Cultural identity is a key term and major research topic of psychologists who adopt culturally sensitive approaches like cross‐cultural, cultural, and indigenous psychology. However, the meaning of the concept is unclear due to the fact that neither of the component concepts “culture” and “identity” has been defined consistently in the history of ideas or the history of science. As is well known, definitions of “culture” abound and vary from discipline to discipline. Similarly, in anthropology, philosophy, sociology, and psychology, “identity” is used interchangeably with terms like “self” or “person” and overlaps with terms like “personality,” “personhood,” “selfhood,” “individuality,” and even aspects of “autonomy.” Although these conceptual ambiguities need to be further examined, based on current research the following broad understanding of cultural identity or the
cultural self
can be suggested: If identity is seen as the sum total of psychological experience (e.g., sensations, thoughts, feelings, motives), which forms our understanding of our place, role, and meaning in the world, then cultural identity can be conceived of as the result of our co‐constructive interactions with the meanings, beliefs, thinking styles, practices, and traditions that are implicit in our social environment and considered essential for our perception of our place, role, and meaning in a given culture in comparison to other cultures. Thus, people often attribute their feelings and behavior as well as that of other individuals or groups to their respective cultural identity.
