5 minute read
Century ago the Social Identity was determined by location or nation. But not anymore. Social Identity is not bordered geographically – it is Global. What does it mean for our private and business lives?
“Religion of future – atheism”
is a myth
The talks about multireligion or non-religion future are overvalued for two reasons. First, what we are going to experience is not the disappearance of religion, but vise versa, two main religion groups will grow and reach[nbsp]almost equal size. According to Pew Research Center, growing Muslim population will catch up with Christianity, which is practiced by more than third of the world. Moreover, Muslim will be the largest non-Christian religion in United States, instead of nowadays Judaism. Increasing Muslim migration to Europe is going to solve the future Workforce crisis and will require companies to have integrated approach in workforce diversity and intergroup relations. Secondly, the Social Identification will evolve from personal identification by religion and nation to recognition of “my people” by interests, working place and other personal attributes.
Selftrust replaces
trade unions
The Trade Union failure in Europe is one of the evidences of Social Identity development. The term of security has changed over the decades putting the trust into own professional and surviving skills over the trust into unions. Workforce[nbsp]does not look for professional security. Conversely, workers look for new international connections and possibilities for professional growth. The labour unions are replaced with professional organizations sharing the knowledge. Variety of environmental, bio-engineering, marketing, Big Data, and many other conferences are held to bring together people from all over the world.[nbsp]The main value of the future is not money, it is knowledge. Therefore, particular organizations and conferences are the investment to the participants’ future.
Transnationalism to
replace nationalism
Someone may argue whether we need national identity or not. History has multiple examples when nationalism has turned into aggressive force. In the world, which becomes multicultural, it seems hard to combine different religions and traditions in one place. Moreover, most of terroristic acts are based on national identity. However, Canada is a great example of a country, where people regardless of their racial or ethnic origins live without any conflicts. Canada is the first country to adapt multiculturalism as an official policy. National identity can be a motivation towards the development of local economy, but that works only in past. Anyway, probably after conquering the space the national identity won’t be by countries anymore, but by the planets after all.
Pros and Cons
On the one hand, the evolvement of Social Identity theory towards globalisation is logical. Blurring of boundaries in Social Identity has positive effects on acceptance the difference. For example, we see the gender equality breakthrough in the last 5 decades and rise of gay rights not only for existence but also for marriage and adoption. Change in consumer behaviour – consumption of globally produced food and products, ability to order online or getting education from any part of the world. Sharing the experience and exchange the ideas brings the advanced and developed living. Moreover, globalisation creates global responsibility, environmental for example.
On the other hand, the way people determine their social identity has a negative impact on the local economy. Once population determines themselves less socially, as the nation for example, people become more flexible with the place they live and work causing high migration rates. The export of production means giving up the working places to the benefit of other country. Consequently, In terms of globalization there might be loss of the national identity. What should be in the focus is restoring of Social Identity components balance.
Globalisation impact
Globalisation is the main reason the Social Identity becomes more diverse and open-bounded. Moreover, the way people determine their comfort circle has changed in many ways. Digital Footprint enables to get to know a person from the other side of the globe with the mouse-click creating boundaries between two people without the other person participance.
Person’s identity has two components: a personal component that is derived from idiosyncratic characteristics – such as personality, physical, and intellectual traits – and a social components derived from salient commonalities derived from group membership, such as race, sex, class and nationality (Ashforth [&] Mael, 1989). The balance between Global Social Identity components has moved – the personal overweight the social. Worldwide migration and urbanisation mix the nationalities. Just Stockholm itself hosts 186 nationalities. According to statistics, in 2010 26% of capital’s population was born in another country. The trend is that blending of nations and cultures is going to continue. Social workers at schools and Human Resource specialists at work are promoting diversity in order to avoid cultural discrimination.
