Culture:

Culture refers to the cumulative deposit of knowledge, experience, beliefs, values, attitudes, meanings,
hierarchies, religion, notions of time, roles, spatial relations, concepts of the universe, and material
objects and possessions acquired by a group of people in the course of generations through individuals.

Importance of culture in Psychology:

So the study of cultural differences will give us insight into both the ways that people across cultures
differ as well as in the many ways that people within a single culture deviate from the average. For all of
these reasons, then, it is important for psychologists to study cultural differences in thinking.

Affect of Culture on Psychology:

Psychological processes influence culture. Culture influences psychological processes. Individual

thoughts and actions influence cultural norms and practices as they evolve over time, and these cultural
norms and practices influence the thoughts and actions of individuals.

Identity:
In psychology, identity is the qualities, beliefs, personality, looks and/or expressions that make a person
(self-identity) or group (particular social category or social group). A psychological identity relates to
self-image (one's mental model of oneself), self-esteem, and individuality.

Formation of identity:

Identity formation, also known as individuation, is the development of the distinct personality of an
individual regarded as a persisting entity (known as personal continuity) in a particular stage of life in
which individual characteristics are possessed and by which a person is recognized or known (such as
the establishment of a reputation). This process defines individuals to others and themselves. Pieces of
the person's actual identity include a sense of continuity, a sense of uniqueness from others, and a
sense of affiliation.

Purpose of identity:

Adolescents develop a philosophy of life and strive to establish a coherent, nuanced sense of career,
moral, ethnic, religious, political, and sexual identity.

Relationship between Culture and Identity:

Identity means knowing who you are. Culture and identity are frequently linked but they should not be
seen exactly as the same concept. Sociology has been concerned with the relationship between
individual and society. The role of culture in social life and law identity develops in social context.

Cultural Identity:
Cultural identity is the identity or feeling of belonging to a group. It is part of a person's self-conception
and self-perception and is related to nationality, ethnicity, religion, social class, generation, locality or
any kind of social group that has its own distinct culture. In this way, cultural identity is both
characteristic of the individual but also of the culturally identical group of members sharing the same
cultural identity or upbringing.

Cultural Identity is a subset of the communication theory of identity that establishes four "frames of
identity" that allow us to view how we build identity. These frames include

1. Personal frame
2. Enactment of communication frame
3. Relationship frame
4. Communal frame

The communal frame refers to the cultural constraints or the sense of "right" that people live by (which
varies by cultural group).

Therefore, Cultural Identity become central to a person’s identity, how they see themselves and how
they relate to the world.

Importance of cultural identity:

Cultural identity is an important contributor to people's wellbeing. Identifying with a particular culture
gives people feelings of belonging and security. It also provides people with access to social networks
which provide support and shared values and aspirations.

These can help break down barriers and build a sense of trust between people - a phenomenon
sometimes referred to as social capital - although excessively strong cultural identity can also contribute
to barriers between groups. An established cultural identity has also been linked with positive outcomes
in areas such as health and education.

Constructing cultural:

Common characteristics and ideas may be clear markers of a shared cultural identity but essentially it is
determined by difference: we feel we belong to a group, and a group defines itself as a group, by
noticing and highlighting differences with other groups and cultures. Any culture defines itself in
relation, or rather in opposition to other cultures. People who feel they belong to the same culture,
have this idea because they rely partially on a common set of norms, but the awareness of such
common codes is possible only via the confrontation with their absence, namely, with other cultures. To
put it simply: if you think you're the only existing culture (e.g. living on an island in the Pacific) you don't
see yourself as a culture.

Criticisms:

Some critics of cultural identity argue that the preservation of cultural identity, being based upon
difference, is a divisive force in society, and that cosmopolitanism gives individuals a greater sense of
shared citizenship.