Introduction Collective identity as described by Alberto Melucci (1995) is said to be “an interactive and shared definition produced by several interacting individuals who are concerned with the orientation of their action as well as the field of opportunities and constraints in which their action takes place.” Collective identity, like many concepts begin with an initial idea that forms an understanding and purpose of the forming of a group. Collective identity is the ideology of belonging to a certain group and sharing the same concepts and beliefs. Collective identities can describe many different forms of groups/organizations. How a strong collective identity is built, will be analyzed through the processes that are made in the establishment
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Positive and negative consequences stem from various collective identities. A well know example of negative consequences come from World War II and the Nazi regime involving the Holocaust. They had shared beliefs and values that have left a mark on history for generations to come. Through the shared ideology of racial hierarchy and the incorporation of Social Darwinism, the ultimate goal was to create the perfect society and race. This meant the elimination of people who were considered unable to fit within the roles deemed fit for their shared ideology of the perfect race. Those of whom that suffered, most notably the millions of Jewish people who were killed suffered the consequences of the Nazi collective identity. Although there were many other races and ethnicities that were killed during the war, Jewish people are the most well known to be affected. This collective identity would not have been looked at with negativity within majority of the group that believed what they were doing was good for their cause and this was their ultimate goal. For the rest of the world who did not share those beliefs, the mass killings of innocents were not something people could turn away …show more content…
This is the point of foundation of a collective identity, without this there would be no common ground. The networking of the people involved also have an important role, as if there is no connection and interaction with other individuals there would be no sense of comradeship and community. Lastly the emotion involved has to keep a person actively involved with the collective, as individuals would not have the same desire to stay if they were half-heartedly involved and there would not be a strong drive in unity. The positive and negative consequences shown through social movements express that although they can provide positive change, history has also shown that shared ideas and beliefs are not always morally correct or acceptable within a wider society. Collective identities also have the strong effect of changing personal traits with individuals involved and not always in a positive way. Individuals can also create animosity between other collectives if they are seen as threats and strong ties can provoke these reactions. There is still no one way of examining a collective identity and scholars will continue to define the process and definition, but drawing upon these specific examples show the basic workings of a strong collective and the intricate workings of maintaining a strong bond within the network. The processes discussed have solid grounds for the best
Positive and negative consequences stem from various collective identities. A well know example of negative consequences come from World War II and the Nazi regime involving the Holocaust. They had shared beliefs and values that have left a mark on history for generations to come. Through the shared ideology of racial hierarchy and the incorporation of Social Darwinism, the ultimate goal was to create the perfect society and race. This meant the elimination of people who were considered unable to fit within the roles deemed fit for their shared ideology of the perfect race. Those of whom that suffered, most notably the millions of Jewish people who were killed suffered the consequences of the Nazi collective identity. Although there were many other races and ethnicities that were killed during the war, Jewish people are the most well known to be affected. This collective identity would not have been looked at with negativity within majority of the group that believed what they were doing was good for their cause and this was their ultimate goal. For the rest of the world who did not share those beliefs, the mass killings of innocents were not something people could turn away …show more content…
This is the point of foundation of a collective identity, without this there would be no common ground. The networking of the people involved also have an important role, as if there is no connection and interaction with other individuals there would be no sense of comradeship and community. Lastly the emotion involved has to keep a person actively involved with the collective, as individuals would not have the same desire to stay if they were half-heartedly involved and there would not be a strong drive in unity. The positive and negative consequences shown through social movements express that although they can provide positive change, history has also shown that shared ideas and beliefs are not always morally correct or acceptable within a wider society. Collective identities also have the strong effect of changing personal traits with individuals involved and not always in a positive way. Individuals can also create animosity between other collectives if they are seen as threats and strong ties can provoke these reactions. There is still no one way of examining a collective identity and scholars will continue to define the process and definition, but drawing upon these specific examples show the basic workings of a strong collective and the intricate workings of maintaining a strong bond within the network. The processes discussed have solid grounds for the best