Globalization and Nationalism: Perceived Self, Identity, and the Search for Ontological Security (An Analysis of the Identity Negotiation Process of Expats in Jakarta)

Abstract

The modernist notion of the self as unitary, stable, and transparent has come under criticism by postmodernist who proclaim that each person is fragmented and contiuously changing in both large and small ways. (Powell, 1996). Individuals are always in the process of constructing and reconstructing themselves. (Hall, 1996). Each of us has multiple selves, all of which are shaped by complex conditions of our lives. Ethnic identities are not pure or static. The globalization of economics, politics, and human affairs has made individuals more ontologically insecure and existentially uncertain. One main response to such insecurity is to seek reaffirmation of one's self identity. (Kinnvall, 2004). This research analyses how individual expatriate perceived Self and negotiate his/her identity in the interaction process with local or fellow expatriates during their stay in Indonesia. Data are gathered by conducting indepth interview with a number of active expatriates, focusing on the ways how each of them perceived Self and negotiate his/her identity in the new circumstances and/or by sharing social space with other heritages to reduce insecurity and existential anxiety.

Keywords: globalization, nationalism, perceived self, identity negotiation, insecurity