Self and Social Identity Research Essay

(The topic: In what ways does our identity—how we see ourselves as well as how others see us—impact our ability to be successful?)
we’ve read a number of chapters from Gladwell. added three more voices to the mix Greenstreet, Coates and Anderson — that look at the benefits, costs and consequences of identity in our lives.

ANSWER

Self and Social Identity

Introduction

Identity can be defined as the distinguishing personality or character of a person that makes them stand out. Many people tend to consider their backgrounds, experiences, beliefs, and interests in defining who we are. However, identity formation is influenced by external and internal factors, including society, family, race, culture, location, and ethnicity. It is correct to argue that individuals’ actions revolve around how they see themselves and how they choose to engage with society. Every stimulus we experience knowingly or unknowingly influences how society labels our identity. Society is likely to associate an individual with a collective group that shares characteristics of how they think you are. There are two types of identity: personal or self-identity and social identity (Commissariat et al. 674). Self-identity is the idea of how we think of ourselves. Self-identity tries to ask the pervasive question of ‘who I’m I?’ who we think of ourselves relates to all the aspects of life that we can control and those we cannot (Barker et al. 13). On the other hand, social identity is how other people see us. People conclude who we are by looking at the characteristics we portray in our environment. Eventually, more often than not, how other people in the society perceive an individual matters more than how they view themselves.

Social identities are based on financial abilities, marital status, occupational status, or religious affiliation, among other factors. Sometimes, social identity can be accurate, while at other times, it is not as accurate. Regardless of this, the social identity theory explains that social identity is more important than personal identity in some circumstances. Collective and personal identities contribute to how a given society turns out. Interactions within the society with people with various identities influence the evolving of identities, which adds up to the next generations’ identities. According to Gladwell, behavior, as well as ideas in a society, spread like a disease outbreak. Once society ties an individual to a particular identity, it becomes difficult to change that around. People establish strong identities from circumstances like this, just to fit in. for this, I say how society perceives an individual has a great impact on how they turn out regardless of how much they may think they know themselves.

Having a strong identity comes with some benefits. Being clear of who an individual makes it easier for them to connect with similar individuals or groups. I say, people with a strong identity usually turn out successful. A strong identity gives one the ability to be self-behaved and make informed decisions. Knowing what kind of a person you are makes it easy for you to know how you should behave and the kind of people you should associate with. Sharing personality traits with other individuals does not necessarily mean that you share an identity. People tend to choose which group or identity to identify with. However, some external forces like an individual come from exceed their control in defining their identity.

Having a strong identity can also come out as dangerous. The pressure on an individual to protect their identity can be overwhelming. Having to tore a certain line to protect your identity can be tiring. Gladwell argues that it is a shame that some individuals strive to make their identities conform to society’s expectations. It isn’t easy to think critically and objectively about something an individual strongly identifies with. For instance, it is hard not to support a football team one is affiliated to regardless of how obvious the chances of it losing are. On top of that, once an identity has been established, changing it cannot be easy. Once you are made to believe you are a certain kind of person, you tend to prove that theory. For example, if an individual thinks of himself as a kind person, all their actions will extend kindness. On the same note, people who regard themselves as lazy are likely to spend their entire day watching TV and playing games.

Unlike personality, identity demands an individual’s element of choice and requires some awareness. (Hall et al. 176). For instance, an individual may choose to watch rugby matches over football matches because they choose to identify with rugby. This tends to declare who they are in terms of the type of sport they are affiliated to. During conversations about who new people are, the most common question apart from ‘where do you come from?’ is usually, ‘what do you do?’ Most of the time, this questions are meant to place the individual, gauge their class, and probably respect them. People who live in rich neighborhoods and have good jobs are usually affiliated with the rich. The rich command some respect in society by default. Society has decided that people who receive little income are poor. Generally, identity is observed by the similarities an individual shares with the people considered to be alike and the differences between those who are not. However, rich individuals could be, if they don’t look like it, they will not receive the rich’s recognition and treatment.

Depending on the level, some characteristics are associated with certain groups. Having to take up more than one role in society dictates that a person develops multiple identities. An example of this is when one individual has to match up the role of a parent, a student, and at the same time, an employee. The connection of where someone sees themselves in the future, influences, and pressures from society also dictate the connection between how people view you and how you see yourself. Regardless of this, stereotyping has been a major setback in placing identity. For instance, identifying as a criminal mostly comes from stereotyping. The usual description for a criminal in the United States has been a young, black man for the longest time. Such stereotyping demonstrates the imbalances and inequalities expressed in the relationship between an individual and society. A criminal action can be done by another person that a black male. I say how other people perceive an individual always counts over how an individual perceives himself.

Identities are a result of the societies we come from and how we relate with others. It provides a connection between individuals and the society they live in. It is a combination of how you see yourself and how others perceive you from a broader picture. However, how others perceive you does not always equal how you perceive yourself (Schmader et al. 234). For instance, a football player may view himself as excellent but viewed by his manager as below average because he lacks consistency. This kind of identity can improve this player’s performance while trying to prove how good he thinks he is. However, this again is another instance that confirms that what others think matters over what individuals think of themselves.

Conclusion

How we define ourselves represents our interests, culture, and beliefs, among other facts. However, identity is influenced by various factors, including society, experience, and physical surroundings. The changes an individual experiences at the workplace, in the domestic setting, and the world generally influence our identities. Society defines an individual based on the groups they associate themselves with, among other personal characteristics they consider. According to the social identity theory, social identity is more important as compared to personal identity. We declare our identities in our day-to-day interactions by doing our things, starting from how we dress to how we talk. This identifies us as the same as the people we share an identity with and different from those we do not. It is possible to change our identities as individuals or as a group.

Works Cited

Barker, Valerie, and Nathian S. Rodriguez. “This is who I am: The selfie as a personal and social identity marker.” International Journal of Communication 13 (2019): 24.

Commissariat, Persis V., et al. “Developing a personal and social identity with type 1 diabetes during adolescence: a hypothesis generative study.” Qualitative Health Research 26.5 (2016): 672-684. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7144802/

Hall, Douglas T. “Self-awareness, identity, and leader development.” Leader development for transforming organizations: Growing leaders for tomorrow 153 (2004): 176. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/313040158_Self-awareness_identity_and_leader_development

Schmader, Toni, and Constantine Sedikides. “State authenticity as fit to environment: The implications of social identity for fit, authenticity, and self-segregation.” Personality and Social Psychology Review 22.3 (2018): 228-259. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1088868317734080

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