Media and Collective Identity

'Identity is complicated - everybody thinks they've got one' David Gauntlett

'A focus on identity requires us to play closer attention to the ways in which media and technologies are used in everyday life and theories consequences for social groups' David Buckingham

David Buckingham - he classifies identity as an ambiguous and 'slippery' term:

• Identity is something unique to each of us but also implies a relationship with a broader group.
• Identity can change according to our circumstances.
• Identify is fluid and is affected by broader changes - cultural imperialism, American influence.
• Identity becomes more important to us if we feel it is threatened - social mobility, immigration.

David Gauntlett

• Identity is complicated, however, everybody feels that they have one.
• Religion and national identities are at the heart of major international conflict.
• The average teenager can create numerous identities in a short space of time - the Internet and social networking sites.
• We like to think we are unique but Gauntlett questions whether this is an illusion and we are all much more similar than we think.

5 Key Themes

1. Creativity as a process - emotions and experience.
2. Making and Sharing - in order to feel alive and to participate in a community.
3. Happiness - through creativity and being part of a community.
4. Creativity as a social glue - middle layer between individuals and society.
5. Making your mark - putting your stamp on the world.

Collective Identity: the individuals sense of belonging to a group as part of personal identity.