A Reading on the Impact of Perception on the Emergence of Identity Conflict
Introduction: This article is structured around the following fundamental ideas: Identity expresses belonging to various elements (religion, ethnicity, language, sect, doctrine, nationality, etc.). Identity is completed through society's awareness of this belonging; the mere presence of any element is insufficient without the condition of awareness. Social choice then arises, through its elite leadership, among these multiple elements, leading to the prominence of one affiliation at the expense of others. Subsequently, either the diversity and plurality are managed harmoniously, preserving the privacy and rights of others, or the failure to manage diversity occurs, intentionally or unintentionally, resulting in escalating conflict and strife.
Identity can be defined, as summarized by one researcher on the subject, as: (Identity expresses both the distinguishing features and unique characteristics that grant particularity and delineate the boundaries between human demographics, and the unifying frameworks and points of shared agreement within a group or nation. Generally, it is the sum of the attributes that characterize one element or group to the exclusion of others. Philosophically, identity is cumulative; an individual's identity cannot exist until the identity of others exists). The group and the collective background within which the individual is woven are integral parts of the larger fabric of identity. The philosophical perspective views identity as an opportunity for convergence and similarity, which, through their convergence, forge a cultural identity for a people. This identity is not shared in its entirety by another people, even if they may share some aspects with them. Identity has fundamental components that define its features in each group or nation, distinguishing it from others.[1] These shared elements can be summarized in two types:
Fixed elements: (language, place, geography, economy, history, etc.)
Variable elements: (religion, sect, culture, homeland, nationality, etc.)
The reasons for differentiation are perhaps relative and minor, as change in the first category can occur, albeit rarely, while change—more often than not—affects the second category. Religious, sectarian, and political conflicts lead to transformations in the structure and formation of identity, which is one of the most prominent challenges to identity.
The problem of this issue can be identified from several perspectives:
First: the conflict of identities, despite their overlap, as national identity can clash with ethnic or religious identity.
Second: fears of dissipation, which constitute the obsession with a lost identity, the atrophy of a person's cultural identity, and the erosion of their authenticity, which refers to their history, heritage, and sources of strength in relation to different societies.
Third: the turning points of renewal, which refer to the structural additions to identity, whether through historical accumulation or forced influence, both of which are subject to wide debate.
This conflict of identities begins with the problem of defining identity, and national identity is often addressed as the true touchstone of the conflict of identities. It is within national identity that the aspects of conflict between religion and secularism, and other ethnic and tribal affiliations, are manifested, along with the degree of priority each takes over the others. Therefore, we find that national identity dissipates and dissolves into religious, tribal, or other frameworks that constitute a person's identity.
The Subjective and Objective in Identity Formation:
Anthony Giddens points to the subjective and objective aspects of identity formation. The objective element, as he puts it, is the existence of difference and variation in language, religion, or culture, while the subjective element is the perception of this difference and variation by members of the group.[2] The nature, method, or manner of this perception determines the direction of society, whether towards coexistence or conflict.
Perhaps our understanding of identity as a set of fixed characteristics possessed by individuals or groups, or its reduction to a mere psychological feeling of belonging, goes beyond this. Identity, in reality, is a continuous interaction between what exists in reality and what is formed in consciousness and perception. It consists of objective elements that can be observed and described, and subjective elements related to how individuals perceive, interpret, and assign value to these elements. The objective aspect of identity is represented by the set of shared characteristics that unite members of a particular group, such as language, religion, history, culture, customs, land, and social memory. These are elements that a researcher can observe and describe scientifically without falling into the realm of evaluation or bias. However, the mere existence of these elements is not sufficient to constitute an identity. This is true, as multiple groups may possess the same characteristics without all of them feeling that they represent a single entity or share a common destiny. This indicates that awareness is a fundamental element in the formation of identity. Identity may be comprised of elements found in reality, and it emerges and takes shape through the way these characteristics and elements are perceived in reality.
From this emerges the subjective dimension, which represents the most vital aspect in the formation of identity, because it expresses a group's self-awareness, its sense of belonging to a particular social or cultural framework, and the image it projects of itself in relation to others. Language, for example, becomes an element in the construction of identity when it is understood, subsequently transforming into a symbol of belonging and a repository of knowledge about culture and history. Similarly, religion plays this role through its perception as part of identity, in a way that defines a society's position among other societies and grants it an awareness of its distinctiveness.
Therefore, the relationship between the subjective and the objective in the formation of identity is one of integration. Objective elements represent the raw material upon which identity is based, while subjective perception reorganizes this material and imbues it with its social and cultural meaning. Without this perception, shared characteristics remain mere scattered, neglected, and unnoticeable facts. Perception itself cannot create a stable identity if it is detached from genuine objective foundations, because an identity based solely on emotion may become fragile and easily exploited in conflicts or mobilization rhetoric. This is because the identity is formed through the perception of false or unworthy elements and characteristics that are not truly defining features of identity, as was the case with sectarian conflict, which arose from the dominance of sectarian affiliation over national affiliation.
Recognizing Difference and Its Impact on Managing Pluralism
The importance of this distinction becomes even clearer when discussing pluralism. Pluralism implies the existence of differences between groups and multiple forms of belonging that are supposed to coexist within a single society.
