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Identity As A Social Construct Essay

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Identity is social construct that many have mistaken for something an individual is born with. There are many aspects of identity that one can inherit like genes that can drive a certain type of character and certain aspects of identity a person can adopt and build for themselves. However the most part of one’s identity is consistent of what the person wants and adopts for themselves and what the society/the people around him/her choose to give him/her. Identity is a said to not remain unchanged once established. It is a fluid concept and is constantly changing. Identity is a social construct which means that it is not something that as individuals are born with, however we create for ourselves as we grown in order for us and the people around us to understand us better. Identity can be situational – it can …show more content…

There is a certain age where an individual feels pressured into choosing a group in the society to identify with in terms of religious beliefs, ethnicity etc. Individuals often feel the pressure because they want to be categorized as part of one group when to the other such as peers, family and/or social groups (Hall, 1980). As an individual makes a choice to affiliate with a certain group over the other, they choose to take up all the connotations which may/not be good sometimes as part of their identity. I identify as a Christian because that is what I have been socialised to by my family and community. This label I have decided to take up as my identity has many connotations to it, it has many expectations and principles which some I do not necessarily agree with – for instance, prayer, many Christian believe in praying twice a day which I do not but because this is what happens in my family and community I have adopted this as part of my identity. I am a Christian and I pray twice a

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