Identity and the "Other" [lecture notes]

These are some notes taken in a critical studies lecture on 30 November 2005 about Identity and the "Other" along with some more info...

[Within Cultural Studies]...this question of 'difference' and 'otherness' had come to play an increasingly significant role... 'difference' is ambivalent. It can be both positive and negative. It is both necessary for the production of meaning, the formation of language and culture, for social identities and a subjective sense of the seld as a sexed subject - and at the same time, it is threatening, a site of danger, of negative feelings, of splitting, hostility and agression towards the 'Other'

S. Hall (1997) Representation: Cultural Representations and signifying practices, Sage, London, p. 238

Lacan's - The Mirror Stage:

Having first adopted an identity from outside the self, we go on identifying with what we want to be, but which is separate from the self, so that the self is permanently devided within itself

K. Woodward (ed. 1999) Identity and Difference, Sage, London, p. 44-45

Lacan stressed the point that there is no subject except in representation, but that no representation captures us completely. I can neither be totally defined nor can I escape all definition. I am the quest for myself. Lacan believes that how we present ourselves is always subject to interpretation by others. On the other hand, any attempt to 'totalise' someone else, to grasp the other completely, is bound to fall short - no description does the other justive. Moreover, ove can only see oneself as one thinks other see one

M. Sarup (1993) Post-Structurealism and Postmodernism, Harvester, Hemel Hempstead, p. 13

Who are we and how others percieve who we are is the cultural framework within which out identities are formed, expressed and regulated. Identity Formation is term keyed by psychoanalysists such as Jaques Lacan for this process.

The 'Mirror Stage' happens between the ages of 6 and 18 months old as a child forms their individuality, they become separate beings from their mothers even though they are still dependant. [what happens when the child is taken away from the mother - does this affect their 'Mirror Stage' or do they just pick up on the other natural Mother Figure they may be in contact with?]

The Mirror Stage creates a sense of self for the child which is all subjective and will be built on over their life. They also create an illusion of 'wholeness' and begin receiving views from others [6-18 months seems awfully young to begin being affect by others views of oneself?] The result of this is that ones subjectivity is very fragile.

Constructing the 'Other'
The Other is made by what you are not: eg. I am white because I am not black, I am female because I am not male. One problem lies in assumptions of opposition and radical otherness and steriotypes: eg. black being very different to white.

In the same way that we create our own idetities in opposition to what we are not so too does a society which leads to or can create discrimination eg. racism, sexual discrimination.

Analysis of visual example
Identities are stabalised by the construction of 'Others'. Through identifucation - associating ourselves with groups to strengthen the 'us' as opposed to 'them', creating a reassurance of a 'group identity'.

Summary
Consider influencing factors on our sense of self and how identity is expressed through outward choices. eg. clothing, tattoos, piercings, hair cuts/colours.

Accoding to Lacan identity is based on the view we have of ourselves from others.

Constructing the 'Other' attempts to solidify who we are; in doing so we set up oppositions and catagorise some as radically other (which can lead to discrimination and hate crimes)

This process of forming the 'Other' is seen throughout society and can create hostility to the 'Other' in question and causes people to emphasise otherness because of it's context.

Throughout history we can see where people have tried to enforce their sense of 'Otherness' on nations, one very obvious times being World War II in which Hitler and his Nazi party created mass destruction and hatred towards nations. Victimising the Jewish, disabled, gay even down to people who had brown hair. Hitler was trying to create a nation of Aerian people: blonde hair, blue eyes which in itself is ironic as it would mean killing himself off as he had brown hair and didn't fit into his idea of "Perfection"