Exploring Identity Formation From Enlightenment Liberalism To Postcolonial Theory
Abstract
This paper presents an interdisciplinary exploration of identity as a multifaceted construct shaped by social affiliations, spatial contexts, and power dynamics. Drawing from foundational theories such as Henri Tajfel’s Social Identity Theory, Harold Proshansky’s Place Identity Theory, and John Locke’s liberal framework of political identity, the study examines how individuals negotiate self-concept through group membership, environmental attachment, and sociopolitical structures. The analysis integrates C. Wright Mills’s Power Elite theory, Steven Lukes’s Three Dimensions of Power, and Michel Foucault’s discourse on disciplinary power, illustrating how authority is maintained not only through institutional hierarchies but also via ideology, surveillance, and cultural norms. The discussion further extends to colonial and postcolonial dynamics using the "Power Sphere Theory," highlighting how modern imperialism operates through economic dependency, cultural assimilation, and soft power rather than direct control. James Marcia’s Identity Status Theory complements this analysis by mapping individual psychological trajectories of identity formation across stages of exploration and commitment. Finally, the phenomenon of ethnocentrism is examined as both a barrier to intercultural understanding and a byproduct of rigid group identity constructs. By synthesizing these diverse theoretical perspectives, the paper offers a comprehensive lens through which to understand identity as a socially, politically, and spatially situated phenomenon, with implications for education, governance, migration, and intergroup relations in a globalized world.
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