What Are The Three Communication Processes Involved In Identity Development

Defining identity can be complex and therefore we have to investigate the factors involved that make us who we are and how we are seen by others, collectively or individually. Social scientists have to consider the key elements which shape identity, the importance of social structures and agency involved. The differences and/or similarities between us are the focus that categorise and label us in society. Knowing who we are is important for many reasons including, social rights, obtaining a passport, housing, health, employment, marriage, and over all, being able to ascertain who we are, and belong.

When people think of the word identity they might think of several factors of identity such as their name, race, sexuality, religion or other things that define the person that they are. The concepts of human identity have been created to not only label ourselves, but to also label the people around us so that we can have an improved sense of structure and order within our lives and society. Labeling people affects how those people are spoken to or interacted with in society. These labels confine individuals to act or think a certain way, which limits creativity. Labeling also affects whether a person is treated positively or negatively by other people. When people label one another, they put them in categories based on several things about

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

One observation I have noticed throughout my life is that some people can get uncomfortable when talking about identity. Even in our General Business 365: LEAD course, some students would accidentally stray away from identity and start talking about their strengths and weaknesses and personalities instead. On that day when we were talking about identity, I remember personally getting a little tense. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that identity can be a sensitive topic for many people. For me, it got uncomfortable because as a

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

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.

When analyzing aspects of our identity that shape our attitude, behaviors, and experiences, we must include concepts of sex, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, age, socioeconomic class, religion, and ability. It is essential that we understand our own and others identities in order to better understand our social relationships and our interactions with one another.

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.

Alberts, J., Nakayama, T., & Martin, J. (2007). Communicating Identities/ Communicating Perceiving and Understanding. In Human communication in society (3rd ed., pp. 54-102). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.

Outside influences have a strong capability to influence and alter our personal identity. Both directly and indirectly, the social contexts in which we live can change the way we think and feel, and by extension how we interact with other people and places. Immediate family, friendship groups and the physical environment are all factors which contribute to our ever changing perceptions of ourselves. Sometimes personal identity can be subtly reshaped over a gradual time frame, as our sense of who we are is modified without personal recognition that we are changing. At other times we may be able to notice our personal identity changing, through important life decisions.

“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

A person’s identity is shaped by many different aspects. Family, culture, friends, personal interests and surrounding environments are all factors that tend to help shape a person’s identity. Some factors may have more of an influence than others and some may not have any influence at all. As a person grows up in a family, they are influenced by many aspects of their life. Family and culture may influence a person’s sense of responsibilities, ethics and morals, tastes in music, humor and sports, and many other aspects of life. Friends and surrounding environments may influence a person’s taste in clothing, music, speech, and social activities. Personal interests are what truly set individuals apart. An individual is not a puppet

For years people have gone back and forth on what your identity means. Some say it is how you carry yourself and others say it is based on your cultural background. These two arguments are both valid, but is not giving the benefit of the doubt to the individual in which is being considered by their identity. Although most cultures are made up of languages and the traditions within we cannot limit an individual to be based off the language they speak. On the cultural aspect that does not apply necessarily because culture makes up only a part of your identity, whereas language is a source of communication. These are two factors people confuse each other with when thinking on the identity plane. Culture and identity are under the same umbrella

Communication affects the development of our personal identity in several ways. One way being that the comments we receive daily, whether it be good or bad, plays a part on how we view ourselves. The things that we say to one another builds the perception that we have of ourselves. For example, if we were called smart for majority of our childhood, then we would most likely view ourself as an intelligent person. Also, our intrapersonal communication affects the development of our personal identity. Depending on how we speak to ourselves, we establish a nice self identity, or a negative one.

“Social categories have two distinguishing features. First, they are defined and by implicit or explicit rules of membership, according to which individuals are assigned or not to the category (some examples are discussed below). Second, social categories are understood in terms of sets of characteristics { for example, beliefs, desires, moral commitments, or physical attributes { thought typical of members of the category, or behaviours expected or obliged of members in certain situations,