There is no doubt that the construction and formation of identity, especially among young people, is one of the most important goals that any nation seeks to achieve. Youth are the actual driving force for development and innovation, and they are the active, strong, and influential element in any society. Therefore, great care must be taken to ensure that this group does not fall into what is known as an "identity crisis," as this poses a great danger to the present of any nation, let alone its future.
What has been ingrained in collective awareness regarding identity is that it is the sum of the characteristics that distinguish something from something else, or a person from another, or a group from another. It contains elements that may become prominent at one stage, while others emerge at another. For example, there is personal identity related to birth date, name, age, nationality, appearance, and moral qualities. There is also professional identity, religious and ideological identity, and ethnic identity.
Factors of Formation
There are many factors that contribute to the formation of personal and collective identity, including external and internal factors, such as society, family, friends, geographical location, media, current events, religion, shared history, customs and traditions, language, art, literature, political and economic systems, social classes, ethnic affiliations, wars, natural disasters, international relations, migration, and the education system. There are also individual factors like self-expression, personal experiences, perceptions, memories, and attitudes.
All these factors contribute to developing a sense of self for both individuals and groups, helping them recognize who they are, what they want, and where they are headed. Thus, if an individual or group has a strong sense of identity, they will see themselves as having a unique, integrated identity, which drives them to hold onto it and defend it. Conversely, the absence of this strong identity can lead to its easy collapse.
Globalization and Identity
Away from the debate that has taken place among thinkers and economists over the historical origins of globalization, one of its most important modern manifestations, especially since the mid-19th century, is the economic and cultural openness of the world's peoples to one another. This openness, strongly driven by the communications revolution, has indeed made the world like a small village. This has led to a new intellectual and cultural reality that societies and nations had never faced before with such intensity: the dissolution of uniqueness. The relationship between globalization and identity is one of conflict and clash due to their inherently different natures.
The most notable aspect of this clash is that globalization seeks to build a single culture and dissolve the ideological, economic, and even cultural barriers between nationalities and ethnicities through its powerful means, such as the internet and television satellites. This has led some to say that globalization is chasing identity, besieging it, and eventually eliminating it.
The Clash of Identities
This does not mean that globalization holds a gun to identity—any identity—and kills it instantly. If that were the case, achieving its goals would have been easy, which has not happened. However, alongside the other factors we previously mentioned, globalization has created what we might call the "clash of identities." This clash occurs when an individual or society faces one or more identities that contradict their own with all its multiple components.
There is no doubt that the challenge of the clash of identities is far greater for the current generation than for previous ones. The difference is vast due to various factors, the most important being the level of interaction and communication between nations. This challenge is also relatively greater for young people compared to those who have passed the youth stage, who can be said to have largely overcome the dangers of this phase.
In this context, the real danger arising from the clash of identities primarily threatens young people, who are highly influenced by globalization and its tools. These tools present societal models that adopt an identity and culture different from their own, which has achieved material and scientific success, unlike the failures experienced by the societies to which these youth belong. This generates internal anxiety and tension between their personal and collective identities on one hand, and the other identities on the other.
Migration also presents one of the most important arenas for the challenge of the "clash of identities." When a young person moves from a society with a specific identity to another society with a contradictory identity in terms of language, religion, ethics, culture, etc., they must possess the ability to adapt to this new society while maintaining their original identity. This requires constant effort and perseverance, qualities not all young migrants may possess.
The truth is that neither globalization nor migration alone are the sole factors behind the emergence of the "clash of identities." Political circumstances, social changes, civil conflicts, and natural disasters also contribute to this clash, where puzzled questions arise, some of which unfortunately lead people to abandon their identity.
Effects and Remedies
The clash of identities among youth has dangerous manifestations and effects, including being dazzled by the West, its methods, and ideas, blindly imitating it in terms of clothing, food, and even beauty standards and body-building obsessions. There is also the widespread consumerism promoted by the West, which leads to feelings of loss, inferiority, defeatism, and lack of self-confidence. These are some of the manifestations that have driven many to neglect learning the Arabic language, religious knowledge, and to immerse themselves in everything Western, such as movies and novels. The final outcome of this is often a detachment from one's original identity, which may evolve into rebellion against it.
Addressing the effects of the "clash of identities" requires significant efforts at various levels. These include the roles of educational, religious, and media institutions, political systems, as well as the family and society. All these entities must work together to ensure proper social upbringing and to ensure that identity is deeply rooted and reinforced during this process. This can be supported by instilling pride in the nation’s historical and intellectual contributions, and by distinguishing between the material and political failures the nation currently experiences, and its religious, intellectual, and cultural identity, emphasizing that these failures are due to external factors as a means of fortifying this identity.
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