Concept of identity essay

Explain what ‘Find Your Tribes’ and Maffesoli imply about the concept of identity in today’s world

Youth tribes are very complex and distinct in their ways. It’s hard to know where and when they started to develop and to how they still continue to today. According to an article concerning the change of youth culture in Britain, they formed when those suffering boredom and economic hardship decided to rebel. Often belonging to the working class, eventually the middle class began to adopt their disobedient ways. The rise of the ‘teenager’ was next in the line in the modification of youth tribes, with the growth becoming apparent after the rock ‘n’ roll eruption. Punk’s explosion in the mid 70’s saw the revolution of individualism, powerful statements and creativity burst from this and many sub cultures such as ‘indie kids’ where born. Technological advances and the information revolution have created an upsurge of youth tribes with access being made to information that before would have been almost impossible to find.

Another article concerning the subject of what is changing for young people has suggested the idea of the power of music and how today it is the main influence behind the creation of every youth tribe. Many years ago it would have been very bizarre to think that music could have such a big impact on the way in which people live their lives. It helps to shape their personalities, give people a sense of identity and inspires young people’s creativity and innovation across the world today. One of the main developments within youth tribes is the inspiration and influence behind the mass media and the immediate norm behind this in today’s society. 

Michel Maffesoli is a French sociologist. He shares the idea that mass culture has disintegrated. He believes that people no longer follow themselves but instead the popular trend of others surrounding them. These trends could demolish or change over time; these are described as lifestyle cultures. Maffesoli’s theory of nomadism can be closely linked in with his theory of modern tribes and how they are not permanent groups, reflecting the membership of these tribes which is not permanent. Lifestyle cultures are forever increasing. Within these small groups people share the same worldviews, dress styles and behavioral patterns. Lifestyle groups are forever shifting and it is rare for one to forever stay fixed. However when they do exist they are very stable and the people involved are very loyal to the group. Maffesoli was the first to use to the term ‘Neotribalism’ in a scholarly manner – the idea that humans now live in a tribal society rather than a mass society. Maffesoli made a prediction, the prediction that as institutions and cultures of the modernism world decline, societies will look to the organizational elements of the past, the post-modernist time would become the neotribalism time. A similar idea is interpreted in the 1982 film Blade Runner which is set in 2019. “Blade Runner delves into the implications of technology for the environment and society by reaching to the past…”

Furthermore to his idea that lifestyle cultures are forever changing comes the idea of ‘pick n mix’ identity. This is the theory that people nowadays choose their identity by taking aspects from one culture group and merging it with some from another. They don’t have to belong to a certain group but instead a more relaxed one where the ideas of the group aren’t so fixed. This approach to forming an identity mainly creates a temporary youth tribe with multiple and fluid subjectivities that celebrate the concept of hedonism – pleasure gained by the existence of ethical principles. Slowly through-time cultures could become so integrated that they no longer exist.

Over the past years, identity has developed a more intense definition. It doesn’t only include your personality and the way you dress but also the way you live your life and your outlook on life as a whole. With more cultures, more people feel the need to become individualized especially amongst the older teenage generation. One reason why more and more cultures are being created could be put down to the media and how as it grows and develops so do we, with people being influenced by it more as it grows.