Identity Reflective Essay

1799 Words8 Pages
Identity—it’s essential to who we are. Without an identity we would not be able to build political views, practice culture, or build social relationships with others. In the past, humans have largely used their local communities to help form their identities. However, as the capacity for technology increases and the world experiences a trend toward globalization—the sharing of ideas, culture, and trade goods between nations in an attempt to create a more homogenized world—are groups of individuals going to be forced into assimilating into a larger global culture? Or is there a way to maintain one’s identity while appreciating the diversity of identities that the world offers? Several articles in Globalization: A Reader for Writers, address…show more content…
She proposes that climate change is one of the biggest threats to the livelihood and identity of many Tuvaluans. An increasing frequency of tropical storms, floods, and rogue waves has resulted in the destruction of houses, crops, and the coral systems that the Tuvaluans reside upon. To her surprise, Funafuti and the Tuvaluans are trying to establish a long-term future for the nation. As she observes the island she sees the construction of a large government office, a hospital, and new houses being built—evidence of a growing economy. The creation of a long-term future for the nation is also supplemented by a deep fundamental religious beliefs. In her essay Whitty states, “Ninety-seven percent of the population hold to a strong belief in the Genesis story, in which rainbows are proof of God’s promise to Noah that he will not flood the earth again…I can understand the comfort such faith could provide” (Whitty 71). In this quote a sympathetic Whitty tries to identify with the security that religion provides the Tuvaluans. However, in spite of all this, Whitty concludes her article still holding strong to the idea that the island with eventually be swallowed up as a result of global warming making the Tuvaluans a nation of landless
Open Document