Review article
https://doi.org/10.5673/sip.52.2.1
Exploring Identifications in the Transnational Social Sphere: The Potential of Social Fields
Tea Golob
orcid.org/0000-0003-4314-3231
; Doctoral fellow, teaching assistant, School of Advanced Social Studies, Nova Gorica, Slovenia
Abstract
The article attempts to discuss certain issues related to contemporary identifications,
social changes and technological development that are reflected in the
transnational sphere. The first one refers to the possibility of individual action within
social settings and therefore the extent of individual freedom from exterior influences
is at the forefront. The second one tackles the individual or collective perception
of selves and the exterior world, which then leads to the third question: how
can one actually consider identity construction or identification in transnational social
spheres? The notion we believe can elucidate the complex relationship between the
individual and society and reveal important aspects in identity formations is that of
the social field, particularly the transnational social field. In the modern era, individuals
participate in many social fields which do not always correlate with local or
national boundaries. The possibility of their individual freedom and social change is
thus more present, but is still conditioned by different types of capital and other social
forces. The concept evokes the idea of a habitus, which reflects a different context
of a structured framework of evaluations and expectations which, as proposed by
Bourdieu (1977), leads to the conscious or intuitive prioritising of certain dispositions
and practices. The concept allows us to explore how socio-economic, cultural and
personal backgrounds influence a person’s identity negotiations and constructions in
the transnational sphere, while it also encompasses the influence of border crossing
and transnational connections.
Keywords
identifications; social fields; transnational connections
Hrčak ID:
123147
URI
Publication date:
18.6.2014.
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