100 Years of Identity Crisis

Chapter 1: The Identity Labyrinth

‘Identity’ is more than a household term. Judging by the ceaseless stream of references to this word, transmitted through the mainstream and social media, identity has become the dominant cultural marker of our times. Yet, despite its constant usage, identity is not an attribute that anyone can take for granted. Individuals and groups self-consciously lecture people about how they want to be identified. Among the younger generations it has become fashionable to preface a statement with the words, ‘I identify as …’. That individuals feel obliged to broadcast their identity and to wear it on their sleeves is symptomatic of its tentative and ambiguous qualities. The statement ‘I identify as …’ invites validation ...