Social Theory and Culture Identity - Essay Example

For example, the legacies of slavery, colonialism and imperialism took birth as the consequence of governing bodies or regimes, impacted the communities bringing about new social constructs and structures under which the society's psychological spaces or maps evolved, contributing to changes in Social Theories and redefining of Cultural Identities. (Adapted from Powell & Moody, 2003) This dissertation shall briefly analyze, the evolution of the concepts of identity and community and their significance in contemporary social thought, through the constructs of social theorists like Zygmut Bauman, Heelas, Alasdair MacIntyre, Chales Taylor, and Selingman etc.

The community, according to communitarian discourse of Bauman (2001), has its foundation only on that of a shared agreement between its members or followers. The communitarian discourse is constructed upon two theories that, 1) people are individuals who should resolve their own problems and 2) that community should be built upon fraternal sharing; community has then an ethical foundation. These two are combined and collaborated, leading to almost confusing notions of community, as when he states, "When subjected to such evaluation we see community for what it is numb or dead" (Bauman 2001 p11).

He further elucidates the relationship between cultures and identity - according to him, in the postmodern condition, cultures seem to be rather fragmented; and in addition, this fragmented culture allows individuals to select their own identities. He explains with contemporary examples of Blair, Clinton and others, attempting to put freedom and security on an even platform, by rebuilding the idea of the community within a postmodern world. In short he argues that, "we as individuals should be both with the Other and for the Other.

It is the poor whom are cast as the Other in communitarianism discourse. The difference between being - with and being - for the Other is about the level of commitment that we have for the Other, about having an emotional engagement with the Other" (Best, 2002). In contrast, the world seems to be a society that has lost its moral bearings in an unprecedented way, in the perception of the moral philosophers like Alasdair MacIntyre. (Oakes, 1996) MacIntyre points to the teleological alternative as the only remaining solution to this moral degradation, and combines the concepts of liberalism, laissez-faire capitalism, Marxism, and utilitarianism as proof for his science-fiction metaphor.

Teleology according to MacIntyre, is the study of final causes, goals, purposes, and aims: similar to and filled with Aristotle's concepts. Consequently, the term 'Teleological' is crucial to MacIntyre's solution, the loss of which is the cause of the catastrophe described in his science-fiction parable. The concept of Emotivism is introduced here as a "doctrine that all evaluative judgments and more specifically all moral judgments are nothing but expressions of preference, expressions of attitude or feeling, insofar as they are moral or evaluative in character" (MacIntyre, 1984, pp.10-11). Relationship between the 'identity' in a heroic society has been explained as that which 'involves particularity and accountability'.

I am answerable for ding or failing to do what anyone who occupies my role owes to others and this accountability terminates only