2016 Annual Conference

Based on our findings from a study on ethic and national identity among young adults on the divided island of Cyprus, we explore the idea that identity is learned (rather than constructed or formed) throughout an individual’s life –from childhood to adulthood- and that identities adapt to changing environments.

Researchers and educators interested in Identity, Informal Learning, Social Learning Theory, Social Identity Theory, Conflict Resolution and Peace Education.

Cyprus is a divided island as a result of nationalist conflict between the Greek-Cypriot and the Turkish-Cypriot communities which lived apart from 1974 until 2003. Using narrative analysis this qualitative study uncovers influences to ethno-national identity learning of young adults from the Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot communities that were born and grew-up during the segregation period and hence did not meet the ‘other’ until later in their lives. Such influences include education, politics, religion, social environment, social interactions and language/dialect.
We found that in the Greek-Cypriot community there are three ethno-national self-identifications, Greek-Cypriot, Cypriot and Greek. In the Turkish-Cypriot community we found two, Turkish-Cypriot and Cypriot. Each participant emphasized historical events, discourses and personal experiences that support their self-identification and ignored elements that contradict their self-identification. Our findings also indicate that ethno-national identity is a continuous process that involves reflection on their relevant experiences.
Based on our findings we explore the idea that identity is learned (rather than constructed or formed) throughout an individual’s life –from childhood to adulthood- and that identities adapt to changing environments. We ground our argument on theories from the social constructionist approach to identity, social identity theory, social learning theory, lifelong learning and informal learning approaches.