Identity is about belonging. It is about what one has in common with
some and what distinguishes oneself from other people. Identity is
about relationships and involvements with one‟s forefathers, which
in modern societies are very complex; it is about contradictions and
values we share or with others. At its best, Identity gives us a sense
of personal location, a sense of a stable core to one‟s individuality.
On a societal level, the notion of identity is a key for social
integration. It holds a society together or tears it apart.
This report is the work of a group of six young Egyptian
researchers. Based on semi structured interviews and focus groups
it explores the notions of identity held by contemporary young
Egyptians, „offline‟ and „online‟. It sets out to unravel some of the
„distortions‟ and „confusions‟ they are subject to. It was conducted
through a period of two years from 2008 till 2010.
The research and its design arose from a problem the researchers
observed within the contemporary Egyptian context, and that is the
struggle between the forces of tradition and Modernity that the
Contemporary Egyptian society faces. This has led to „distortions‟
and „confusions‟ about what manifests contemporary Egyptian
identity. This problem is particularly apparent among young people
in Egypt. On the one side, a large number of young Egyptians today
feel comfortable adopting „Western‟ lifestyles while on the other
side, there are those, who categorically reject these „Western‟
lifestyles in favor of more „traditional‟ ones. And yet others, in fact a
large number of young people, adopt both lifestyles, though often in
what can be seen as contradictory and inconsistent ways.
An important component that reinforces this „identity crisis‟ is the
increasing accessibility of the Internet. Although the total number of
Internet users in Egypt might still be small, virtual activities (in
cultural, social, political ways) are attracting more attention,
especially among young people. This is a notable development,
potentially with significant social impacts, because, as Ibrahim and
Wassif (2000, 161) highlight, “the communication age puts young
people in unprecedented contact with cultures other than their own.
Whether images of this wider world are distorted or accurate, one
outcome of the interaction is that the beholder is made to re-think
his own culture in light of new information. The outcome can be to
question one‟s identity or to reaffirm its separateness from the
other”.
Exploring notions of Egyptian identity among people is a particularly
important because in every society young people carry the promise
of a better future. Specifically in Egypt, young people aren‟t only its
most important capital, but they also constitute the largest segment
of the population. According to the 2006 census (The Egyptian
Cabinet Information and Decision Support Center, and the Egyptian
Population Council, 2010), approximately 40% of Egyptians are
between the ages of 10 and 29. And although “the questioning and
reconstructing of identity is occurring in Egypt at all levels today,
[…] young people are at the center of […] tensions, as the group
3
expected to carry forward inherited notions of Egyptian identity
while leading the nation into the globalized future” (Ibrahim and
Wassif, 2000, 161).
The report approaches the issue of young Egyptian identity a three
dimensionally . Looking at language, gender and e-identity and their
relationship with the Identity of Egyptian youth, it explores questions
such as: How do young Egyptians understand being Egyptians
these days? What constitutes their identity? To what extent does
the Egyptian Youth have a clear 'idea/vision' about their identity?
What values or components of Identity do young people relate to
“being Egyptian”? What does it mean today for a guy to be “Ibn
Balad”, and for a girl to be “Sit bi meet Ragil”1
? Is there a significant
difference between „real‟ and „virtual‟ identities? Are Egyptian youth
different online than they are in the real world? What is different or
significant about social interaction or self-expression online?