Social and Cultural Identity

Social and Cultural Identity

Introduction

Social identity is a major concept that revolves around any culture. The concept tends to focus on the uniqueness of a certain culture as a social aspect. On a broader perspective, social identity takes the lane of defining certain groups of individuals based on their social life. Most often, social identity can be addressed through several sources. There are five main sources of social identity, which include gender, social class, region, age, and ethnicity (Rao, 2018). These help an individual identify their culture as well as social life, especially in most cultural events. With that said, this paper tends to explore the concept of social identity by using two selected cultural events. The paper will, on the onset, enlighten on the two selected events and later address the concept of social identity in relation to the two events.

Selected Multicultural Events

The paper features two particular and unique cultural events that I attended recently in China. The first event is the Trade Gala that took place in China in 2019. The Trade Gala, which was also referred to as the China International Fair for Trade in Services, took place for five days, starting from 28^th May to 1^st June 2019. The Trade Gala had its main exhibition area as large as possible- approximately more than 40 acres- in order to sufficiently accommodate the projected number of visitors and attendees (Kaiyan, 2019).  On top of the large exhibition area, the Trade Gala was also hosted in ten parallel venues. However, the earlier mentioned exhibition area was the main venue of this contextual, cultural event- China International Fair for Trade in Services.

The cultural events mainly aimed at promoting the value of specifically cultural heritage skills, particularly within the boundaries of China (Kaiyan, 2019).  As a result, the Trade Gala as the contextual, cultural event was mainly involved in educating the visitors and attendees of the cultural event on the vast traditional Chinese culture. To effectively do so, the Trade Gala was based on the theme “openness, innovation, intelligence, and integration. It is worth noting that the  China International Fair for Trade in Services greatly focused on identifying and enlightening on the vast traditional Chinese culture especially when citing examples from the service industry, healthcare, science as well as business affairs( Kaiyan,2019).

The second cultural event that I attended and will feature within this paper is the 2020 Lantern Festival. I attended this 2020 China Lantern Festival on 8^th February this year.  China Lantern festival is a Chinese celebration that takes place on the 15^th day, specifically of the first Chinese lunar month. It is a traditional festival which marks the completion of Chinese New Year, which is also referred to as the spring festival (Lai, 2019).  As a result, the completion of the lantern festival alternatively marks the end of Chinese New Year taboos. Consequently, these taboos become no longer useful and in effect. More so, the completion of the lantern festival also results in the removal or taking down of every of the New Year decorations (Lai, 2019).  The Lantern festival revolves around various activities such as the visitors and attendees enjoying lanterns, eating tangyuan, lion dances, lantern riddles as well as dragon dances.

In most instances, the Chinese will celebrate the Lantern festival through hanging colorful lanterns and gathering with friends in a bid to enjoy sweetened rice dumpling commonly known as tangyuan. More so, the Chinese will as well celebrate this lantern festival by playing exciting games (Lai, 2019). On top of these activities, the lantern festival also features diverse customs and activities with Chinese rich cultural basis. For instance, some of the most exciting customs that I came across when attending the lantern festival include sending of flying lanterns up to the sky, guessing the asked lantern riddles, lion dances, as well as eating tangyuan (Lai, 2019).

Overview of the source of identity

Arguably, there are various basic sources of identity. However, the main sources of identity are five. These include gender, social class, region, age, and ethnicity (Rao, 2018). The five of them form the basis of one assessing and identifying a particular event source of identity. It is worth noting that each of the five mentioned basic sources of identity deals with specific and varying aspects. For instance, gender tends to deal with the masculine and feminine aspects of an individual. On the other hand, ethnicity tends to mainly deal with the social belonging and groups of the said individuals or a particular event. In doing so, ethnicity as a basic source of identity tends to main its focus on the culture of the involved individuals through exploring aspects such as actions, customs, traditions, beliefs, rituals, cultural festivals, and religion(Kiang,2014). With that mentioned, this section seeks to offer a brief overview of the source of identity that I experienced in the two contextual, cultural events attended.

Notably, in both of the two contextual, cultural events that I attended, I choose to experience ethnicity as a source of identity.  It is worth noting that I made the above-stated decision based on two main reasons. First, both of the contextual, cultural events that I attended were mainly revolving a certain ethnic group- that is, the Chinese. For instance, the first event, which is the China International Fair for Trade in Services that I attended, has its primary purpose as educating visitors on the traditional Chinese culture (Kaiyan, 2019). Such means that the cultural event had all its activities relating to the Chinese- an ethnic group. Similarly, the second cultural event that I attended was the Lantern Festival associated with the Chinese ethnic group.  Besides, the second reason that I made a decision to experience ethnicity as a source of identity is due to the main concept of most of the activities in the two events. Both of the two events had most of their activities revolve around the Chinese culture, which is practiced by the Chinese ethnic group.  For instance, the second event being the lantern festival, incorporated most of its activities such as eating tangyuan, which features as an essential food and activity of the Chinese ethnic group (Lai, 2019).

It is worth noting that, in both of the two contextual events, I attended them together with four of my friends. Two of the colleagues have been born and raised in China. However, the other two friends are Africans who are currently undertaking their undergraduate studies in China. I decided to attend the two events with the four friends due to several reasons. First, the two friends who have been born and raised in China would help in explaining to me any of the unfamiliar activities that I would come across. In doing so, I would be more enlightened and conversant with the Chinese culture through the various activities that I would come across. Besides, I choose to be accompanied by the two African friends for them to learn more about a new culture-Chinese. I hoped doing so would help the two friends to appreciate the various practices and beliefs which they had been questioning about. As a result, I expected that through enlightening them on the various Chinese cultural practices, beliefs, and activities, the two friends would develop the sense and act of appreciating the culture that was practiced by most of the students within our learning institution, class and residence area.

Notably, I choose the two contextual events – the China International Fair for Trade in Services and the Chinese Lantern Festival- as the two sources of identity for this activity and paper due to two reasons. First, both of the contextual events tend to revolve around a common and global culture-the Chinese culture. For instance, just like the China International Fair for Trade in Services revolves around educating visitors and attendees on the traditional Chinese culture, the Chinese Lantern Festival is mainly indulged in the same culture (Lai, 2019). The second reason that led me to choose the two events as the sources of identity for this paper since they both incorporate and pull in a variety and extensive activities relating to the Chinese culture. It is worth noting that, on the onset, I was set to choose an event that related to the Chinese culture since I’m a Chinese from Nantong, Jiang Su province. With that said, I, therefore, had to choose an event that pulls in a variety of the concepts and activities of the Chinese culture, which was in accordance with the two chosen events. For instance, the China International Fair for Trade in Services as the first event pulls in various Chinese concepts, activities, practices, food, and ornaments (Kaiyan, 2019). Similarly, the second event being the Chinese lantern festival reveals a wide coverage of the traditional Chinese activities such as eating Yuanxiao, lion dances, guessing lantern riddles as well as lighting and watching lanterns.

Knowledge Gained

Following my attendance in the two selected events as sources of identity, I learned several things about the Chinese culture, which were unfamiliar to me initially. For instance, I learned the various activities that happen at the Chinese lantern festival. I learned that during the Chinese lantern festival, individuals engage in activities such as lighting and watching of lanterns, guessing lantern riddles, lion dances, as well as eating tangyuan (Lai, 2019). Further, I learned the importance of the Chinese lantern festival and its aftermath. I learn that the Chinese lantern festival marks the end of the Chinese New Year, thus resulting in the taking down of the new year festival taboos, which ceases being operational and functional( Lai, 2019). More so, through my attendance at the China International Fair for Trade in Services, I learned that some of the traditional Chinese ornaments include lanterns, New Year couplets painting as well as rattle drums (Kaiyan, 2019). It is worth noting that  I learn these, among other concepts, through not only attending but also asking explanations and enlightenment from my friends and well as the individuals within the events- both the Trade Gala and Festival.

Personal Growth associated with the attendance

Following my attendance at the two selected events as well as my involvement in the said events, I learned several things about myself. First, I learned that I was initially unfamiliar with most of the Chinese cultural practices and activities, especially in the lantern festival. For instance, until my attendance, I had been unaware of the specific activities that took place in the lantern festival, such as lighting and watching lanterns and even guessing lantern riddles (Lai, 2019). More so, I learn the importance of attending culturally related, organized, and events. For instance, I learned that attending the organized cultural events helps one in being enlighten on the respective culture, its essential components, traditions, and practices. A good example is with the China International Fair for Trade in Services, which significantly enlightened me on the traditional Chinese culture and its components such as ornaments (Kaiyan, 2019).

Conclusion

Social identity stands as an integral concept of any culture. It gives any particular culture a sense of uniqueness. This paper chooses to select and address two cultural events- the Chinese lantern festival and the China International Fair for Trade in Services. Both of these events mainly deal and pull in various aspects relating to Chinese culture. When attending the said events, I choose to experience ethnicity as a source of social identity. Through attending the two events, I learned several diversifying concepts, practices, and activities of the Chinese culture.

References

Rao, A. (2018). The many sources of identity: an example of changing affiliations in rural Jammu and Kashmir. Ethnic and racial studies, 22(1), 56-91.

Kiang, L. (2014). Ethnicity and ethnic identity in context. Human Development, 57(4), 213-221.

Lai, H. (25, Dec 2019).Things to Know about China’s Lantern Festival 2020.China Local Tours, Inc. Retrieved from https://www.chinalocaltours.com/things-to-know-about-chinas-lantern-festival-2020/

Kaiyan, L.(19, June 2019).The 2019 China International Fair for Trade in Services took place over five days in Beijing. China Watch Society-Telegraph Media Group Limited, Inc. Retrieved from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/china-watch/society/beijing-2019-ciftis/