Research Questions
The study aims at addressing the following research questions.
- What is the meaning of culture as represented by individual users?
- What is the influence of social-cultural influences on personal identity?
Research Paradigm
The study adopted an anti-positivism paradigm due to the exploratory nature of the research questions involved. The paradigm is useful in understanding the interpretation of culture by the users as well as the influence of socio-cultural aspects on individual identity.
Methodological procedure
The study used a qualitative research design that used case study approach to enhance understanding of relationship between culture and identity. Data was collected through in-depth interviews to enhance the quality of data collected.
Findings
Through the interviews, it is clear that social-cultural influences such as fashion have a great impact on the way individuals perceive themselves or the creation of personal identity. Individuals may accept or resist a certain culture based on their perception about how it may influence their identity.
Conclusions
The authors conclude that teachers and researchers should view individuals as they are and not as members of a particular group because their interpretation of culture is not the same.
Critique of the study
- The research design was well organized thus enhancing the quality of data collected. However, the number of interviewees involved should have been higher to increase the diversity of their responses.
- The data collected was not explained clearly and this reduces the application of the findings by teachers and researchers. Visual representations should have been used to indicate the link between culture and identity.
- The conclusions answer the research questions effectively because they show the effect of socio-cultural influences on identity.
Future Research
There is a need to conduct further research on the impact of cultural influences on student performance and the strategies that should be implemented to ensure that such influences do not affect the performance of students.