Communicative foundations of identity: raising the problem

The problem of identity formation and realization in the globalization conditions is discussed in this article. Relevance of this problem is caused by a number of factors. First of all, process of culture globalization promotes formation of a new humanitarian paradigm. Secondly, in the globalization conditions the nature of cross-cultural communication changes: increase in their number does not lead to growth of mutual understanding and respect between subjects. Thirdly, against the background of integrative processes in the economy, politics, social sphere, the aspiration to emphasize one's national, religious, cultural uniqueness is more and more obvious. At the same time, according to many researchers (Z. Bauman, A. Giddens), today identity becomes a "fluid", characterized by "volatility and unfixity". The authors deem that in modern conditions identity, both individual and collective, is most fully manifested in communications. This fact induces to study its communicative foundations. The essence of the proposed approach can be summarized in the following main ideas. First, identity is formed and realized in communication and by means of communication. Among the different levels and types of identity we focus attention on cultural identity. The reason for this focus is that its individual and collective forms play a special role in the formation of communicative models of society. The correlation between the axiological horizon of the national and cultural identity and efficiency (or an inefficiency) of cross-cultural relations is quite obvious to the authors of the article. Second, with all possible changes identity keeps its kernel. As opposed to Z. Bauman's point of view that "identities are more like the spots of crust hardening time and again on the top of volcanic lava which melt and dissolve again before they have time to cool and set", the authors consider that there is a "hard core", connected primarily with personal identity. Third, multiple identities are not a permanent change of identity, but a manifestation of different levels of the whole, including individual and collective forms. All levels of identity (from personal to civilization) are interlinked, responsible for the formation of the basic axiological systems and provide the originality of communities. The authors propose the metaphor "matryoshka", figuratively representing a similar structure of interrelated levels of multiple identities. Special interest in the context of this identification model is a study of the practical principles of communication, namely, the patterns of their formation (from micro- to macro-levels) caused by various types of identities, according to their position in the general structure of "matryoshka". Conflict of identities as a disparity of "matry-oshka" dolls generates difficulties in the dialogue. Thus, the study of communicative foundations of cultural identity will help to develop effective strategies for intercultural communication in the modern world.

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