跨文化交际者的边缘身份和多重文化身份

跨文化交际者的边缘身份和多重文化身份［Abstract］Marginal identity and multicultural identity can be a dialectical identity entity within a cross-cultural person, he/she has adapted in several cultures and has multiple identity in different cultures, but feels being marginalized either by his/her home culture or by the host culture under certain conditions. The stress of the marginal identity versus the multicultural identity prevails in cross-cultural persons, this article first exhibit this phenomenon then extends to how this identity stress or confliction is relieved within the person. Grounded on the belief that intrapersonal identity is the start point of all kinds of identity negotiations, this article cites partial of Jackon’s cultural contracts theory and Swann’s self identity negotiation theory to attempt to understand how does cross-cultural person negotiate his/her margianal identity versus multicultural identity conflict. It ends with an optimistic tone that the multicultural individuals regain their sense of belonging and achieves an inner harmony when they idealistically manage the stress of identity confusion.［Key words］marginal identity,multicultural identity,identity negotiation,cultural contractsMarginal identity indicates negative cannotations, multicultural identity directs else favorable imaginations, yet these two identities donot necessarily separate from each other, they can emerge and compatibly exist in a person.In the social sciences, Erik Erikson was the first one to introduce the concept of identity into this subject, although his usage of the term then more corresponded with we know today as self-concept. (Burke, 2009) “Cultural identity is defined as the emotional significance we attach to our sense of belonging or affiliation with the larger culture.” (Ting-Toomey, 2005)Marginalization generally is indicative of negative meanings, refers to the state of being isolated, alienated dominant society. It is said that marginalization is a strategy adopted by immigrants in a host society when there is no possibility or interest for him/her to integrate. Actually, anyone being alien in a society would be a marginal man, the immigrants and the sojourners encountering the dominant members in a host society, the person facing his coethnics either in the enclaves or in his home country after he/she successfully adapted to a host culture, and the sojourner reentrying his/her home culture after the sojourn. In any case, the marginal man belongs to pure culture no longer, they live “in-between”, and their marginal personalities were developed from their not completely belonging to either culture. (Nance et al, 2002)“The multucultural person…is a person who is always in the process of becoming a part of and apart from a given cultural context (Adler, 1996).” (Adler, 1998) The multicultural identity is based not on a belongingness “but on a style of self-consciousness that is capable of negotiating ever new formations of reality.” (p. 252).Multicultural man suffers the stresses and tensions of multiple identities that results from many times of acculturation. Adler concludes five kinds of these stresses: vulnerability; difussed identity; loss of the sense of authenticity; loss of the sense of congruence and integrity; inclination to being aloof and detached.“For an individual with multicultural identity, this can be a site of multiple tensions…and such tension c an be manifested externally or internally or both.” (Burke, 2009) “The the development of an intercultural identity characteristically experiences an acute sense of self- doubt, loneliness, isolation, hypersensitivity, and restlessness (Stonequist, 1937, 1964; Taft, 1977).” (Kim, 2001: 191) These do confront the multicultural person now and then, the following is an example of this confusion by the excerpt of Gust A. Yep, a U.S. professor, who was born and raised by Chinese parents in Latin America.Because my multicultural identity, I have felt, at times, that “I am neither here or there.” Although San Francisco is a city characterized by arich cultural, ethnic,social, gender, and sexual diversity, I sometimes feel like a foreigner in the crowded streets of Chinatown or Clement, the congested streets in the Mission, or the busy street in the Marina. For many Chinese Americans, I am “not quite Chinese.” For many Lations, I am “not quite Latin.” For many Euro Americans, I am “a person of color.” This view of marginality, of “otherness,” is one of isolation, invisibility, alienation, and deprivation.”Maslow (1943)’s theory of human motivation describes the hierarchy of human needs, the third level of the basic phsiological need is love and belongingness. Masl ow states that “thwarting these needs will produce the feeling of inferiority, of weaknesses, and of helplessness. These feelings in turn give rise to either basic discouragement or else compensatory or neurotic trends.”(p.382) The multicultural person, wh o is also a marginal person at times, needs to negotiate the different identities to gain the sense of belonging and to achieve the inner equilibrium. The stress of confused identity should be recognized in the multicultural person, “since he must negotiat e the difficulties of cross-cultural contacts”. (Adler, p.254)The negotiation of cultural identity is defined as a process in which one considers the gain, loss, or exchange of his or her ability to interpret their own reality or worldview, that is their ideas, values, beliefs. (p.254)Identity negotiation theory in this article emphasizes the negotiation within the self, Swann argues that people realize their personal identification and formulate the sense of self from chronically activated beliefs about the self that influence, as well as reflect, social inputs rather than deriving their sense of self-concept singly from the social inputs. Identification is consciousness-based, that is to say identity negotiation originates in the self, how to negotiate multiple identity to make them compatible with one another is essential to the intrapersonal identity maintainance and the identity coherence with their interaction partners.Swann explicates the identity negotiation processes by using a set of intrapsychic mechanisms, “intrapsychic mechanisms help sustain identities” (Swann, p.455).By the cognitive mechanism, he posits attention, interpretation, and recall, as well as the “compartmentalization” (p.456) as a strategy to “achieve continuity among the different identities that they negotiate” (p.456). People “cognitively compartalize his/her different identities such that the specific self-views associated with each identity become salient premarily during interactions with the relevant partner.” (p.460) and k eep their compatibility in a harmonious way. These “cognitive gamnastics can even harmonize strikingly instinct identities.” (p.460) By the affective mechanism, he provides an instance that people are anxious to thechallenges to their important identity. These mechanisms “accompany and sustain people’s identity negotiations” (p.459).“When individuals negotiate multiple identities in the context of a single relationship…,they may increase the underlying coherence and logic of the various identities through a process that McAdams (1996,1999) refers to as ‘self.’” (p.456)The marginal identity and multicultural identity negotiation within the self can be understood in intrapsychic merchanisms, although it is undetectable and subconscious, the inner identity adjustment is the first step to the person’s presentation of the self-image and all other goals he/she want to achieve.Jackson brings the concept of cultural contract to analyze the nature of identity negotiation, is a metaphor represents the give and take between people from different cultural backgrounds. The cultural contracts theory focuses on the interpersonal indentity negotiation, it also applicable in the issue of intrapersonal identity negotiation. It is a system of rules of, for example, manners that link the underlying values concerning the personal and cultural identity. According to Jackson, cultural contracts are necessary to preserve, protect, and define the self as well as to stipulate its behavior and perceptions during relational communicat ion. “cultural contracts can be either temporary/episodic orlongterm/enduring” which could be quoted as a reason, as well as a resolution to the marginal identity and multicultural identity that confronts the same person.The sojourner has many cultural contracts in his stay in a host culture to enable the acculturation development in that culture. When he back in his home culture or another host culture, the intercultural person must renegotiate the cultural contracts he has signed in the ex-host culture. Multicultural person has multilayered cultural contracts that he has signed in different host cultures. We can understand the issue of intrapersonalidentity negotiation from the perspective of cultural contracts. Multicultural person has to negotiate which contract to be endorsed in a particular cultural context.In a significant encounter, multicultural person first has to negotiate which cultural contract to be negotiated within the self, “that process is sometimes subconscious and/or happens quickly.”(J ackson, 2002) Intrapersonal identity negotiation is fundamental. The internal identity negotiationparallels with a conscious and mindful process of shifting one’s worldview and cultural behaviors.After the intrapersonal adjustments are made to accept one set of values, beliefs, and norms and to reject another, or compromise p rtionsof one set of worldview to answer the requests of another, the marginal-multicultural identity contradiction will be dissolved. It is usually beneficial to alter one’s worldview that is formed within a unicultural condition,which probably causes the formation of a cultural parochialism, because too much emotional attachment to one culture would lead to tight ethnocentrism, and fear to connect with the outgroups. (Ting-Toomey, p.218) Conversely, “if one is strongly committed to and strongly values one’s own culture, there will likely be a greater sense of self-efficacy and a reduced desire to assimilate or adapt.”(Jackson, 2002) It is unworth worrying about being rootless, the multicultural person is owned by a culture anyway as long as he has a nationality. As his cultural loyalty and power increase, so does the acceptance of him and his self-esteem. Home is where you feel safe and comfortable, “Where his heart is at ease, there i s his home.” When the sense of belonging and attachment resumes, the mental and psychological fitness is also achieved. To this point, the person feels proud of and confident in his/her multicultural identity as Yoshikawa reveals:“I am now able to look at both cultlures with objectivity as well as subjectivity; I am able to move in both cultures, back and forth without any apparent conflict…I think that something beyond each ［cultural］identification took place, and that it became something akin to theconcept of “synergy”…I can accept myself as I am. I feel I am much freer than ever before, not only in the cognitive domain (perception, thoughts, etc.) but also in the affective (feeling, attitudes, etc.) and behavioral domains.” (Kim, p.450)【References 】［1］Adler, P. S. 1998. Beyond Cultural Identity: Reflections on Multiculturalism. (pp.225-246)［C］//Bennett, M. J. Basic Concepts of Intercultural Communication. Selected Readings. Yarmouth: Intercultural Press.[2] Burke, P. K., Stets, J. E. 2009. Identity Theory. (pp.36-37, 130-154)［M］.NY: Oxford University Press.[3] Erikson, E. H. 1968. 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