Identity Vs. Weisband: What Is 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

Identity is who we are, even though it can be hard sometimes to find out exactly what that means. That is why our identities can be so easily changed and shaped by different things. This is especially true during our adolescent years, when we are vying for acceptance from others. Sometimes we are the ones who shape who we are. This can happen when we choose to ignore outside influences who would normally affect us. Nevertheless, most of the time we are shaped by other people. Human beings have a never ending want to be socially accepted. We are all insecure in our own way, leaving us prey to the influence of others. We are able to choose how we act and what we do, but even so we end up being changed by everyone who surrounds us. Although we have the freedom to make our own conscious decisions, ultimately the people around us shape who we are by the way they treat us.

Identity is something that some people have a really hard time with, deciding who you are or who you want to be seems like a simple task but for some the choice to choose who they want to be isn’t always their choice. James Paul Gee author of “Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistic: Introduction” talks about identity and how people have different Discourses depending on what social situation a person is in. Gee created and described Discourse as “ ways of being in the world; they are forms of life which integrate words, acts, values, beliefs, attitudes, and social identities as well as gestures, body positions, and clothes”(Gee). Gee talks about how discourses are pretty much an “identity kit”, which means a person is able to take on different

In alignment with one of the key points from the previous section, which denies the integral and unified account of identity, this section elaborates the discursive view of identity. In order to understand this shift in conceptualising identity, we will revisit the simple definition of identity from Longman dictionary (section 9.1.1). The later part of this definition, specifically, the second key phrase “different from other people” brings about the discussion of the discursive approach to identity. Departing from the essentialist viewpoint of identity as a stable core of self, later literatures have advocated a close relation between the processes of intersubjectivity and the crucial role of ‘the others’ in identity construction (Hall, 2000). As a nature of human beings, the process of identification is seen as a universal need to belong to a group, to reflect on others, thus define themselves and others. In other words, it is to say that identity is constructed through ‘difference’ and experienced by contrast (Benveniste, 2000). Specifically, “[i]n common sense language, identification is constructed on the back of recognition of some common origin or shared characteristics with another person or group, or with an ideal, and with the natural closure of solidarity and allegiance established on this foundation” (Hall, 2000:16). The common origin or shared characteristics here do not adhere to the essentialist viewpoint of identity as an identical and unchangeable stage of

There are many things that shape our identities from society, and family to things we learn on our own like experiences. Many struggle to find their identity and struggle between two (or more) identities. Some are very secure with their identities whether it’s their own, a combination of society and theirs, or society’s alone. The question is which one plays a bigger role? I think when we’re young authority figures and society plays a bigger role in life, but as you grow older, and become a teenager (sometimes even adult) the roles switch and your own identiy is the biggest part in your life.

Identity is who you are as a person, but where does it come from? Are you born you or are there other factors. Many people may argue you are born with it, but others will argue there are factors and it has the stronger side. The factors that influence a person's behavior and identity in society are a person’s environment and life experiences brought upon through day to day life. First and foremost, environment is a major factor that influences a person’s character and identity.

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.

In order to answer the question, it is necessary to define identity and specifically the way social scientist define identity. An individual has multiple identities, both personally and socially. These connect them to other people-relational identity; to groups, neighbourhoods, and communities-social identity; and to immediate situation or surroundings-situational identity. Very few theories or concepts support the idea of an ‘essential personal identity’. A concept that is more favourable is that ‘who I am’ is learnt and that it does change often over our life span. A contrary explanation is that personal identity is not completely separate from social identity. Including group/collective identies, for example gender is both a social

He scrutinizes the notion of identity questioning “the uniqueness and distinctness that clings to” identity, and points out that identity often “lacks apparent sustainability or permanence” (Olivier). With that being said however, the average person usually develops, at the least, a “standard” identity; that which is usual for the individual, and to which the person has become attached, by

Our identity can sometimes be shaped by the way others see us. As we have seen, the way in which others view us can have some sort of impact on how we see ourselves. There are also other contributing factors such as our years of adolescence, the basic human need of wanting to belong and maturing; all play an equally important part in the forming of our character and who we are. On balance it appears that there is not only one influence in the shaping of our identity, but there are many.

In general we differentiate between two “kinds” of identity. On the one hand there is the so called social identity, which stresses self-interpretation as a member of a certain social group and on the other hand there is the personal identity, which puts it´s emphasis on individuality and distinctiveness. This distinction is widely known as “patchwork-identity”. Both identities are only a subgroup of many different subjectively interpreted identities that everyone of us has innate.

People has been trying to find their own identity throughout their lives. Identity, in fact, is a changing subject that are influenced by many different experiences and circumstances. Identity is the product of varieties of sources and is hard to return to its original shape. The society and the environment that people grow up in play major roles in impacting their identity. Changes in these environments create an ever-lasting changes in these identity. Identity slowly becomes concealed in order to help people better survive in their society. People’s real identity becomes hidden so that they can better cope with the changes in culture, learning experience, society’s expectations, and, stereotype.

Within social psychology, the social identity tradition (Tajfel, Billig, Bundy, & Flament, 1971) argues that individuals possess more than their characteristic personal identities, which are activated during interpersonal contact with others; in addition, people can engage in intergroup behavior as informed by their social identities (Gudykunst & Bond, 1980). Such social identities comprise memberships in any psychologically relevant grouping with which an individual identifies, including kin, peers, profession, nation, and cultural identity (Galang, Quiñones, Adriano, Portillo, & Carvajal, 2015). The ingroup identification afforded by social identities then allows individuals to distinguish between people belonging to and excluded from the ingroup (Brewer & Yuki, 2007), and to bolster one’s self-concept through affiliation with high-status groups and individuals (Gudykunst & Bond, 1980). In addition, these social identities are created and manifested in different ways across cultures as a function of the values endorsed by society, the ways in which society’s members construe themselves, and the manners in which their interpersonal relationships are structured (Feitosa, Salas, & Salazar, 2012).

Identity is what evolves us, it is what makes us think the way we do, and act the way we act, in essence, a person’s identity is their everything. Identity separates us from everyone else, and while one may be very similar to another, there is no one who is exactly like you; someone who has experienced exactly what you have, feels the way you do about subjects, and reacts the same to the events and experiences you have had. This became prevalent to me as I read through many books, that everyone goes through the process of finding who they are. A prevalent theme throughout literature is the idea that over time one develops their identity through life over time, in contrast to being born with one identity and having the same

For me personally, identity has always been an important aspect of my life. It is my own Social Penetration Theory in terms of the onion aspect of it – my identity has multiple layers through different stages of my life to date, it is continuously growing by the minute. There are multiple components that make up who I am, and by learning through experiences and this course I am able to get a stronger grip on not only identity as a whole, but also my own identity.