‘Identity’ is not only about human relations: the relevance of human-to-non-human interaction in ‘identity’ articulation

Abstract

This paper concerns the construction of ‘cultural identity’ in the personal everyday lives of a group of high-status professionals living in the UK, who happen to be academics. The paper focuses on the relevance of non-human categories in ‘identity’ construction and advocates for broadening our understanding of this debatable term by acknowledging the relevance of human-to-non-human relations in intercultural communication. The findings demonstrate that non-human categories such as naming, death, and food are central in ‘identity’ construction. This conceptualisation of ‘identity’ broadens our understanding of this highly contested concept and acknowledges the centrality of non-human entities in its manifestation.