Toward an Integrated Identity Matrix (IIM) Theory –

Proposals for a Dynamic Cultural Identity Framework

by Steve J KulichAssisted by Zhang Shutian

Shanghai International Studies University

A Key SISU SII Research Focus:

Study the Key Indicators of Deep CultureValuesIdentityWorld-View, Beliefs,

Social Axioms

What happens to these in shifts, transitions? What internal or external conflicts occur?

How is our social psychology influenced?

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Cognitive Concept Idea Expected (often Verbal)

Expressed BehaviorAction Expected (often Nonverbal)

Affective Response Emotional Expectation(internally or expressed)

Social/Cultural Psychology as a Basis – Exploring Multiple Domains of Culture

Identity

Decision-making Desired Outcomes

Acceptable vs. Actual

Spirit/Soul Beliefs

Identity: Historically A Core Topic in our IC Field

One starting point in communication – How do we perceive others?

Who am I? Who are You?And what are we connected to?

Social Penetration:Deepening Identity Disclosure

Public, Visible, Open

Private/Personal, Invisible, Accessible only by Verbal Communication

Psychological/Deep Personality

Psyche, Mysterious, Contradictory, Unknown often even to ourselves

x Self x x x

x x

Beyond Individualism-Collectivism-to Identities in Self Construals

(Markus & Kitayama, 1991)

Interdependent Self

x xxx

xx

x x

Mother Father

Friend Co-worker

Sibling

Past Theoretical Premises - Hierarchies:

Primary identities should be considered those for which an individual would sacrifice most of his time, most of his money, and if need be, his life.

Secondary identities are those for which the individual would sacrifice only some of his time and money.

For a tertiary identity, the individual would be willing to sacrifice only some of his time and perhaps a little money.

——Richard Cottam, from Singer’s book “Intercultural Communication: A Perceptual Approach ”

Expanding Multiple Dimensions of Identities

Traditional and Confucius vs. ModernCollectivist vs. IndividualisticPersonal vs. SocialMainstream vs. UnconventionalFamilial Ideologies vs. Individual Pursuits

…………..

Zhang & Kulich (in Wu, 2008) Questionnaire Design

Originally….. Gudykunst’s tri-level categorization (1994) Ting-Toomey’s (1999) primary identities from identity

negotiation perspective Hofstede’s (1991) layers of culture. Later….. Singer’s (1987) personal, group and national cultures Anne Byrne’s (2003) model of researching woman’s self and

social identity Zygmunt Bauman’s (2001) analysis of individualization Simon Leys’s (1997) interpretation of Confucius identity Elise Boulding’s species identity.

Predicted Modeling of the Top 10 Identity Ranking

Individual and modern identities

Social and ethnic identities

Traditional and family-oriented collectivism

Pilot Study: the two 2004 Samples

AGE

222120

Cou

nt

50

40

30

20

10

0

agecatagory

31 to 4325 to 3021 to 25

Cou

nt

40

30

20

10

3rd Year Undergraduates

Number=70Average age= 21SD=0.6

Continuing Education Students

Number=70Average age= 28SD=4.96

Comparison among the three rankings (continuing education students 2004)

Frequency Top 10 Mean Top 20 SD Lowest 20

1 family 49

2 moral 46

3 education 43

4 personality 41

5 nationality 35

6 marital 33

7geographic

place 29

8social

popularity

28

9national

language 26

10 specialty 24

1 NAME 8

2 ETHNICIT 7.67

3 FAMILY 7.59

4 PARENTAL 7.42

5 MORAL 7.3

6 RELIGIOU 7.25

7 EDUCATION 6.81

8 GENDER 6.59

9 NATIONAL 6.57

10 GLOBALIS 6.07

11 SIBLING 5.73

12 REGIONAL 5.67

13 SPECIALT 5.63

14 FOR._LAN 5.47

15 MARITAL 5.33

16 UNIQUE 5.1

17 GEOGRAPH 5.03

18 PERSONAL 4.98

19 AGE 4.79

20 MAJOR 4.78

1 PER.TYPE 0.63

2 ROOTS 1.55

3 INTEREST 1.94

4 RELIGIOU 2.06

5 EDUCATIO 2.07

6 POPULAR 2.07

7 REJECTED 2.12

8 COMPETEN 2.14

9 WILLFUL 2.18

10

NA._LANG 2.21

11

GLOBAL_I 2.28

12

PERSONAL 2.29

13

ACTIVE_I 2.29

14

ETHNICIT 2.31

15

SOCIAL_P 2.32

16

ATHIESTI 2.37

17

ACHIVEME 2.4

18

SIBLING 2.41

19

FAN_OF_A 2.5

20

GLOBALIS 2.6

Rank Questionnaire ItemWeighted Mean

1 Family Role 5.31

2 Moral Quality 4.8

3 Education 4.19

4 Nationality 3.29

5 Personality 2.91

6 Marital Status* 2.51

7 Geographic Place 2.09

8 Parental Role* 2.01

9 Specialty 1.93

10 Gender 1.89

11 Name 1.83

12 National Language 1.69

13 Major 1.57

14 Social Popularity 1.51

15 Competence 1.49

16 Personally Unique 1.46

17 Foreign Language 1.33

18 Rationalist 1.33

19 Globalist 1.3

20 Willful Individual 1.16

Rank Questionnaire ItemWeighted Mean

1 Family Role 6.09

2 Moral Quality 5.37

3 Education 3.84

4 Nationality 3.56

5 Personality 3.19

6 Gender* 3.19

7 Personally Unique* 2.47

8 Name 2.43

9 Willful Individualist* 2.26

10 Special Interest* 2.14

11 Social Popularity 1.83

12 Geographic Place 1.64

13 Specialty 1.34

14 Competence 1.24

15 Major 1.21

16 Physical Popularity 1.03

17 Achievements 1.03

18 Globalist 0.97

19 Global Ideals 0.93

20 Religious 0.91

Weighted Average Ranking

Stable Chinese Identities

Continuing education students 2004 Undergraduates 2004

No clear-cut distinction between three levels of Identities in the Top 10 Ranking

family, moral,nationality,marital, parental

geographic place, nationality

education gender personality specialty

Traditional family-oriented collectivism

Individual and modern identities

Social and ethnic identities

In dynamic motion between different dimensions

Static domains of identity seem to be only part of the picture…

Whether that which we cannot chose…Race/ethnicityReligion/ideologyFamily name/siblings/hereditaryGeographic origin/locationalTo that which we might influence…Language/accent (linguistic)Career/vocational (professional)…

Considering Identity & Context – What are my Cultural Influences?

My Culture

My Group

Me

What about “Identity” in Transition?

In a time of great cultural change in the Roman Empire, with a new culture emerging:

“The old labels we once used to identify ourselves – labels like Jew or Greek, slave or free – are no longer useful. We need something larger and more comprehensive.”

Paul of Tarsus, writing to Christians in Corinth (from the Message translation)

Considering Metaphors of Identity Considering Metaphors of Identity – The Playing Field of Interaction– The Playing Field of Interaction

How are Context/Situation & How are Context/Situation & Identity Related? Identity Related?

Mutually Influencing?Mutually Influencing?

A Multi-Perspectives Approach

Considering Varied Research Levels

Gudykunst 2005 - Presenting Varied Perspectives – Can they be integrated?

A Communication Theory of Identity (Hecht et al)

Identity Negotiation Theory (Ting-Toomey)

Identity Management Theory (Imahori & Cupach)

Theorizing Cultural Identifications (Collier)

Proposed Integrated Identity Matrix

We propose that…

“Individuals in any social interaction (or anti-social reaction)…

are actually operating with (hiding or to some degree enacting)

multiple identity sets (some congruous or related, but others contradictory)

on a multi-level, multi-dimensional field (complex scaled

options),

Proposed Identity Matrix Gambitsand are… playing a gambit between a range of

social choices and contextual ascriptions,

balancing individual- and social-level influences with cognitive tensions affective meanings behavioral risk and outcomes.”

Building on Hecht et. al’s CTI (2005)

A Vertical Social Option Scale

A Horizontal Power Option Scale

Varied Identity Games – Personal Choices

So Where do Identity Categories Fit?

Integrated Identity Matrix Theory

Applying the Integrated Identity Matrix Model

Will seek to further build, test it…

Analyze 10 years of “emic” data (“my most important identities”) (“my cultural story”/Being

Chinese)And “etic” data (Zhang’s lists)Consider the link to our decade of values

data (lists, proverbs, heroes)

Learning from/with our MA students

赵冰霞 Zhao Bingxia (2004), Gender identity in Shanghai university students.

张书田 Zhang Shutian (2005), Toward a holistic theory of identity ranking: Application & comparisons between Chinese, Algerians and American young adults.

王晓玲 Wang Shaoling (2007). The influence of ethnic identity and intergroup contact on anxiety/uncertainty management and communication satisfaction: A study of 3 ethnic groups at a university for minorities.

迪拉热。吐尔地 Dillara Tur’di (2007). Bilingual education and intercultural communication in Xinjiang, China (Uighur Identity).

8 of 84 thesis topics so far Re: Identity 陈素可 Chen Suke (2007). A quantitative study of

Shanghai post-1980's rural migrant workers' ego-centered social network and IC adjustment in Shanghai, China

陈莎莎 Chen Shasha (2008). The cultural influence on the individual's sense of belonging -- A case study on New Shanghainese's sense of belonging.

杨怡 Yang Yi (2008). Exploring organizational identity and acculturation--A case study of Chinese AIESEC trainees in four Central-Eastern European countries.

刘星 Liu Xing (2008). When West meets East and man meets woman – A cross-cultural study of gender role attitudes, mathematic performance and academic emotion.

Contacting us at the SII

Email: kulich@shisu.edu.cn

Address: Steve KulichThe SISU Intercultural

Institute 550 W. Dalian Rd. PO Box 359 Shanghai 200083

Telephone: 021 - 65311900 x 2620