The Process of Cultural Identity Change

The Process of Cultural Identity Change:  Separation, Limen and Re- aggregation Applied to Migrants

After studying Ndembu culture, Turner went on to apply the concept of separation, limen and re- aggregation to other societies, including contemporary Western industrialized societies.  There, he found the ritual stages operating in such unlikely areas as modern art, literature, theatre, sports and other recreational pastimes.  Similarly, it is possible to take Turner’s views and apply them to cultural identity issues to migrants in Diaspora.  Upon comparison, it is evident that the immigration process mimics the three stages of separation, limen and re-aggregation.

Most migrants tend to reside between two cultures.  Like the Ndembu initiates, they have been removed from their culture and society in a process resembling Turner’s stage of separation.  Migrants have also been transplanted into another country where they are expected to assimilate or re-aggregate into the new culture, complete with a new status, role and responsibilities.  However, it is evident that many migrants are unable to do so.  In many cases, re-aggregation is not fully achieved due to such things as immigration status problems.  With no legal status and no access to certain privileges within the host

country, (such as the right to work or receive health care) undocumented migrants have great difficulty laying down roots and assimilating into the host culture.  The same is the case for many asylum seekers whose cases are still pending.  Xenophobia and racism can also prevent re - aggregation.  The worse the xenophobia is within the host country, the harder it becomes for a foreigner to attach psychologically and economically to the society and develop a sense of belonging.  As well, culture shock and grief issues that involve mourning the homeland can delay the process of adapting to the host culture and completing assimilation.  Thus, being unable to fully participate in the new society while also being unable to return to the old society leaves many migrants in “cultural limbo.”  Similar to the limen state that Turner describes, migrants are neither here nor there—they are stuck “betwixt and between” cultures, lacking in cultural identity.  They are isolated and socially “invisible,” possessing no cultural status—a case that is especially true for undocumented migrants and asylum seekers.   

In rites of passage, the liminal phase is intended to be a temporary condition.  It is not possible for an individual to live permanently in a state of limen, without some sort of identity.  Lack of identity is confusing and causes psychological discord as well as the inability to fully function within a society.  However, as we have seen, many migrants are forced to indefinitely reside “betwixt and between” cultures.  What is the solution for them?  

For many undocumented migrants working in the Diaspora, the solution lies in keeping a primarily homeland cultural identity.  Because xenophobia is so high in some host countries, assimilation is difficult.  Moreover, many migrants in some host countries tend to be seasonal laborers--agricultural workers who return home during the off-season.   Subsequently, it is simpler for these migrants to label themselves as “foreign seasonal workers,” rather than new citizens of the host country—their cultural identity can remain unequivocally that of their homeland and they encounter no identity crisis.

But what about the rest of the Diaspora, who live further abroad and do not get the opportunity to visit home as frequently?   And what about permanent residents or political refugees who have no option but to reside indefinitely in their host country?   These members of the Diaspora live in a cultural “limbo land,” forced to struggle with two different cultural identities.  The issue is further complicated by the fact that many in the Diaspora plan to migrate home some day.  Those who plan to eventually return home would likely attempt to maintain their national identity throughout their residence abroad.  Yet to do so can be extremely challenging.  Time spent in Diaspora often unintentionally drags on for years or even decades.   Immigrants in these circumstances often find themselves forced to make a choice between two cultures--a particularly painful and confusing dilemma.  However, as the following section will demonstrate, the answer perhaps lies not in choosing one culture over the other, but in creating a new cultural identity based upon cultural integration and time.For More Information CLICK HERE