undermines the traditional perception of locality as a bounded space characterized by a framework of close relations based upon kinship ties and length of residency since it diminishes the intensity of day-to-day contacts and overall involvement into communal activities，it seems to have a different kind of influence on another dimension of“locality”—that is，various rituals，ceremonies and collective memories that bind the people together．As Mike Featherstone argues，this is the primary factor that fosters the sustainability ofthecommunaltiesbecauseitistheuseof commemorative rituals and ceremonies that can be understood as batteries that store and recharge the sense of communality when one is apart from the regular calendar of ceremonies．

3．It can be concluded that the impact of globalization is contradictory: on the one hand it works towards the unification of the world but on the other，this proves to have a dubious effect on diminishing the local specificity and the tendencies towards the local，the cultural become more and more discernible and avowed．It might be pertinent，in this respect，to speak of the unification of the parameters of difference，or structuring and limitations of the dimensions of changeability．As Wilk puts it，nowadays we confront universal categories and standards by which all cultural differences can be defined，a phenomenon that could be categorized as structures of common difference that underpins but not imposes particular kinds of diversity and constraint．

4．Nevertheless，the effect of globalization on identity formation was considerable．One of its major contributions to the shifts in the way identity is perceived and theorized nowadays is highlighting the constructed character of many of the taken-for-granted assumptions about identity．One of the most striking examples is the one with the modern nation-states．With the erosion of the identity of a nation-state as an“enclave”within the world economy whose growth and development is determined，primarily，by its internal processes，the concept of“national identity”as of the“natural state of affairs”also starts to diffuse．Instead，constructed character of national identities becomes obvious as the issue of identity politics arises．Such“natural”assumptions about the nation-state on which it was actually built，become questioned，as:

●the nation as the“one people's”place，the idea of“folk”(in fact，there is hardly a state populated by“one people”);

●the notion of the“ideological”coherence of one nation and its unifying into one totality on volunteer grounds(as far as many of modern nations are concerned，they were united during the long period of aggression and oppression of some national groups by the others);

●the assumption that the nation is based upon common and old traditions(it turns out that most of them are recent)．

Besides，at present，national identity continues to be the object of governmental policy．China faces the predicament of maintaining an official version of its“national culture”while being confronted with globalization and diverse searches for cultural and local identities．Chinese endeavours to protect and preserve Chinese culture reveal two orientations:one is the state strategy which emphasizes creating and reinforcing an official version of“national Chinese culture;”the other features the different and innovative efforts of many individuals and grassroots communities，who have taken into their own hands the mission of conserving traditional and local customs，cultures and diversity．

Questions for Understanding

1．What seems to be a dialectical relationship between globalization and identity based on this passage you have just read?

2．What features the tendencies of identity development in the process of globalization?

3．What does Wilk intend to say about the impact of globalization in the matter of identity?

4．According to paragraph 4 what contribution does globalization make to identity development?

5．Does the Chinese face a similar situation with regard to its collective identity?If so，what is it?