Identity Formation

Identity refers to the construction of individual and society's characteristics by which we are symbolized and recognised as to who we are. In this assignment I intend to explore the meaning of identity. In considering the link between personal and social, I will examine the process of identity formation, and discuss the extent in which we are able to control and shape our own identities.

The definition of identity has been contested by many social scientists, as it has many influences, which has to be considered, such as, gender, social class, nationality, physical appearances, religious and ethnicity. Initially, we acquire some aspects of identity through official documents, such as birth certificate, where in order to exit, a birth must
Mead argued that identities are formed through the link between individuals and the social world that they live in. He emphasised on our ability to imagine and be self-conscious of how we are seen by others through symbolizing and representing ourselves with the way we dress, the words we use and the way we behave, which suggest the need for an active engagement with one another in order to take up an identity. (Mead, 1934. Woodward, 2004, p.10). By doing so, Judith Williamson suggests that although the symbols that represent us within a particular culture are limited, the ability to visualize and present ourselves enables us to choose our image that we want others to perceive of us, when she says, "When I rummage through my wardrobe... I am not merely faced with the choice of what to wear. I am faced with the choice of images...you will be seen differently... depending what you put on; you will appear as a particular kind of woman with one particular identity which excludes others" (Williamson, 1986, p.91, Woodward, 2004,
For example, 'SO YOU THINK I'M A MULE?' is a poem written by Jackie Kay who was born in Glasgow to a white Scottish mother and a black Nigerian father. The poem describes an encounter with a white woman who questions Kay's origin. Despite Kay's Glaswegian accent and claims to be from Glasgow, the woman outcast her on the basis of skin colour, as she believes that black people cannot be authentic British. This attitude suggests a notion of white superiority over black, which indicates of the uncertainties and diversities that people face in a multicultural and multi-ethnic society. Nevertheless, Kay's response comes over with certainty as to who she is, who she wants to be and whom she identifies with and belongs to. (Woodward, 2004, p.