SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DETERMINATION OF PERS ONAL IDENTITY

The definitions of personal identity are provided on three levels: a) identity as a self-awareness of one's internal sameness, continuity, c oherence and authenticity; b) identity as internalized social roles; c ) identity as experiences derived from the individual knowledge of the group memberships. The phenomenon called the cultural relativity of t he identity is referred to historical evidence for the identity variat ions in different historical eras. In these days cultural patterns lab eled individualism and collectivism enable us to hypothesize the diffe rences in personal identity construction. These are theoretically anal yzed and linked to the independent and interdependent construals of se lf. The connection and distinction between the cultural and psychologi cal levels in regard to personal identity are emphasized and issues wh ich need to be farther studied are suggested.