Define Our Identity

The environment in which an individual grows up in can affect life greatly. Our surroundings influence one’s personality, self-expression, and individuality, otherwise known as identity. Finding one’s true self is the most grueling stage of life and expectations of family and society make the process even harder. One’s true identity can sometimes clash with hopes of others, thus breaking tradition and/or family ties. Pressure to change will always be present, but staying true to uniqueness will prevail.

The identity a person holds is one of the most important aspects of their lives. Identity is what distinguishes people from others, although it leaves a negative stereotype upon people. In the short story Identities by W.D Valgardson, a middle-aged wealthy man finds himself lost in a rough neighborhood while attempting to look for something new. The author employs many elements in the story, some of the more important ones being stereotype and foreshadow.

The ability to see the world as others do occurs only once. This is before the instance of any stimuli, any thought or experience; before the first breath. Culture is a foundation of beliefs and morals that are specific to one’s ethnicity. This is the distinct quality that everyone has based on their abstract views and varying backgrounds. The foundation of how people identify themselves and others is shaped by their experiences and interactions throughout life. Family and social norms are the two most prominent factors of how perception is influenced by culture.

In Peeled by Joan Bauer she uses identity in two different ways. The one way she uses it is how can our surroundings shape who we become. Another way she uses it is can first impressions be trusted. First let’s start with our surroundings shape who we are.

Everyone has their own unique cultural identity. Individuality is the genetic code for differences and individuality, and it allows people to perceive certain aspects of the world through a different lens. Everyone has different tastes in music, different behavioral attributes, and different facial features that set others apart. To a great extent, one’s culture informs the way they view others and the world.

Every type of person struggles with a thing we call, identity. Personal identity come from multiple factors from our race to our own personal beliefs. Some people say we have the choice to choose our own identity, but is that always true? No, in fact other people can affect how we look and essentially identity our self’s. In the article called. “Gawking, Gaping, staring” this article is written by Eli Clare from Tim Marrows telling. In this article it is about a transgender individual who throughout their whole lives have been ridiculed by this one characteristic. The person in the story tells you about many years before today these people such as drag queens or transgender were normally put on display and called freaks, they were starred at and ridiculed. The person who is telling the story on how now we might not have “Freak Shows” we do still stare, and judge without realizing the affects that it can have on the ones being targeted. We do not know how bad our words hurt but some time they can cause

Someone 's identity defines who they are. There are no two identities that are the same., Everyone is unique in different ways. Finding oneself may take time and might not be exactly what you are expecting. In the novel “Milkweed” by Jerry Spinelli, the protagonist Jack assumes many identities but ultimately does not know who he is. Jack is a young orphan living in Warsaw, Poland when World War II broke out. He is affected by the events around him. Jack’s experiences during the war lead to his personal growth and self-identity.

Identity is usually thought of as an individual characteristic. It pertains to ones self image, self-esteem, personal qualities, and behaviors. The “self” is an integration of where one comes from, where one lives, what one does, who or what one associates with, and one’s self-perception. However, it’s easy to underestimate the relationship that identity has with the perspective of others. Others opinions can have profound effects on people and their lives. This essay will explore the concept of identity relevant to the Japanese American Internment camps during World War II. It will juxtapose a book and two articles that reflect different perspectives of the event. The book, “Farewell to Manzanar” by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston,

People always suggest others to be themselves. To not care about what others have to say about you. People try to ignore society 's opinion about them, not realizing the importance it plays in identity. For a person to feel identified, they must have similarities or differences, and some type of involvement. Identity involves a combination of how you see yourself and how others see you. How others see you is influenced by material, social, and physical constraints. This causes a tension between how much control you have in constructing your own identity and how much control or constraint is exercised over you. How we see ourselves and how others see us differ in many ways, but is an important factor of our identity. “A Lesson Before Dying”,

It is not because those people did not have identities, but the fact that modern societies have been shifted to multicultural, and one’s recognition becomes more competitive than the previous time and should be acknowledged. It is Nelson Foote who has used the term first in the academic arena and the word has become popular in the second half of 20th century. During this period, the concept of identity has been deployed in numerous ways in the field of psychology, social sciences, anthropology, humanities and literature. Several academic debates have been used as platforms for refining this concept and contributed to this field. Erikson, Stanly Hall, and James Marcia are the main proponents and their contributions in negotiating identity formation theory are appreciated. Later, the cultural critic Stuart Hall has opined about the changing nature of identity. He says that there is no fixed identity that can be attributed to an individual for his life period; it evolves through several changes in each phase of life. So it can be understood that formation of identity involves several steps: construction, reconstruction and deconstruction. The politics behind this formation may depend on the nature of identity that an individual tries to hold. Indeed, the cultural critic Kobena Mercer reminds us: “One thing at least is clear - identity only becomes an issue when it is in crisis, when something

Every day we use our culture. Whether it be to argue claims, express opinions, or make decisions, culture plays a part in each area. Culture is who we are, one’s identity, its extent is enormous over our views and actions.

The concept of identity has been a notion of significant interest not just to sociologists and psychologists, but also to individuals found in a social context of perpetually trying to define themselves.

In the article ‘The Complexity of Identity - Who am I?’, the author Beverly Tatum argues that the definition of identity for a person is laid down by the societal norms and not by one’s own conscious understanding of her or his existence. And these societal norms are the ones that are acceptable to the dominant group of the society. Any aspect of one’s identity that sets her or him apart from others is targeted by the dominants.

Your identity are the qualities, beliefs, personality, looks and/or expressions that make you who you are. Your identity helps you find your destiny in life. Without the knowledge of your identity your life will be incomplete. One of the main ways a person can find their identity is by finding out who their ancestors were and what was their purpose in life. Toni Morrison’s Milkman in “Song of Solomon” is a good example of how people can find their identity through their ancestry. Milkman was born into a sheltered, privileged life. He lacked compassion, wallows in self-pity, and he alienated himself from the African-American community. Eventually the discovery of his family history gave his life purpose.

Charles Taylor addresses the connection between identity and recognition within “The Politics of Recognition”. The need for individuals to understand who they are as an individual is key, society constructs a structure for individuals to abide by in order to create a like-minded society, but within each individual is an individuality that clashes with that oppressive structure. Taylor argues that one cannot be expected to live their life in a manner in which another specific individual would like them to, and therefore the only proper way for an individual to live their life is in a manner consistent with their own individuality