An Interdisciplinary Approach to Understanding Cultural Identity Transformation in Contemporary African Societies: A Zambian Perspective

Abstract

Cultural identity transformation has become a pressing analytical concern in contemporary African societies, particularly in Zambia, where globalization, urbanization, Western-oriented education, and the expansion of digital media continue to reshape social norms and value systems. This study examines cultural identity change through an interdisciplinary analytical framework that integrates anthropology, sociology, philosophy, and theology. It adopts a structured qualitative literature review with thematic synthesis, drawing on peer-reviewed articles, books, and institutional reports to systematically synthesize evidence on cultural transmission, intergenerational value shifts, and communal identity. The analysis demonstrates that while global and structural forces alter cultural practices, they generate hybrid identities and tensions between communal and individualistic orientations, especially among youth, rather than uniform cultural loss. By specifying search and synthesis procedures, the study strengthens methodological transparency and demonstrates how structural, ethical, and symbolic dimensions intersect. The interdisciplinary framework, supported by analytical tables and a conceptual diagram, offers a nuanced understanding of cultural continuity and adaptation. The study clarifies conceptual assumptions, identifies gaps in existing research, and outlines directions for future empirical inquiry in Zambia and comparable African contexts.