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Sociocultural Identities in the Digital Age
In a recent article I looked at the idea of personal identity in the Digital Age as an initial exploration of what this might mean. A comment from a reader inspired me to think further on sociocultural identity at a global, sociocultural level. So this is a bit of a wandering look at an extremely complex topic and trying to be concise on a topic that could certainly span a book!
Identity, like cultures and societies, are always in flux, ever mutable. Before the arrival of the internet and today’s global communications technologies, such changes and the evolution of sociocultural systems globally, took a lot longer. New ICT (information and communication technologies), compress both time and space.
The result is that in compressing time and space, we can see one another in ways we couldn’t before. Through videos, texts and images. This is both wonderful and challenging. The broader benefit is our ability to better understand one another. The challenges come where ICTs are excellent, but can lack the nuances of physical contact and discovery.
We may watch a video of a wedding in another culture on the other side of the world and see what look to be delicious foods, celebratory dances and intriguing rituals. But we experience them at a distance. Unless one is there, to experience the flavours, scents and energy, certain…
