Identity
IDENTITY (the formation of identity and the nature of identity) Identity is defined by the Collins Dictionary (1997, p418) as: 1. ... Identity as we see it is a continual process of renewal and adjustment within ourselves as human beings. Our identity is a constant and fluid process. ... As we grow older, we begin to be moulded into our identity, as guided by our surroundings at that particular point in time. ... Identity, therefore, is identity with a specific world of meaning that is socially constructed. Indeed, it is the location in a common world that is the key to the definition of identity. ... The amount of changes an individual will have in his/her lifetime marks their identity and makes them who they are today. ¡§Identity relates to how we think about ourselves as people, how we think others think of us. Identity means being able to ¡¥fix¡¦ or ¡¥figure out¡¦ who we are as people¡¨ (Kidd 2002, p7). Other factors that will have a great impact on one¡¦s identity are the beliefs one will have and the emotions that they feel. ... You may change your beliefs on issues such as IVF or human cloning, but, all of these beliefs and emotions are what makes an individual and what forms identity. ... 1) describes identity as being ¡§¡Kabout belonging, about what you have in common with some people and what differentiates you from others. ... ¡¨ Identity is not just our names, the colour of our skin or where we live. This may be how people identify with us, but your identity is a totally different matter. ... The formation of identity and the nature of identity can strongly be linked to our societal surroundings and our cultural surroundings. These surroundings have a very strong influence on our identity formation. ... 9), identity can be formed from a psychological framework ¡¥the individual claims it for her ¡V himself based on a feeling or perception of commonality with others, whose essential characteristics are able to be identified, named and compared and ultimately accorded value¡¦. Identity can also be structured from a cultural perspective ¡¥identity derives from an emphasis on the communal, cultural and sociological ways in which individuals come to be positioned at particular locations¡¦ (Austin 2002, p9).