National Identity

Among many identities, we also have a national identity , which should not be
confused with racial or ethnic identity. Nationally, unlike racial or ethnic identity
refers to one’s legal status in relation to a nation.

Ex: a Vietnamese may find themselves korean or chinese in ethnicity but they are
still Vietnamese in nationality.

Although national identity may seem to be a clear-cut issue, this is not the
case when the nation's status is unclear. Sometimes nations disappear from
the political map but persist in the social imagination and eventually
reemerge, such as Poland, Ukraine,... Other times, national identity may shift
in significant ways, as in the United States after the attacks of September 11,
2001, when ideas about national identity seemed to incorporate increased
expressions of patriotism.

In sum, people have various ways of thinking about nationality, and they
sometimes confuse nationality and ethnicity.

Regional Identity

Closely related to nationality is the notion of regional identity. Many regions of the
world have separate, but vital and important, cultural identities.

Example : The Scottish Highlands is a region of northern Scotland that is distinctly

different from the Lowlands, and regional identity remains strong in the Highlands.

In the United States, regional identities remain important, but perhaps less so as the
nation moves toward homogeneity. Although some regional identities can fuel
national independence movements, they more often reflect cultural identities that
affirm distinctive cuisines, dress, manners, and language. These identities may
become important in intercultural communication situations.

What are the implications for identity and intercultural communication? It could
mean that people in these areas have more opportunities for understanding and
practicing intercultural communication and so benefit from the diversity. Or they
may withdraw into their own groups and protect their racial and ethnic "borders."
Age

As we age, we also play into cultural notions of how individuals our age should
act, look, and behave; that is, we develop an age identity. As we grow older, we
sometimes look at the clothes displayed in store windows or advertised in
newspapers and magazines and feel that we are either too old or too young for that
"look." These feelings stem from an understanding of what age means and how we
identify with people that age.

Some people feel old at 30; others feel young at 40 or 50. Nothing inherent in age
tells us we are young or old. Rather, our notions of age and youth are all based on
cultural conventions.

Certain ages have special significance in some cultures.

Example : In most countries, 18 marks your official maturity. This is the age where
you get to make decision on your own.

Our notions of age often change as we grow older ourselves. Yet the relative nature
of age is only one part of the identity process.

Social constructions of age also play a role. Different generations often have
different philosophies, values, and ways of speaking. For example, recent data
show that today's college freshmen are more liberal politically and more interested
in volunteer work and civic responsibility than were Gen Xers.

In sum up, although not all people in any generation are alike, the attempt to find
trends across generations reflects our interest in understanding age identity.