The Threat of Cross Cultural Misunderstandings in Public Spaces

The Interaction of Identity and Space or Place

Prompt: From your perspective, how is the interaction of identity and space or place relevant to intelligence or human security? Based on the articles by Erhkamp and by Hopkins et al., where do you see convergences between identity, space or place, and threat? That is, were there examples from the articles that demonstrated some potential threat linked to the interaction of identity with space or place?

Minority immigrant groups frequently transform the spaces they routinely inhabit in ways that reflect their respective cultures, a practice that can result in contestation over the public space with the majority population who may view these changes as threatening their fundamental sense of normality and their conception of those spaces (Ehrkamp, 2008). This trend has some unfortunate outcomes, including most especially reinforcing any preexisting negative stereotypes about minority groups (Ehrkamp, 2008). This ugly reality has assumed even greater importance and relevance in recent years as the world continues to become heavily polarized over a wide array of culture-related issues.

Likewise, a study by Hopkins et al. (2017) found that youth from non-Muslim groups such as Sikh, Hindu, Black, and Caribbean regularly encounter misrecognition in various public settings such as school, taxis, and airports which stems from interconnected factors including media representations, homogenization of the so-called “Asian' identity,” and lack of visibility for non-Muslim minority groups. Not surprisingly, young people from non-Muslim groups responded to these situations in various ways, including using, ensuring the clarification of their actual identity, withdrawal from the situation or simply ignoring it. In sum, Hopkins et al. (2017) emphasize the need for institutional changes to ensure equal participation and representation in society for all ethnic and religious groups.

Perhaps the biggest threat involved in this calculus is the potential for cross-cultural misunderstandings to escalate into violent conflict, just as it has since time immemorial. The main difference today, of course, is that the convergences between identity, space or place has assumed global dimensions which transcend the local and regional conflicts of the past. Indeed, today, these types of cross-cultural misunderstandings represent yet another existential threat to the future of humankind. In sum, many of the potential threats that are linked to the interaction of identity with space or place are based on ignorance which is frequently willful.