Studying Culture - Part 2

2. Without an identity there is no such thing as a socially situated individual. Societies, identities, and the individuals do not exist independently of one another. Discuss this concept in greater detail. Give examples of how these three are interrelated. If you disagree with the statement, provide considerable arguments to support your claim.

So, the idea of identity assumes that an individual will react to or behave the same way in all circumstances or situations, but humans belie that definition. For example, someone that identifies themselves as a patriot may be against the war and perceived as unpatriotic by the
larger group he is a part of. this does not change his individual identity, but it does call into question his identity in his socially situated identification. Thus, this might constitute a
mediation/conflict between an individual and his identity relationship to society. so, while we can agree that identities are complex and that they do place individuals into groups that share traits, we might disagree that the identification of an individual within a group that shares traits isn't sometimes in conflict and doesn't interrrupt the supposed balance of a shared trait group.

Does this mean that a socially situated individual is identified only by the social group he resides in for the purposes of interrelationship between the concepts of identiy, society and
individuality? What even constitutes a society as it relates to identity and an individual. An
interesting question if you look at a very abnormal individual and a very non-normal society.

I'm thinking of Timothy Treadwell (better known as "Grizzly Man"), who chose his own identity and was his own individual within a society of his own choosing, a group of grizzly bears. I don't think we can argue that Treadwell had an identity or that he was an individual. We might be able to argue that his chosen social situation was so outside the norm that it doesn't enter into this argument, but that might call into question the basic premise of the author's statement or it could support it if you are willing to agree that social groups or societal groups cover a very broad spectrum and that identity and individuality are completely linked in even the most extreme examples of soceties or social groups.(or is it true that while Treadwell 'identified' with the pack of bears, there is no evidence that they accepted him as part of their identity or simply
allowed him to coexist in their environment?)

I do think that there is no such thing as a socially situated individual without an identity. it would be impossible for societies or societal groups to exist without individuals that were willing to be identified with that group in some way. The observation of individuals and relationship of individuals within groups help to define how those groups operate within society as whole, so the interrelationship of all three is what ultimately defines them. However, there is always a give
and take between the individual, the identity of the individual by the group and the individual's own identity, as well as how that identification is perceived in the world at large.

For example, I might perceive myself as an individual as a highly creative, thoughtful, introspective person that has a curiosity about and interest in people and places all over the world and that I am always interested in learning more about both myself and everything in
the world that interests me. My particular societal group, which I might identify with and define as the like-minded group of people with whom I live and work in the Bay Area might see me as this person, but they also see me as politically liberal (which I am, though I don't
always define myself that narrowly), relatively privileged by virtue of being white, living in an upscale area of the country, artistic because of the activities I engage in and someone who shares certain interests with the societal group here in the Bay Area.

However, when I travel, I might only be perceived as an American man, with all the negative
things that represents in the current geopolitical climate and my identity, as perceived by my narrower societal group, as well as my own personal perception of my identity and individuality may not have any bearing on how I am able to relate to other societies.

Other societies thus have placed me into a group by identifying traits that I share with that group - national identity, perceived wealth, white (most people outside the US likely see a white person speaking English and make the assumption that they are American), but while these are certainly traits that do identify me in a very general sense, they might conflict with the way that I act as an individual or the beliefs that I hold both individually and in my own particular societal group.