Professional Documents
Culture Documents
B1101190
Department of Psychology
PSY 325
The topic of discussion is Civic Solidarity: the negotiation of identity in modern societies by
Gordon Sammut (2011). In the journal it is referenced that ‘perhaps humankind has learned a great deal
about subordination and power, but have we learned enough about co-operation, partnership, joint efforts
in problem solving and building bridges rather than creating divisions?’ Sussmuth (2006). According to
the Social identity theory by Tajfel, Turner suggests that a person’s sense of belonging and identity
depends on the groups which the associate themselves to. The importance of having a personal identity is
to thoroughly understand oneself and to recognize one’s talents and potential that could contribute to
shaping one’s character and behavior. Typically, an individual would distinctively view themselves as
one to differentiate themselves with people around them (society). However, social identity is a collective
of selves amongst the society. This becomes to ‘us’ as an individual would identify themselves with a
group of people with similar traits which resonates with their personal identity. To a certain level, they are
able to connect and understand from the same wavelength. Such outcome is created throughout many
constant variable that is caused by the environment and people that we encounter in life.
Another point that caught my attention in the article is ‘How can we manage a world challenged
globalization leading to a more peaceful world, or is it leading to greater economic and political
instability?’ Having a personal and social identity is just the basis that can influence many decisions
making process. Given the situation, the world resources is shrinking rapidly day by day yet the
population increases quickly as before; this is an imbalance scale of supply and demand which could very
well cause potential chaos in the near future. Not to mention the huge margin of different in income
which the 99 percent-ers is on the constant hustle to be the 1 percent-ers; which in other worlds the 99%
of human population is constantly running on the spin wheel before if any luck and stars align for an
The question is; is globalization leading to a more peaceful world or it is leading to a greater
economic and political instability. Globalization allows people to improve and to increase the knowledge
that could very well serve them to build a better future; learning a foreign language, learning about the
practices and habits of different cultures; theses allows one to help achieve personal goals to further
improve themselves. However, not everyone that put such efforts into investing in themselves has a
generous view or broader view of the bigger picture. Greed; this may just be the deal breaker to why
globalization may eventually harm the greater good of the human kind rather than to use it to aid or assist
the problems we face no and in the future. For instances, we see many businessman that calls upon a
project or a venture that claims to work towards global warming but instead their actions is not actually
working to reduce the emission of carbon monoxide and other harmful waste that is the cause of the
thinning of ozone layer which then causes the melting of north and couth pole which eventually causes
the sea level to rise and cost the natural habitat of many animals.
There is a spiral of disasters that could happen and may I say, is happening at this moment across
the globe; probably at the other side of the world there’s acts of violence and human cause ‘natural
disaster’. Such outcomes stems from greed and selfishness of an individual or a collective group of
individuals that agree being selfish is actually okay. In my humble opinion, these people are blind -sided
by the short term lavish outcome and neglecting the long term fruitful outcome that could well benefit our