What is identity and what are four factors that influence identity formation?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Identity refers to the social categories you identify with as well as the categories that others identify with you. One factor that influences identity is the individual and societal identity levels. At the individual level we compare ourselves with others to determine what differences make us unique or special. At the social level we identify differences between groups we belong to and other groups to determine what makes our groups unique.

Another factor that influences identity is that our identity is both fixed and dynamic. There are some aspects of our identity that are likely to be consistent throughout our lifetimes (i.e., sex and ethnicity). Other aspects of our identity change over time (i.e., we age from a child to teenager to young adult to mature adult).

A third factor influencing identity is that identity is created through interaction. As we share experiences with others and are exposed to new ideas, we shift our identities based on these interactions. For example, I might see myself differently after attending a "consciousness-raising" group.

A fourth factor influencing our identities is how we see ourselves in context. The historical, cultural, and social context provided norms and values for different individual characteristics. A women in 1880 who could not vote or own property would see her identity differently compared to a women in 2010 who has the right to vote and own property.