Issues of identity and globalization

• Author: Venera Llunji
• Position: University 'Hasan Prishtina'
• Pages: 89-93

ISSN 2410-759X Balkan Journal of Interdisciplinary Research Vol 1 No 1

Acces online at www.iipccl.org IIPCCL Publishing, Tirana-Albania May 2015

89

Issues of identity and globalization

Venera Llunji

University “Hasan Prishtina”

Abstract

e beginning of 21st century shows that we are living in the era of globalization. Although it

is considered as a process which began during the 20th century, globalization is not conceived

in the same way in many countries of the world. Obviously, globalization is shaping new ways

of worldwide inter-connecting in every aspect of our lives. It is inuencing worldwide economy,

global cultural patterns, and political processes, movement of peoples, new patterns of migration,

identity, social hierarchies, world power and probably even domination. Covering all the areas

mentioned, globalization has become one of the main topics of scholars, as well. Phenomena such

as: free market, economic liberalization, westernization, Americanization, technology and internet

development, global integration result with views of dierent scholars that globalization refers to

fundamental changes in the spatial and contours of social existence.

is paper will cover globalization as a social and political process and its impacts on identity,

especially ethnic identity of Albanians.

Key words: Globalization, identity, ethnicity, social and political process.

Introduction

e 21st century seems to be the era of globalization. As such, obviously globalization

will have its impact on a number of areas and elds of human lives: economy, politics,

culture, identity. It is sometimes believed that globalization will, in one way or the

other, overshadow ethnic identities of the peoples as a result of the possibilities for

inter-connectedness. Globalization is minimizing geographic distances and is enabling

relationships in a dierent form and approach. is approach inuences dierent identities

in dierent ways, some more and some less. Enabling other ways of relationships between

people, increases opportunities for cultural, social, economic, educational, and political

exchanges between and among people on a global level regardless of geographic location

and time zone. However, very oen these increased opportunities are seen pessimistically

as so powers which through involving varieties of identities decrease the power of

separate identities thus raising the question whether globalization strengthens or weakens

identities of the nations.

Dening identity

One may nd dierent denitions on identity based on the eld of interest. Identity may

be dened as the distinctive characteristic belonging to any given individual, or shared by

all members of a particular social category orgroup. In political sciences and International

Relations, however, ‘identity’ is dened and described in a number of ways. Hogg and

Abrams(1988) dene identity as “people’s concepts of who they are, of what sort of people

they are, and how they relate to others” (Hogg & Abrams 1988, 2); Jenkins (1996) argues

that identity “refers to the ways in which individuals and collectivities are distinguished

in their social relations with other individuals and collectivities” (Jenkins 1996, 4); Wendt