Introduction

The question 'who am I?' is an important worldview question since our understanding of ourselves has profound implications on how we relate to the world around us. At the dawn of the new millennium, Western Modernity is dying whilst birthing the new era of Postmodernity. With this shift in outlook it is essential we address the question 'Who am I?' because the rise of Postmodernism has precipitated a crisis of identity. This essay will demonstrate that the 'traditional and highly valued frames of reference in terms of which people could define themselves and their place in society' ¹ have been removed and identity is now multi-faceted and constantly re-constructed by choice. This has increasingly resulted in fragmented and un-stable identities leading to an inevitable breakdown in social relationships and sanity.

The Problem of Identity Erosion in Postmodernism

The question 'who am I?' posed no problem in pre-modern societies as Kellner observes, 'in pre-modern societies, identity was un-problematical and not subject to reflection or discussion'. ² Individuals identities were predefined by their social roles and as they were unchanging this created stable identities, as Kellner says, 'according to anthropological folklore, in traditional societies, one's identity was fixed, solid, and stable'. ³ In modernity identity became more mobile but was still 'relatively substantial and fixed; identity still…[came] from a circumscribed set of roles'. ⁴ But in Postmodernity it is argued 'that a limited and dependable set of coherent identities have begun to fragment into a diverse and unstable series of competing identities'. ⁵ But what has caused this fragmentation?

Lose of Truth and the Autonomous Self.

A key aspect of postmodernism is the rejection of absolute truth, Groothuis observes that key thinkers like Rorty 'have abandoned the classical and commonsensical view of truth…and have instead embraced a concept of truth that undermines any sense of the absolute, objective and universal verity'. ⁶ Postmodernists claim what we believe to be true is only a construction or an interpretation of reality, shaped by our own socially constructed bias. 'Nietzsche claims that there is no truth as such but only relative truths for a certain sort of creature or a certain society. Because all knowledge is a matter of perspective, knowledge is interpretation - and all interpretations are lies'. ⁷ So, what is true for me in my situation may not be true for you in yours.

This view of truth leads inevitably to seeing the world as a fabrication. 'According to Nietzsche, our world is a work of art that is continually being created and recreated. But nothing lies either “behind” or “beyond” this web of illusion'. ⁸ We lose any concrete worldview, because there's no objective reality only versions of reality. This has profound effects on how we see ourselves, since we no longer know where we are, as Grenz concludes, 'In detaching human explanation from the notion of an underlying objective world, the postmodern critique of modernism cuts us off from things and leaves us only words. It also cuts us off from the enlightenment ideal of the human self'. ⁹

In modernity, the self was seen as an autonomous subject. 'Descartes himself ended by defining the human being as a thinking substance and the human person as an autonomous rational subject'. ¹⁰ This concept of personhood has been attacked by thinkers like Heidegger who, 'contends that the human being is not primarily a thinking self…[but] rather, we are above all else beings-in-the-world, en-meshed in social networks'. ¹¹ Because we're inextricably linked to others in 'social networks', we cannot be autonomous. Middleton argues rising media influence has created a situation where the:

'once proud self-centred ego “is no longer that autonomous subject who can sovereignly set processes in motion and who can also, at a moment of his choice, stop these processes again.” Rather, the modern self is “now caught in the predicament of being managed rather than being the manager”'. ¹²

With the demise of the modern view of self and the loss of our secure modern self-image Middleton asserts, 'we are submerged in a postmodern identity crisis of immense proportions'. ¹³

Openness & the privatising of belief.

One traditional source of identity was religious beliefs as Huntington says, 'for people facing the need to determine who am I? Where do I belong? Religion provides compelling answers'. ¹⁴ In postmodern society, there is no truth so belief becomes a matter of personal choice and all beliefs become equal in value. It is no longer acceptable to criticise others beliefs because they are as true as yours, and must be accepted as ok for them. This 'politically correct' notion of openness and acceptance has relegated religious beliefs to the private realm, where I can believe what I like as long as it doesn't affect you or change my public actions. To say who I am I must somehow distinguish myself from you, but now belief has been privatised it no longer provides me with a basis for this distinction. It would mean evaluating my beliefs against yours, violating the 'politically correct' golden calf of acceptance.

Feminism and the blurring of gender identity

The rise of feminism has precipitated a blurring of gender identities. In the pre-feminist world, it was possible to define what it meant to be a man or woman but in the contempory world, this definition is impossible. In a post-feminist world, there are no exclusively 'male' or 'female' roles, except in reproduction. Masculinity and femininity have been reduced to sex and our once broad gender identity has been reduced to narrow sexual identity. The result is men no longer know what it means to be a man and women don't know what it means to be a woman.

Social change and unstable collective identities

Today western society is constantly and rapidly changing and with these rapid changes, traditional social roles have changed. These changes have involved changing patterns of employment where a job is no longer a 'job for life' but a short-term contract. This transitory and unstable employment market has resulted in increased mobility. Today there is work in London, next week it's in Manchester so moving from one end of the country to the other is commonplace. This means where we would have once found a source of identity in our community or birthplace we are now detached from our birthplace and increasingly isolated from our community since home is a transitory place with only short-term permanence. Being born in London and saying you are a Londoner is meaningless if only a year has been spent there as a baby. Huntington argues, 'the processes of social, economic, and cultural modernisation that swept across the world in the second half of the twentieth century…[has resulted in] long standing sources of identity and systems of authority [being] disrupted'. ¹⁵ As people move from the country to the city they 'become separated from their roots, take up new jobs or no job…interact with large numbers of strangers…[and] need new sources of identity'. ¹⁶ As a job is not for life the type of employment may also be changing, resulting in yet another source of identity being eroded.

Globalisation has further added to this process by diminishing the importance of local and national identity and the traditional sources of identity they provided, as Strinati says 'Transnational economic processes erode the significance of local and national industries and, thereby, the occupational, communal and familial identities they could once sustain'. ¹⁷ Another feature of social change that has eroded a traditional source of identity is the broadening of the middle class and the establishment of a 'classless society', removing class as a meaningful source of identity.

Multi-Cultural identity

The creation of a supposedly multicultural society has created a situation where it's increasingly difficult to define what it means to be British. There is no longer any clear distinctive about being British as someone can have any ethnic origin, religious faith (or no faith) or may not even speak English. Any attempt to define what it means to be British in cultural terms is fraught with the danger of excluding 'ethnic minorities' and being branded racist. This 'political correctness' has eroded the national and cultural identity of Anglo Saxon Britons. This has affected ethnic minorities less because they at least can gain identity from their minority status, so you can be a British Jew and this still has meaning.

This trend is opposite what is being seen in the non-western world, especially in the former Eastern Europe, where ethnic conflict and discrimination are rife. Kurti says:

'Increasingly at this post-communist moment…states of Eastern Europe exist within the confinement of what Worsley calls “hegemonic nationalism”. He characterises this as the recognition of only one ethnic identity as legitimate: “The national culture is the culture of the dominant class and its religion”'. ¹⁸

Huntington makes the point that national and civilisation identity are increasingly the nature of global politics. He says:

'Peoples and nations are attempting to answer the most basic question…Who are we? And they are answering that question in the traditional way…People define themselves in terms of ancestry, religion, language, history, values, customs, and institutions. They identify with cultural groups: tribes, ethnic groups, religious communities, nations and at the broadest level civilisations'. ¹⁹

Interestingly in British postmodern society where this trend is opposite the popularity of extremist groups, like the National Front, are increasing. Maybe our multicultural ideals will yet prove to be sort lived as peoples identities become increasingly threatened by postmodernism they may try to find their identity in nationalistic terms.

To create an identity we define ourselves by what makes us distinct, as Huntington says, 'people define their identity by what they are not'. ²⁰ Kurti makes a similar point when describing the ethnic situation in Eastern Europe where the term 'others'²¹ is used to provide a distinction between ethnic groups. To be able to say 'us' we must have a 'them' and in our multicultural society, this is 'politically incorrect'.

Constructed Postmodern Identity

Constructed by choice

Postmodernism has removed any sense of objective reality and with it the notion of an objective self. Since there is no truth, there can be no true me, only a version of me. The 'essential me', as Middleton calls it, is gone and therefore 'since there is no essential me, it follows that I can be whatever I construct myself to be'. ²² I can be whom I choice at any given time or place.

Identity has become a matter of choice, I choose who I'm going to be as easily as I make any other decision. Kellner contends that there are 'tendencies in contempory society to adopt multiple identities, to change one's identity and look as one changes one's cloths…that image and look are key constituents of postmodern image culture and key constituents of postmodern identity'. ²³ We essentially choose our identity by choosing an image, and images are associated with lifestyles. For example, there is a 'Nike' image associated with a sporty lifestyle.

Multi faceted & changing

Since postmodern identity is about constructing an image by choice, it follows that our identity is not fixed since we are at liberty to change our minds. To choose a new image and adopt a new identity. As my identity doesn't represent an 'essential me' and is a fabrication I can have more than one identity, depending on my feelings. Middleton says, 'we are inundated by a multiplicity of clamouring voices proffering alternative identities'²⁴ this inevitably results in us making different choices. Middleton compares this situation with the demon possesed man in Mark 5: 'in answer to…the question, “Who are you?” the postmodern self replies, “My name is Legion, for we are many”'. ²⁵

Our identity is constantly changing and developing as Schrang asserts, 'the self is multiplicity, heterogeneity, difference, and ceaseless becoming'²⁶ he also says 'the story of the self is a developing story, a story subject to a creative advance [where the past] stands open to new interpretations and new perspectives of meaning'. ²⁷ Our identity is not static but dynamic, ever changing to suit the fashions.

Defined by consumption

How do we exercise this power to choose our identity? Kellner argues it is by our consumer choices: 'postmodern identity revolves around leisure, centred on looks, images, and consumption…[it] is a function of leisure and is grounded in play'. ²⁸ Our identity is defined by what we consume, be it fashions, products or leisure activities. Advertising promotes this idea by saying you can create a 'more attractive, more successful, more prestigious “you” through purchase of certain goods. Advertising magically offers self-transformation and a new identity'. ²⁹ So, in a postmodern world you are what you buy.

The Importance of Identity

As a framework for relationships

Identity is important because it provides a framework for our relationships with others. How I see myself will affect how I relate to others. If I see myself as weak then I'm more likely to allow others to bully and manipulate me than I would if I see myself as strong. Knowing who I am helps me identify my place in the world and in society, if this is unclear there is a danger that social order will breakdown, which is possibly one factor that has led to the social disintegration observable at the end of the 20th century.

For our sanity

Another reason why 'who I am?' is important is that 'insanity results from not knowing who you are, from being out of touch with yourself'. ³⁰ Kellner argues: 'If one radically shifts identity at will, one might lose control…become pathologically conflicted and divided, disabled from autonomous thought and action'. ³¹ Since this is the nature of postmodern identity, it is hardly surprising we are seeing rising rates of mental illness, depression, and suicide.

Conclusion

In a postmodern world there can be no single answer to the question 'who am I?' just as there is no single absolute truth, only versions of truth, so we have not one concrete identity but many versions of ourselves. The answer will change with time and our environment. This new postmodern identity is constructed by ourselves and defined by the consumer choices we make, which we can change whenever we like, thus re-inventing ourselves. This has led to us being paralysed by contradictions and ultimately unable to answer the question of 'who am I'. This in turn is leading to a breakdown in social order and relationships. It is however, too early in the postmodern era to say with any certainty where we will end up, but there is a need for individuals to address for themselves the question 'who am I', if they are to find their place in society and remain mentally healthy.

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