“Scientific and Specialized Journal of Modern Literary Research”

“Scientific and Specialized Journal of Modern Literary Research”

Identity Conflict between Tradition and Modernity from Giddens' Perspective in the Novel End of the Day

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Ph.D. Department of Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
Identity is a psychological necessity for humans and a prerequisite for any social life. Without a framework to define identity, individuals would become indistinguishable from one another, and none could meaningfully connect with others. Trust in one's environment is a vital component of social life, forming the basis of relationships. In its absence, identity conflicts and differences in the behavior of men and women, particularly during the transition from tradition to modernity, emerge. Social trust thus plays a significant role in human interactions, ranging from the micro level (family) to the macro level (society). This article aims to analyze and sociologically explain the factors influencing identity conflict using Anthony Giddens' theory. It examines the characters in the novel End of the Day by Afghan author Mohammad Hossein Mohammadi through a descriptive-analytical method. Giddens argues that to understand identity conflicts, one must first grasp the concept of tradition and its influence on identity structures, followed by an analysis of identity in the modern world. Tradition serves as a pre-established framework for shaping individuals' identities, and each person experiences a phenomenon of rupture in their quest for a new identity in the modern world. For the new generation of Afghan women, despite the limitations of the traditional world, this conflict and rupture have caused identity distress. However, compared to men, these women actively pursue modernity, even as they contend with the conservative restraints imposed by traditional women.
Keywords
Subjects

Azad, Aramaki and Mehri (1377), Studying Social Issues, Tehran: New Design.
Jenkins, Richard (1996), Social Identity, translated by Toraj Yar Ahmadi, Tehran: Shirazeh Research.
Haji Haidari, Hamed, Motaghizadeh, Ali (2012), "Reconstructing Giddens' Rethinking Model Based on His Recent Positions Regarding Tradition", Social Studies and Research, First Session, Number 3, pp. 83-40
Khaniki, Hadi (2012) "Globalization and Communication, Backgrounds and Theoretical Perspective", Strategic Studies of Public Policymaking, No. 13, pp. 6-33
Derakhsha, Jalal, Masrour, Mohammad (2018), "Comparative study of the opinions of Sadr al-Maltahin and Anthony Giddens about the age of modern wisdom", Institute of Humanities and Cultural Studies, 10th year, number 1, pp. 29-51
Ritters, George (1374), Sociological theory in the contemporary era, translated by Mohsen Teri, Tehran: Elami.
Giddens, Anthony (1388), modernity and individuality, society and personal identity in the new era, translated by Nasser Moafaqian, 6th edition, Tehran: Ni publication.
Giddens, Anthony (1385), World Visions, translated by Mohammad Reza Jalalipour, Tehran: New Design.
Lekzaei, Sharif (1389) "Foundations of the thought of Anthony Giddens, a constructionist theorist", Political and International Approaches, Winter 1389, No. 24, pp. 94-75
Mojtahedzadeh, Pirouz (2008), "Geography and Politics in the New Process", Tehran School of Law and Political Sciences, Volume 13, Number 8, pp. 147-61
Mohammadi, Mohammad Hossein (2017), The End of the Day, Tehran: Cheshme.