Identity in Flux: Intercultural Conflict and the Dynamics of Belonging

Dear Colleagues,

We invite submissions exploring the evolving concepts of identity and belonging within today’s multicultural and globally interconnected world. Traditional notions of national identity, once rooted in nationhood and uniformity (Croucher, 2018), are increasingly being reshaped by global migration and the rise of multicultural populations. This shift calls for a re-examination of identity as a fluid and dynamic construct, shaped by social, cultural, and historical contexts, moving beyond essentialist perspectives of culture (Tseng, 2020).

Identity markers—race, ethnicity, nationality, and social class—are no longer fixed but serve as interpretive frameworks through which individuals navigate, negotiate, and redefine boundaries in intercultural encounters (DeCapua & Wintergerst, 2009). These markers also offer critical insight into the power dynamics and ideologies that influence identity formation, especially in contexts where identities may align, clash, or merge uniquely, often leading to intercultural conflict.

Intercultural conflict is expressed as struggle due to a perceived incompatibility of values, norms, face orientations, goals, scarce resources, processes, and/or outcomes between at least two parties from different cultural communities in an interactive situation (Ting-Toomey & Oetzel, 2001). While significant research has explored intercultural conflict across various contexts, such as workplaces (Cox, 2001), interpersonal relationships (Ting-Toomey & Oetzel, 2001), and geopolitical states (Gilboa, 2006), there is a notable gap in understanding the dynamic interplay between identity formation and intercultural conflict in a globally interconnected and rapidly diversifying world. Existing studies often compartmentalize these topics, focusing either on conflict resolution strategies or on the fluidity of identity without fully addressing how intercultural conflict shapes, and is shaped by, the negotiation of identity in specific socio-political and cultural contexts.

We invite contributions that explore how intercultural conflict emerges, how it is negotiated, and its role in shaping identity. We are particularly interested in examining contexts where intercultural conflict is ongoing, such as areas marked by ethnic or religious tensions, migrant–host community dynamics, and globalized urban spaces, where different cultural and political ideologies frequently clash. Understanding how these contexts influence individual and collective identities is key to exploring the broader implications of identity formation in a multicultural world.

This call welcomes interdisciplinary research from fields such as social psychology, social anthropology, sociolinguistics, education, and migration studies. Submissions may address topics including the following:

• The role of intercultural conflict in shaping individual and collective identities;
• The ideological and social implications of identity negotiation in multicultural settings marked by conflict;
• The influence of transcultural dynamics and conflict management on notions of belonging and self-perception;
• Methodologies and frameworks for studying identity, belonging, and intercultural conflict;
• Case studies highlighting how identities are expressed, contested, and transformed in regions or groups experiencing ongoing intercultural conflict;
• The impact of power dynamics and cultural ideologies in escalating or resolving intercultural conflict;
• Strategies for fostering positive identity negotiation and conflict resolution in diverse cultural settings.

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the Guest Editors (ngogonas@uth.gr, cmaligko@duth.gr ) or to the /Genealogy/ Editorial Office (genealogy@mdpi.com). Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editors for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

REFERENCES

Cox, T. H. (2001). Creating the multicultural organization: A strategy for capturing the power of

diversity. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.

Croucher, S. (2018) Globalization and Belonging. The politics of Identity in a Globalized World. Rowman and Littlefield.

DeCapua, A., & Wintergerst, A. C. (2009). Second-Generation Language Maintenance and Identity: A Case Study. Bilingual Research Journal, 32(1), 5–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/15235880902965672

Gilboa, E. (2006). Media and international conflict. In J. G. Oetzel & S. Ting-Toomey (Eds.), The Sage handbook of conflict communication: Integrating theory, research, and practice (pp. 595–626). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Ting-Toomey, S., & Oetzel, J. G. (2001). Managing intercultural conflict effectively. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Tseng, A. (2020) Identity in Home Language Maintenance. In Schalley, A and Eisenchlass , S (Eds)  Handbook of Home Language Maintenance and Development. De Gruyter Mouton (109-129).

Dr. Nikolaos Gogonas
Dr. Christina Maligkoudi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Genealogy is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• identity
• belonging
• intercultural conflict