The social identity theory was created by Henri Tajfel that explained a person's sense of self is based on the group memberships that they were in. Whether we consciously think about it, there are aspects of us such as appearance, personality, history, etc, that shape who we are and we belong to those groups that become a part of our identity. This then further gets into the idea of in groups and out groups and how humans will categorize themselves into groups to identify with others and explain differences between others. Humans are social creatures by nature and identifying with groups brings a sense of belonging.
For an assignment, I thought about the identities that I carry and how I feel about certain ones versus others that I am a part of. A social identity wheel was given and this is how I filled mine out:
1) Think about a group or social category you belong to, and with which you identify. Describe what the group means to you, and list some examples that demonstrate your high level of identification.
For me, one of the biggest categories that I belong to and identify with is my ethnicity, which is being Italian. Both my parents come from Italy and they made sure that Italian culture was embedded into my life growing up. For instance, from when I was a baby, my parents would speak to me in Italian to the point where I would speak a mixture of both Italian and English. Food is a strong point in my house with my parents cooking fresh Italian food nightly and making sure that my sister and I know what authentic food looks like. No matter how many stories my parents have told, they always have something new to bring to the table with how life was like for them growing up and the differences they had in comparison to what the new generation over there has. To me, being Italian is really a big part of my identity because of the impact it has in my life today. Being Italian means belonging with others who share the same practices and having pride in the blood that flows through our veins. While I am a born American, it doesn’t change the fact that my view of the world has been shaped through values seen in the Italian culture (ie. high family connection, religious background, having traditions that we do for holidays, etc).
2) Think about a group or social category you belong to (or appear to belong to), but with which you don't identify. Describe what the group means (or doesn't mean) to you, and list some examples that demonstrate your lack of identification.
A group that I am a part of but I do not identify with is my current socio-economic status. For me, socio-economic status has always been portrayed in my life as something that one earns and is not automatically granted to an individual. My father is an example of a man who came to America with only a few dollars in his pocket and a will to fulfill the American dream. While I understand that certain areas in my life are only accessible due to my family’s modest income, I have also been taught that whatever I had access to came from merit. And in a way after reflection, I don’t feel like my socio-economic status is something that I built up on my own. I’m only in the position that I am in because of my father’s efforts, not my own. Ergo, I don’t identify with my status because it’s not one that I created and I know that in the future, if I want to succeed and build on that further, it will be up to my own actions and efforts.
3) Think about a group or social category you belong to, do not appear to belong to, with which you identify. Describe what the group means to you, and list some examples that demonstrate the difference between the sense of self and public perception.
A group that I don’t appear to belong to but is an incredible part of my identity are my psychiatric disabilities, which include depression, anxiety, panic disorder, and possibly ADHD. On the surface, one wouldn’t imagine that I suffer through these disorders, especially when they see me in certain settings. The one time my mask slipped at work and I had a panic attack, it felt surreal to have individuals essentially share the same sentiment of “You’re normally really happy and bubbly, we’ve never seen you like that before.” What the public doesn’t see is that these disorders never turn off and they trail with me through everything I do. The public sees an individual who comes to work on time and turns assignments in slightly prior but what they don’t see is the internal battle to motivate myself to do these things instead of laying and staring at a wall. The public may see me spend time with my friends and think that I am incredibly social given how animated I am in conversations but what they don’t know is that this is probably the first time I’ve been out in months because I keep getting distracted with my work and struggle with finishing it earlier so I can do fun things. Everything in my life has been made just a little bit harder with these disorders and while there are moments that I wish I could get a wand to magic them away, the way that they’ve impacted my life has contributed to my sense of identity. Of course, by no means am I defined by my disorders, but they are a part of me and they shape how I view the world.
4) What kinds of factors influence level of identification with a group? What kinds of factors make a category or group membership irrelevant?
There are a number of factors that can influence how someone identifies with a group and those factors can even change depending on what group an individual is in. Some reasons I may have to identify with a group may be different from others that I am a part of. For me personally, some factors that influence my identity with certain groups are based on my upbringing and the values that my parents instilled in me. They’re based on the need to belong to a group of individuals who believe in similar values as the ones I was raised with and they explain why I view the world the way I do. Personality is also another factor that can influence how much one identifies with a group as well. When I think of factors that make a membership in a group irrelevant, I do believe that there is a level of choice in that as well. Even if we may be part of a group, it is up to the person themselves to make that decision if they want that group to be a part of my identity. A personal example is that I'm very open and proud of my Italian background and put that as an identification factor towards myself. However, despite also being Italian, my sister chooses not to fully identify with that and would rather boast about being an American. Overall, I believe that it is the fluctuation of our personalities and values mixed with the teachings of the world that influence how much we identify with a group over another.
And this is just scratching the surface on the identities that I have. There's the groups that I am in from personality, interests, work place, school, etc. that all shape who I am as an indiviudal and how my life has molded from being a part of these identities. And while there are some that I don't fully identify with, there are other identity groups that I am a part of that I am proud to be in and that all of them mixed together created the outlook I have on the world. Everyone is different but these identities help us connect in this vast world and fit into groups that share similar viewpoints.
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