Identity Crisis in the Space of Conformism

        In this world, we are always occupying a space. As discussed in the textbook Convergences, whether it is a public, private, or transient space, every space has an atmosphere that people are well aware of. Once de-familiarized with an area, one discovers that everywhere we go, there is an outward appearance that is considered to be socially acceptable; and individuals will either choose to conform to the societal norm, or deny it at the cost of disapproving looks. In every space, these appearances and behaviors challenge one’s self-identity and have an effect on our consumerist nature. Stefano Passini analyzes this concept in his scholarly article, A Binge-Consuming culture: The effect of Consumerism on Social Interactions in Western Societies, and addresses how people sacrifice their identity to be comfortable and thus conform to the expectations of others. This common occurrence is very pronounced in particular areas such as Los Angeles, and is noted in the anthology, Another City, edited by David L. Ulin. As seen through my fieldwork and other literature works, the desire for acceptance in all spaces alters our behavior and identity leading to conformism and consumerism.

        The way people behave in specific spaces that we occupy changes because of our desire for acceptance. In the short essay, Interesting Times by Judith Lewis, she recounts her day in Los Angeles stating, “I jog, eat granola for breakfast, guzzle Chardonnay, practice yoga, and attend premieres. I am a walking cliché. On the other hand, I am not always sure this character is me” (Lewis 6). Once living in Los Angeles, she changed her lifestyle to mirror those of the people surrounding her. Moving from Minnesota, the cultures of these two areas are vastly different and because of this, Lewis may have felt uncomfortable sticking to her normal Minnesota routine. The idea of “playing a character in life” to portray a façade is an issue that the majority of individuals struggle with. In specific spaces, people’s behaviors shift and many feel as though they must change their attitude or appearance to be accepted or to feel comfortable. In the case of Brent Staples, in his personal essay, Just Walk on By: A Black Man Ponders his Power to Alter Public Spaces, he recounts living in Manhattan and how his appearance had a high influence on those around him. In his situation, many people perceived him as a threat because he was a six foot, two inches, tall, brute black man. Staples altered his appearance and behavior to ease those around him by “exchang[ing] business clothes for jeans…[and] whistl[ing] melodies from Beethoven and Vivaldi”(Staples 333). These characteristics are not necessarily true to his normal behavior or appearance, but because of the spaces that he occupies, he must either deny the comfortableness of others as well as his own, or change who he is.

     The concept of diversity and individualism is highly praised in many public spaces however, in reality, conformity is still an issue in the majority of all spaces, because of the need to escape the judgment of others. In the short essay, This Year in Los Angeles, David L. Ulin writes about how his family ceased to partake in Jewish traditions and cultural customs to escape persecution. In attempt to conform to societies views, he remembers "when [he] was five, [his] parents traded [their] menorah for a Christmas tree, and from then on, [he] was not taught to respect [his] traditions, not even to know them, but to shed them like old skin, after which [he] might walk bravely, nakedly, encumbered into a better world"(Ulin 260). In many public spaces sometimes our race, ethnicity, or religious background, hinders us from being comfortable. From his parent’s perspective, conforming was the only way to succeed and feel comfortable in the space they lived to escape persecution. In some circumstances, people conform to such an extent that when placed back into their private spaces they cannot escape their own conformity. When Ulin was trying to integrate Jewish traditions, such as the Seder meal, back into to his family he felt as though, "this process of re-conciliation is a tricky one, and even now, I don't know what to think. I'm not the only one; from their places at the table, my parents look be bewildered, while my brother and his wife seem more than a little uncomfortable, as if they're not sure why they're here" (Ulin 260). This is very depressing, given the understanding that Ulin and his family moved from Manhattan, a city also known for diversity, to escape persecution. They conformed to society so devoutly that their own traditions became the place of discomfort, rather than the society that they initially were conforming to. At the OC Night Market, the purpose of the event was to “bring the night markets and festivals of Asia home” in hope of to reuniting many Asian Americans with their culture. To my dismay, the event was very Americanized and the concepts that were presented to represent Asia, such as pandas, boba tea and Pokémon, are all adopted concepts that many people are already hugely familiar with. The purpose became more to find aspects of Asian culture that Americans could connect with, rather than exposure to their own culture. This is also a type of conformity because it caused cultural aspects to be substantially subdued to setup an atmosphere that is relatively more comfortable for the majority of the people.

   In our society, people are constantly compromising their identity in attempt to conform to societal norms, ultimately leading to consumerism. In the article by Stefano Passini, he addresses the psychological aspect that is involved, pertaining to people’s everyday decisions. Constantly, “people interact ‘with and what’ people expect from the world around them,” (Passini 370) meaning; people will purchase clothing and items and behave a certain way primarily because they feel as though it is expected of them. These mannerisms we see of people in specific spaces may not necessarily be true to their identity, but it is the image they choose to portray in that particular space. Passini assesses how our identity holds significant meaning and “the consumer culture encourages us not only to buy more, but to seek our identity and fulfillment through what we buy, to express our individuality through our ‘choices’ of products”(Passini 375). Based upon this concept, many times people will act on consumption impulses to receive approval from others when traveling through spaces. For example, if an individual found themselves in a space consisting of a wealthier population, that person is likely to buy products that hold connection to upper class lifestyles to portray an image that would make them more comfortable in that space. Ultimately, everything traces back to one’s own perception and the weight that they place on the opinions of others surrounding them. As mentioned by Passini, our identity is connected to space and “identity is strongly a relational concept. We cannot realize ourselves if we do not recognize others, and we cannot respect others if we do not know ourselves” (Passini 380). People have become so conscious of the others’ thoughts that individuals are willing to alter their appearances and behavior to feel in a position of status or a place of belonging. In spaces, people are constantly in contact with one another and are subconsciously making judgments and comparisons. Because of this, people regardless of the space, feel a need to make known their identity for the purpose of internal fulfillment. However, if people were more conscious of the individuality present in spaces rather than attempting to conform, it would create a better-rounded society because we would be able to be more respectful of others.  

   In any space we find ourselves in, we are aware of our presence and the presence of others. Undoubtedly, the connections that are made within spaces correlate with the attitudes of the people residing in that space. Ones behavior and respectfulness toward others shift when that individual feels as though their own comfortableness in a space may be jeopardized because of race or ethnicity, thus hurting the atmosphere entirely. Psychologically, individuals let the mentality of meeting societal standards be the determining factor when choosing how to portray their identity within a particular space. This viewpoint can be seen when observing how people interact in spaces, whether it be witnessing our consumerist nature, or noticing shifts in behavior and mannerisms. Los Angeles is a city that holds many preconceived perceptions when it comes to attitudes, identities and concept of space. Because of this, it is difficult to reshape and define how our own perceptions have been altered due to our familiarity within this space. Society has created standards that they themselves cannot meet continually, therefore hindering the majority’s self-identity in public spaces. However, if everyone came to the understanding that comfortableness in all spaces begins within themselves, the way that we interact within spaces would change drastically.