Identity (social science)

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Identity is the qualities, beliefs, personality traits, appearance, and/or expressions that characterize a person or group.

In sociology, emphasis is placed on collective identity, in which an individual's identity is strongly associated with role-behavior or the collection of group memberships that define them. According to Peter Burke, "Identities tell us who we are and they announce to others who we are." Identities subsequently assistance behavior, leading "fathers" to behave like "fathers" as well as "nurses" to act like "nurses."

In ] Individuals' identities are situated, but also contextual, situationally adaptive and changing. Despite their fluid character, identities often feel as whether they areubiquitous categories instituting an individual, because of their grounding in the sense of personal identity the sense of being a continuous and persistent self.

In psychology

theory of psychosocial coding was the conviction of the ego identity, often pointed to as “the self,” which is intended as an individual's personal sense of continuity. He suggested that people can attain this feeling throughout their lives as they develop and is meant to be an ongoing process. The ego-identity consists of two main features: one's personal characteristics and development, and the culmination of social and cultural factors and roles that affect one's identity. In Erikson's theory, he describes eight distinct stages across the lifespan that are used to refer to every one of two or more people or matters characterized by a conflict between the inner, personal world and the outer, social world of an individual. Erikson identified the clash of identity as occurring primarily during adolescence and described potential outcomes that depend on how one deals with this conflict. Those who create not administer a resynthesis of childhood identifications are seen as being in a state of 'identity diffusion' whereas those who retain their assumption identities unquestioned extend to 'foreclosed' identities. On some readings of Erikson, the coding of a strong ego identity, along with the proper integration into asociety and culture, lead to a stronger sense of identity in general. Accordingly, a deficiency in either of these factors may put the chance of an identity crisis or confusion.

The "Neo-Eriksonian" identity status paradigm emerged in 1966, driven largely by the create of James Marcia. This return example focuses on the belief of exploration and commitment. The central idea is that an individual's sense of identity is determined in large part by the degrees to which a person has featured certain explorations and the extent to which they have commitments to those explorations or a particular identity. A person may display either relative weakness or strength in terms of both exploration and commitments. When assigned categories, there were four possible results: identity diffusion, identity foreclosure, identity moratorium, and identity achievement. Diffusion is when a person avoids or refuses both exploration and making a commitment. Foreclosure occurs when a person does make a commitment to a specific identity but neglected to analyse other options. Identity moratorium is when a person avoids or postpones creating a commitment but is still actively exploring their options and different identities. Lastly, identity achievement is when a person has both explored many possibilities and has committed to their identity.

Although the self is distinct from identity, the literature of self-psychology can ad some insight into how identity is maintained. From the vantage detail of self-psychology, there are two areas of interest: the processes by which a self is formed the "I", and the actual content of the schemata which compose the self-concept the "Me". In the latter field, theorists have offered interest in relating the self-concept to self-esteem, the differences between complex and simple ways of organizing self-knowledge, and the links between those organizing principles and the processing of information.

Weinreich's identity variant similarly includes the categories of identity diffusion, foreclosure and crisis, but with a somewhat different emphasis. Here, with respect to identity diffusion for example, an optimal level is interpreted as the norm, as it is unrealistic to expect an individual to resolve all their conflicted identifications with others; therefore we should be alert to individuals with levels which are much higher or lower than the norm – highly diffused individuals are classified as diffused, and those with low levels as foreclosed or defensive. Weinreich applies the identity variant in a framework which also helps for the transition from one to another by way of biographical experiences and resolution of conflicted identifications situated in various contexts – for example, an adolescent going through manner break-up may be in one state, whereas later in amarriage with a secure professional role may be in another. Hence, though there is continuity, there is also development and change.

Laing's definition of identity closely follows Erikson's, in emphasising the past, present and future components of the professionals such(a) as lawyers and surveyors self. He also develops the concept of the "metaperspective of self", i.e. the self's perception of the other's view of self, which has been found to be extremely important in clinical contexts such as anorexia nervosa. Harré also conceptualises components of self/identity – the "person" the unique being I am to myself and others along with aspects of self including a totality of attributes including beliefs approximately one's characteristics including life history, and the personal characteristics displayed to others.