Society and identity: Globalization and fragmentation

This paper aims to present and discuss theoretical apprehension that occurred nearly a quarter of a century ago, with the thematization and problematization of social identity. Pointing out that the terms fall into “identity crisis” when emerge from their self-evidences, the author testing how the same fate encountered the very concept of “identity” and presents contemporary social theorists’ interpretations of such a situation, at the same time testifying the landmarks of self-understanding of modernity. After exploring dominant current vision of the history of ideas – that self- and social-identity does not existed in Pre-Modern societies in the sense we understand it today, that Modern is its only homeland, and that with the “postmodern condition” occurs either its dusk or its serious transformation, that even if it is not completely rejected, it is replaced with multi-coded, “ fragmented” or “plural” identities – the conclusion suggests the possibility that maybe it is not about any particular epochal change and privilege or a curse to live in it, but about yet another fundamental transformation of social structures, transformation which is not unknown in the past and transformation that today, as always, produces distinct unease, uncertainty, risk, volatility, in terms of recognition of belonging and self-mission, life investment and role taking, in the world whose supports are no longer taken for granted