“Identify as” or “identify themselves as”
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I came across this paragraph in a newspaper. "He explains the significance of these diverse realities: 'An occupational identity, where people identify as farmers , is emerging in States of the first kind, such as M.P., Maharashtra and Gujarat. In States such as U.P. and Bihar, while agriculture is central to rural life, caste and religion remain dominant identity markers in the absence of strong market linkages of agriculture. In Rajasthan, in the near absence of agriculture as a key rural vocation, identity markers are still tied to caste.'" Can the phrase "where people identify as farmers " be replaced, without changing its meaning, with " where people identify themselves as farmers "? If not, why? If yes, in what cases?
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