| ok arii sheit - par identitaati utt |
[Jun. 8th, 2011|07:27 pm] |
All of us living in another country are who we think we are, until we go back and are forced to reassess. My Latvian friend, Astrid has the features of one of the local tribes, but is 100% English in character (she grew up in the UK and had never been to Latvia) - so much so that she could only take it over here for a few months.
I think our understanding of collective identity is formed by the character of society around us (hence the reassessment process on returning to the homeland), as opposed to the ethnic gene pool - this influence forms a kind of chronic catatonia if you don't watch it, but I think it is ONLY THAT that is the decisive factor in our 'understanding' of our collective identity. It is passive process, and it limits us, especially when we romantisise its effects (Romantisising it - our assumed collective identity - gives an impression of active understanding - but it is only an impression). |
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