Why Is Cultural Identity Important?
Cultural identity is important because it acts as a way to preserve history and provides individuals a place where they feel they belong. Cultural identity is established when a group of people continually follows the same sets of social norms and behavior as those of earlier generations. An individual’s cultural identity is influenced by factors such as ancestry, social class, educational level, family, language, political opinions and profession.
People with a strong sense of culture identity are more likely to feel a sense of security and belonging, according to the Social Report. People with a strong and defined cultural identity typically show positive outcomes in terms of education and health. They are more likely to have social networks to depend on for support, as well as to feel a sense of trust with people within those networks.
Many people identify culturally with a variety of subcultures, and cultural identity itself can change over time as the beliefs and behavior of individuals and groups change. Acknowledging the breadth of cultural identity is crucial to any efforts to move beyond racism and to bring about reconciliation between cultural groups, as Racism. No way! explains. Using cultural identity to build barriers between different subcultures can lead to intolerance and exclusion from society.
