Final answer:
Edmund Burke's concept of identification involves a dynamic process of engaging in an unending social conversation, where individuals contribute and alter the dialogue based on their cultural identities.
Step-by-step explanation:
What Edmund Burke says about identification can be understood from his concept of joining an unending conversation and the idea that our identities are shaped by entering into these ongoing social exchanges. In Burke's conception, as we engage with others, especially in his metaphorical 'Burkean parlor,' we become part of a dialogical process that is always in flux. Our contributions to the conversation, which are informed by our unique cultural identities, shape and change the course of the dialogue. Hence, identification is a dynamic process where the self is constructed through an interplay with society and discourse.
Burke's idea does not separate the individual from their social context, implying that our cultural identities and interactions with others are central to our sense of self. This contrasts with the views of thinkers like John Locke, who emphasize the continuity of consciousness and psychological states over time as the basis of personal identity. Burke's approach can be particularly relevant when considering the identification of tribal populations in the United States, indicating that this identification is not only biological but also deeply connected to social and psychological states, shaped by a history of interactions and exchanges within cultural contexts.