Transformation of Approaches to the Study of Identity and Cultural Identity in the Late ХХ – Early ХХI Centuries: Trends and Prospects

This article examines the role of cultural identity policy as a tool for institutionalizing established values, beliefs, and means of sustenance in the structure of cultural identity. It is emphasized that the works of classical scholars of the 20th century address the issue of cultural identity in the context of fundamental theories of personality, motivation, needs, determinisms, and more. In contrast, research conducted in the first quarter of the 21st century exhibits a continuity of these foundational themes. Conclusion dwells upon the fact that the transformation of theoretical and methodological approaches is manifested in the reception of the issue of cultural identity-as a conceptual, social, and historical product that is created by individuals and society through processes of joint activity, and that is continually negotiated and modified under the influence of cultural policies and means of their institutionalization. Using research findings as a case study, the article illustrates how the government forms the cultural identity of populations: it instills norms, defines parameters of consciousness, and influences living practices and traditional forms of behavior. However, the intensity of such influence varies significantly. Based on a description of different types of cultural hybridity, the article identifies and represents corresponding types of identity-strong and weak-that manifest in conditions of intercultural communication.