We Talk of Identity as Individual but in Reality, Identity Is Formed by Society”

A person’s identity is influenced by how you view yourself and how society views you. In Jonathan Lykes poem This is a Siren, and the short story The Bear that Wasn’t by Frank Tashlin, both authors shine a light on how great of an impact society can have on an individual’s identity. Society has already established different stereotypes for each individual which causes everyone to perceive others in a certain way without truly getting to know them. This can cause an individual to change the way they perceive themselves in order to be accepted by society and to fit in it’s expectations of that individual. “This thing called perception, that gives people the opportunity for acceptation, or on the flip side, to be a circle of rejection…” (Lykes 2010) Here, Lykes talks about how we perceive each other can either make us accept one another or reject one another. However, in the end, it is up to the individual to decided if they are going

Each individual possesses an identity that makes him or her unique in their own special way. This identity is considered a marker that helps define and shape the person, even as they develop by means of age or wisdom. In addition to that, various factors, such as ethnicity, gender, religion, language, or culture, contribute to establishing one’s identity. Although each identity is different, Andrew Solomon acknowledges another difference amongst one’s identity. This difference depends on whether someone encompasses a horizontal identity or a vertical identity.

The public self is often times not the true self. This indication of a difference between the public and true self leads to the idea that the self and identity of an individual are different concepts. The self, is a person’s essential being that makes each individual unique compared to others; whereas the identity, is a person’s character that is essentially created to help the individual fit into society. These two concepts begin to form early in life through influences from society, family, and culture. However, as the individual beings to assimilate the world around them, their sense of identity transforms in order to adapt to the new environment, while their sense of self remains the same.

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 one’s morals, personality, and behavior. Society makes one act a certain way to make them try to fit in. Society plays a major role in shaping identity in different ways such as unemployment, racism, and poverty. In addition identity is influenced by the environment you live in or the people you hang around.

“We are not born knowing who we are or what our place is in the social landscape; we learn to be American or Japanese, male or female, husband or wife, or Amy, Richard, Micheal, Rachel, or Rebecca.” Our identities are constructed by this “social landscape”. The social construction of identity takes place by living life through first hand experiences and through certain social circumstances. Amartya Sen says,” Classification is certainely cheap, but identity is not. More interestingly, whether a particular classification can plausibly generate a sense of identity or not must depend on the social circumstances.” Identity is a complex matter but can be defined in simple terms. It is who you are. Your personality, the way you act in response to

Society has played a dominant role for the personal identity of an individual based on where they are from or the culture they were raised with in. With an individual’s identity, one may encounter struggles or challenges. Based on where a person is from or their physical appearance, they may experience discrimination or prejudices in various forms and circumstances. In order to understand the basis of social identity, it is important to understand how social identities are formed and what they are, what social justice is and the process and goal for it to be achieved, and what the different types of oppressions are and where they can occur within society. Accordingly, social identity is made up of various components that may or may not result

All throughout history, man has struggled with the concept of identity. This idea of where one belongs, and how one is perceived by others, let alone themselves. Sometimes man lives a self-fulfilled prophecy, while other times they try to blend themselves with everyone else, or this concept of being invisible. However, society is known to radicalize an individual’s invisibility. Instead of allowing an individual to conform to society, to live out their lives peacefully, society condemns these individuals, alienating them from the rest of the world. Society accuses, and leaves the accuser standing on a ledge, wondering what will happen next, while the world never sheds a single tear of sorrow, never takes a shallow breath among all of the madness. Even today, society continues to accuse, pinning the blame on those who cannot have a voice for themselves, and incarcerating them because of it.

Our perception of our identity is constantly changing, the groups we belong to, the people we talk to and the way we connect with others help to form our identity. There is one thing we all have in common despite our individual identities, is the need to belong. There’s no obligation to belong to only one group, you can belong to many. An individual can belong to many groups, which will then create multiple identities; hence our understanding of identity is never constant. Belonging to a loving family, group of caring friends that help us to develop our own sense of self. However, belonging can have a negative side. For example our families might have an expectation of us to do something that might alter our ambitions and interfere with

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.

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

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

The individual, as simple as it may seem to the eyes of the world, and in a deeper context, in the eyes of itself, is heavily misunderstood. It may seem striking, but the reality of things is that the individual in itself doesn’t have a good grasp to their identity. The reason as to why the individual doesn’t know itself is due to a lack of true self reflection. However, despite all the negativity in regards to the individual not truly understanding the body they find themselves trapped in, it can overcome its identity crisis. To put it simply, an individual can find their place in society by coming to look at themselves in a more critical way and by analyzing the way they interact with the world that revolves around them.

Identification and identity are the labels or titles that individuals and groups of individuals put upon themselves. In contrast difference, often refers to how individuals see themselves, in comparison to the way that they are seen by others. Everything that an individual does, thinks, and feels relates back to the way that they identify them self and their identification. This identity is also known as sameness. Sameness helps to bond individuals making them feel as if they are a part of a group or a larger community. The way that individuals identify themselves, comparing and contrasting their differences to others is known as otherness. Otherness often leads to conflict among the groups being compared. Society defines individuals and groups of individuals by their differences. Race, religion, gender, sexuality, social status, and education are some of the main differences that society currently focuses on. These differences are then responsible for social negotiations. Society tries to balance or negotiate the needs of the majority, based on population size and group influence. The dominant groups values are taken into consideration and logical accommodations are made to benefit this group. From a metaphysical standpoint individuals are made up of identities and differences that have been accumulated over time to meet their needs and fulfill their expectations.

Everyday common sense in our society uses the concept of identity in a different way; it sees identity is something that a person or a group has. Contrary to