The definition of the term “identity” may differ for every person. Although, every person undergoes a similar process. The definition of identity (Merriam Webster) is the distinguishing character or personality of an individual. Identity continues to reconstruct and from as an individual matures. There are many factors which can influence the development of identity in an individual. Identity can be described as “how an individual understands themselves, interprets situations, and how they present themselves.” (1) An increasing factor in the formation of identity is location. Where one has been raised, taught, and learned has a great deal of influence on the person they may become. Their skin color, family relationships, or even friends …show more content…
He inferred that teenagers often have an identity crisis. Aside from Erikson’s perspective, many believe that a stable identity is connected with positive youth development and self esteem. Along with the significance of identity, adding racial aspects adds a whole new layer to the progression of identity. Racial identity is important to consider in developing children. Middle school becomes a crucial time for gifted individuals as they progress. Unexplored identity cause risks among young students. The effects of racial identity development are influenced by many things when in a school environment. Students that are in a more diverse schooling system or more aware of the importance in racial identity. (4) Development differs among race. Racial identification is defined as “pride in one’s racial and cultural identity.” This is a key factor in an individuals development. When one is biracial their development may be hampered because of the outside factors in their environment. Gifted students who are biracial may feel excluded from groups in stereotypical impoverished neighborhoods. They feel as if they do not fit with either racial group since they are mixed. This is just one example of how identity may be delayed. They do not want to be labeled as “white” or “black.” …show more content…
They often run into more issues and conflicts than white students. The identity development of white individuals is viewed as an uncomplicated process. The stereotypes of white individuals identity development differ greatly from those of people of color. One of the largest documented influences on the white population is religion. (5) A person with a more developed racial identity may be more inclined to freely display their beliefs. This is because they feel secure within themselves and are willing to undergo judgement for the spirituality they follow. Racial identity can also be altered by the way in which a person believes. In comparison, people of the white community have significantly less barriers than those of the black race while developing how they see themselves and finding who they are. Although, there are many things that are not the same, they both endure the same process. They also both have difficulties to overcome, though they differ in amount and experiences. Identity development is different for every
This scholarly article discusses a study done on biracial identity development in children. The article discusses “the similarities and differences between Black and White racial identity development in the United States and address special challenges for the biracial child.” I hope to use it as a source when discussing the struggle to form an specific identity
One of Beverly Tatum's major topics of discussion is racial identity. Racial identity is the meaning each of us has constructed or is constructing about what it means to be a white person or a person of color in a race-conscious society. (Tatum, pp Xvii) She talks about how many parents hesitate to talk to their children about racism because of embarrassment and the awkwardness of the subject. I agree with her when she says that parents don't want to talk about racism when they don't see a problem. They don't want to create fear or racism where none may exist. It is touchy subject because if not gone about right, you can perhaps steer someone the wrong way. Another theory she has on racial identity is that other people are the mirror in which we see ourselves. (tatum pp18) 'The parts of our identity that do capture our attention are those that other people notice, and that reflects back to us.'; (Tatum pp21) What she means by this is that what other people tell us we are like is what we believe. If you are told you are stupid enough you might start to question your intelligence. When people are searching for their identity normally the questions 'who am I now?'; 'Who was I before?'; and 'who will I become'; are the first that come to mind. When a person starts to answer these questions their answers will influence their beliefs, type of work, where they may live, partners, as well as morals. She also mentions an experiment where she asked her students to describe themselves in sixty seconds. Most used descriptive words like friendly, shy, intelligent, but students of color usually state there racial or ethnic group, while white students rarely, if ever mention that they are white. Women usually mention that they are female while males usually don't think to say that they are males. The same situation appeared to take place when the topic of religious beliefs came up. The Jewish students mentioned being Je...
True identity is something people must create for themselves by making choices that are significant and that require a courageous commitment in the face of challenges. Identity means having ideas and values that one lives by” (Merton). Concurring with Merton, a person is not given their identity at birth or while developing as an embryo, rather it is something that you create for yourselves over the course of life through decisions and actions made by the individual. Identity is something that one may not be fully aware of or discover until the last breath. Identity can be influenced through associations with others, and environmental factors.
It has been said that the physical variations in the human species have no meaning except the social one that humans put on them. Society has placed stigmas on race dating all the way back to the 1600s. Still in the 21st century the American society is still trying to work through racial boundaries. With such stigmas being placed on them, biracial individuals often self-identify or be identified by others differently, depending on the social context. A biracial individual’s racial identity development is contingent upon many factors, both internal and external. With the dramatic increase in the number of individuals with a bi or multiracial background it is important for us to recognize the complexity of the racial identity development of this culture. It is critical to understand the hardships as well as the advantages of being biracial, to help them avoid any negative behaviors which could yield lifelong consequences. The healthy development of one’s racial identity is imperative for a biracial child to be able to achieve and maintain a positive psychological and social adjustment throughout the lifespan.
Board of Education outlawed educational segregation, the Illinois School District had created a completely different gifted program for Hispanic students, separate from the White students’ gifted program. Ford found that in 2009 and 2001, the RDCI (The Relative Difference in Composition Index) researched and concluded “at least one half million African American and Hispanic students combined are not identified as gifted” (Ford 145). While African American Students are rising to be the majority race in public education, the percentage of African Americans even being recognized as gifted or academically accelerated, is not proportionally increasing (Ford). Society hold precedents with people who have superior intelligence over those who do not, but how can superiority even be concluded when all people are not given the opportunity to have an enriching education? African Americans are not able to increase their percentage of gifted students because African American students are not given the chance to be even recognized as worthy or capable of such achievements. As society advances further academically and leaves African Americans with an unquail education, the percentage of African Americans attending college and entering professional careers
In this paper I will present the numerous theories built around the process of establishing one’s identity and provide examples of how this identity shapes a students involvement and actions while in school. I will also reflect on the importance for systems that foster identity formation that is equal for both inner-city and suburban children. It is crucial to the success of America’s schools to understand that a mixture of cultures creates a mixture of identi...
In conclusion, for this week assignment, I have discussed the interactions of gender, ethnicity, and identity development. I will also discuss the role of stereotyping and how it influences male and female gender identity. In addition, I will discuss the impact that ethnicity and gender have on children when it comes to choosing between the ethnic identity of their family of origin and their culture.
Black and Female: The Challenge of weaving an identity.? Journal of Adolescents July 1995 19. 466.
Experiences of racial discrimination start from the time of adolescence and continue to the time of adulthood. Due to the fact that racial discrimination is long term, it can mentally tramatize and physically harm African Americans (Harrell, 2000). There are various aspects to racism, thus it is defined in many ways. In this current study, racism is defined as one racial group dominating another racial group and viewing the dominated group as lesser and inferior. As a result of this inferiority, the lower group does not have access to the same society resources as the high group (Harrell, 2000). Some evidence documents that adolescents' reports of personal racial discrimination are associated with externalizing behaviors and internalizing behaviors, including anger, aggressive behavior, delinquency, depression and anxiety (Lambert et al., 2009). Racial identity has been considered to understand associations between racial discrimination and outcomes. This current study looks at the importance of specifically racial identity as opposed to social
Before beginning the explanation of how an identity is formed, one must understand what an identity is. So, what is identity? To answer this, one might think of what gives him individuality; what makes him unique; what makes up his personality. Identity is who one is. Identity is a factor that tells what one wants out of life and how he is set to get it. It tells what kind of a person one is by the attitude and persona he has. And it depends upon the mixture of all parts of one’s life including personal choices and cultural and societal influences, but personal choices affect the identity of one more than the others.
Though there are different models, I like that each model acknowledges the same basic concepts in that dissonance is the central characteristic of change. I understand that if there is no dissonance, change is unlikely (Spanierman and Soble, 2010). Along with the critics of white racial consciousness, it is difficult for me to believe that race is irrelevant for some Caucasians (Spanierman and Soble, 2010). I feel that race is relevant to every individual walking this earth because, depending on your race, you either get special privileges or you get treated like a substandard citizen. While that is prejudiced and should not be accepted so largely, it is reality. My question for this chapter is why have researchers not taken all the models of white racial identity development and formed a new model based off the best aspects of the
The model led to the development of an assessment instrument to measure the white racial identity. According to Helms, developing a healthy white identity requires transition through two phases, abandonment of racism, and definition of a non-racist white identity. The two phases are characterized by six distinct racial identity statuses that are equally distributed. They include autonomy, contact, disintegration, immersion/emersion, pseudo independence, and reintegration. I find this model detailed, informative and helpful in understanding the white racial identity (Derald Wing Sue,
Since early years of human existence people were trying to find out who they are. There is a question which every person asked himself at least once during his life. If someone asks you: “Who are you?” What would you say? You will start to describe yourself by classifying to one group or another. But does it really make you who you are? Or does it make any difference how you define yourself? The way you describe yourself will have an effect on your actions. According to dictionary, identity is the fact of being who the person is. It is linked to specific aspects of self-definition (Deaux, 1992). If you know that you are a horrible person, your actions will be the once that match with this characteristic. And if you are a kind person, most probably you will be doing good things. So, our identity has a great influence on our lives. In order to change anything we should firstly understand who we are. Then the question rises. How can we define our identity?
Identity. What is identity? One will say that it is the distinct personality of an individual. Others will say that identity is the behavior of a person in response to their surrounding environment. At certain points of time, some people search for their identity in order to understand their existence in life. In regards, identity is shaped into an individual through the social trials of life that involve family and peers, the religious beliefs by the practice of certain faiths, and cultural awareness through family history and traditions. These are what shape the identity of an individual.
Author unkown (2003, March 9). In gifted classrooms is diversity lacking?. Salisbury Daily Times. Retrieved March 10, 2003, from http://www.dailytimesonline.com/new/stories/20030309/localnews/1142640.html