Family, Culture, And Personal Identity : Common Factors On Identity

Identity is a group of characteristics, data or information that belongs exactly to one person or a group of people and that make it possible to establish differences between them. The consciousness that people have about themselves is part of their identity as well as what makes them unique. According to psychologists, identity is a consistent definition of one’s self as a unique individual, in terms of role, attitudes, beliefs and aspirations. Identity tries to define who people are, what they are, where they go or what they want to be or to do. Identity could depend on self-knowledge, self-esteem, or the ability of individuals to achieve their goals. Through self-analysis people can define who they are and who the people around them

My siblings and I are first generation Canadians. My mother and her family immigrated to Canada in the 70’s from Fiji. I know that my family has lived in Fiji as far back as my great-grandparents time – maybe longer. (My grandmother remembers British soldiers in Fiji during World War II – Fiji was a training base for the Allied forces because of its central location in the South Pacific Ocean and because it was a British colony at that time).

Identity is the set of behavioral or personal characteristics by which an individual is recognizable as a member of a group. Each people have their own personality, being different and unique from other people. Even though it’s different, each people have some similarity with others that connected them together as a community or a group. However, these groups is not open for all people, some people have to sacrifice their aspects of identity in order to belong to the group that they want to join.

Identity. What is identity? One will say that it is the distinct personality of an individual. Others will say that identity is the behavior of a person in response to their surrounding environment. At certain points of time, some people search for their identity in order to understand their existence in life. In regards, identity is shaped into an individual through the social trials of life that involve family and peers, the religious beliefs by the practice of certain faiths, and cultural awareness through family history and traditions. These are what shape the identity of an individual.

Identity is a complicated and unclear concept that has no one definition. Nonetheless, identity plays a key role in the formation of our “true” selves. Identity is free formed, ever-changing and wildly different to diverse people. Making sense of oneself- who one is, was and may become, is the basic component of identity. When defining one 's identity there is no singular place to start. Identities are wide varieties of traits, characteristics, social roles and relationships that define who we are. It orients us and provides us with tools that will in turn shape and mold ourselves for as long as we live.

What is identity? A normal person would think that it’s simply defined as who we are. However, there are many definitions of identity, as it can mean differently for others. Identity is what makes us unique from one another because there is no one else like us. Since our surroundings, such as the people we meet and places we go to, possess a role into shaping who we are, we are constantly changing. As we grow up and become curious, we experiences many things and start to see different sides of ourselves. We start to question our individuality, to the point where we may struggle with whom we really are. Similar to Janie Crawford in the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, Janie struggles with identity. Throughout

Identity can be defined as 'how I see myself and how others see me. ' (Questioning Identity. 2000. p7) An identity involves a sense of belonging, an individual chooses to identify with a group and actively engages in doing so, showing agency. This sense of belonging involves being the 'same ' and recognising that others are 'different '. An individual can have multiple identities e.g. gender, supporting a football team; all of these identities make up the individual. Structures such as gender and class, influence, encourage or prevent individuals from identifying with certain groups and therefore shaping the identity.

Everyone is influenced by the culture they grew up in and the many aspects of their life shape who they are and the attitudes, values, and biases that they hold. These attitudes, values, and biases then influence not only our personal life but also our work. It is so important to recognize the many different aspects that affect us and why so that we can have more awareness of our own weaknesses and be cautious when working in situations that could be influenced by them. Our culture is a major part of our personal identity and shapes our professional identity (Arredondo, Toporek, & Brown, 1996). , influenced the person that I am today, and though as counselors we always try for perfection that is unrealistic. I know

Identity in a sociological sense is more than individual genetics or individuality. Self identity is made up by many characteristics including; our personal experiences, beliefs, socio-economic status and other factors. Society plays a huge role in determining identity, although true identity generally isn’t a true reflection of an individual’s self identity. Over the generations there have been

Many theorists see Identity as something that is solid and unchanging - something that is true to your inner-self. Others argue that your identity is something that is constantly changing and adapting, and something that requires commitment and action to sustain. Problems that occur with finding an identity lie in that people seek to be accepted into that new identity and be validated by others.

One’s identity is who or what a person is and how they are perceived by themselves and others. Your identity defines who you are and where you fit in. It is a self-representation of your interests, relationship, social activity and much more. Some believe our sense of identity and belonging is shaped by various factors, including our experiences, relationships, and our environments. Conversely, others believe that personality is shaped by nature, and that one is defined by their biological characteristics and hereditary traits passed down from previous generations. Nevertheless a combination of both nature and nurture shapes us throughout life. For a majority of the population their journey to find their identity and belonging can often

Defining personal identity is to define a personal quality that makes me unique in comparison to my peers. My personal identity has been shaped by many external factors. Some aspects that have influenced what my personal identity is today are family, friends, culture, environment, personal fascination, and consciousness.

Cultural identity is defined as the sense or feeling of belonging to a group. I connect my cultural identity to my immediate family. My immediate family consists of my parents, two younger sisters, and myself. Each one of us has significant values that have been instilled in one another. I believe that they play a large role in making me who I am today. Coming from a large, Sicilian family, the importance of love, loyalty, and support has always been prominent.

In the United States, many people have multiple identities-- some of them were born somewhere, then came to America; some of them were born here, but went to some other countries, then cam back again. However, these people were influenced by different backgrounds, cultures, and experience. Think about identities, everyone wants to exactly know herself/himself, having a correct explanation and importantly, choosing a right way to go. From Dhingra and Rodriguez, a thorough analysis about identities is given.

My cultural identity has been well established by my family of origin. From my perspective, my family is one-sided because I do not spend much time with my father’s family. They have not impacted my cultural identity in the overarching way that my mother’s family has. My mother is Syrian and Spanish and my grandmother is Syrian. We have not met my mother’s father so we have never associated ourselves in terms of ethnicity as Spanish. My mother has physical characteristics that appear Spanish, but she has never recognized Spanish as a part of her ethnicity. The idea that ethnicity and culture are learned from family is something that is truly significant and true in my life and those around me. Although my dad is German, my mom is