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Understanding social norms
Understanding social norms
Social norms and expectations united states
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What is Your Identity and How to Choose It? Everyone in the world has their own identity, what is your identity and how you choose it? In the article “What Makes Up Your Identity?” which posted on a website, How to Adult by Tyra Marieze, she claims that generic, natural trait, environment, and nurturing influence are the factors of how people think who they are by themselves. Some people have a hard time adopting their identity because they don’t like the way people call them. Justin Maffeett, the author of “At 22, I Forgave Myself for 13 Years of Self-Hate” in Huffington Post, December 14, 2015. He informs that he hated himself because he is black and gay, and he hid his identity until he went to college, at last he adopted who he was and …show more content…
People often have the similar opinions on same one thing if they from one community. For example, most the American believe god and call themselves “Christian”, however, most the Chinese believe the Buddha and call themselves “Buddhist”. In the article “What Makes Up Your Identity?” Tyra Marieza states, “The way that the adults in your family, in your neighborhood, church and school behave are the reason why you are the way you are, according to the nurture theory.” The author is trying to explain that the environment can shape of who you are. For instance, children in my village in China don’t study hard because everyone have no dream and don’t worry about their future; they consider that they will be farmers like their parents. In contrast, children in the city in China study hard for their different dreams, like being doctors, pilots, etc; they have no doubt that they will have the same job as their parents or …show more content…
They may hide their identities because they are different from others in their communities; in contrast, they will accept who they are if their families and friends support them. Since environment changes people slowly, people should live in the community which they feel comfortable, then they can learn their identities easily. Works Cited Marieza, Tyra. “What Makes Up Your Identity?” How To Adult Maffett, Justin. “At 22, I Forgave Myself for 13 Years of Self-Hate.” Huffington Post, 14 December, 2015 Tsui, Bonnie. “Choose Your Own Identity.” New York Times, 14 December,
What influences a person’s identity? Does one get an identity when they are able to differentiate right from wrong, or are they born with it? There is not one thing that gives a person their identity, there are however, many different factors that contribute to one’s identity. From Contemplation in a World of Action written by Thomas Merton, Merton advocates identity by stating that “A person does not simply “receive” his or her identity. Identity is much more than the name or features one is born with. 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. Although identity is something that one may not be fully aware of or discover until last breaths. Identity can
One’s identity is influenced by many things. It’s something that one has a choice of what he wants to become. One has a personal choice as to what identity he possesses; for instance, he can choose what he likes, who he wishes to be friends with, and what he wears. After all, “Fashion is an expression of personal identity” (Latterell 11). Queen Latifah states, “All things start inside your soul and work outward” meaning that it is one’s choice as to what he lets work its way out (Latifah 34). People have even made personal choices that affect their identity by changing their name. Just as Firoozeh Dumas describes in The “F Word”, “Thus I started sixth grade with my new, easy name and life became infinitely simpler” (Dumas 86). People made fun of Dumas’ name, Firoozeh, and thus made her want to change her name to fit in; she changed her identity. An identity is mainly comprised of personal choice.
Andrew Sullivan, author of, What is a Homosexual, portrays his experience growing up; trapped in his own identity. He paints a detailed portrait of the hardships caused by being homosexual. He explains the struggle of self-concealment, and how doing so is vital for social acceptation. The ability to hide one’s true feelings make it easier to be “invisible” as Sullivan puts it. “The experience of growing up profoundly different in emotional and psychological makeup inevitably alters a person’s self-perception.”(Sullivan)This statement marks one of the many reasons for this concealment. The main idea of this passage is to reflect on those hardships, and too understand true self-conscious difference. Being different can cause identity problems, especially in adolescents.
A child is born in to a fast paced world. The child is influenced in every way, in every place, by every person they come in contact with. From the ages 1-5 the child is like a sponge, taking in all their brain can hold. Forming what will become, who they are as an adult. A main factor in this process is nature and nurture. Nature referring to the genes he/she inherited from the parents, shapes what the child will look like, if they will have diseases, if the child will be a boy or a girl, and much more. Nurture referring to the social, economic, surroundings, and culture. This shapes the child in personality, beliefs, and actions. Nature and Nurture are very important to the development of a child. If the child was to lack one or even part of one, he/she would be deprived of developing normally.
In his 1971 paper “Personal Identity”, Derek Parfit posits that it is possible and indeed desirable to free important questions from presuppositions about personal identity without losing all that matters. In working out how to do so, Parfit comes to the conclusion that “the question about identity has no importance” (Parfit, 1971, p. 4.2:3). In this essay, I will attempt to show that Parfit’s thesis is a valid one, with positive implications for human behaviour. The first section of the essay will examine the thesis in further detail and the second will assess how Parfit’s claims fare in the face of criticism.
In my own life, I have held many identities, and took many years struggling to actually own these identities to gain insight into myself and the world around me. Some of the more trying identities had to do with being female, and what that role was supposed to entail. The most enduring role was that of a drug addict. This was prevalent since I was 13 years old, and to this day (at 31 years old), I still hold this identity, but with the addition of adjectives, like recovered, cle...
Choosing ones identity is complex and multilayered. Choosing a single aspect of one’s life to identify by can be confusing and difficult, but at times a necessity. There are so many ways I could identify myself, whether by my race, gender, or cultural background. For the purpose of government forms, I identify as a Caucasian female, but this doesn’t even begin to identify who I truly am. Identifying yourself solely on the basis of race and gender is somewhat irrational because neither of these aspects truly define who you are. We all have a story of where we came from, our parents came from and their parents. The various aspects that have shaped us into the person we are today, and have given us the different views and dreams that shape our lives.
What is identity? Identity is an unbound formation which is created by racial construction and gender construction within an individual’s society even though it is often seen as a controlled piece of oneself. In Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum’s piece, “The Complexity of Identity: ‘Who Am I?’, Tatum asserts that identity is formed by “individual characteristics, family dynamics, historical factors, and social and political contexts” (Tatum 105). Tatum’s piece, “The Complexity of Identity: ‘Who Am I?’” creates a better understanding of how major obstacles such as racism and sexism shape our self identity.
“It’s a blessed thing that in every stage in every age some one has had the individuality and courage enough to stand by his own convictions.” The part of me that sums up my identity best is not the adjectives given by family, or the faults I find in myself. My identity is my desire to better myself, and my passion for children. My identity is who I want to be and what I do to accomplish my goals My identity is the feelings and emotions I pour into my journal every day, and the way I feel when I do something right. My identity is not what others thing of me or what I think of myself after a bad day. My identity is the love and confidence I have in myslef, and the beauty inside.
Noted psychologist Jerome Kagan once said "Genes and family may determine the foundation of the house, but time and place determine its form" (Moore 165). The debate on nature versus nurture has been a mystery for years, constantly begging the question of whether human behavior, ideas, and feelings are innate or learned over time. Nature, or genetic influences, are formed before birth and finely-tuned through early experiences. Genes are viewed as long and complicated chains that are present throughout life and develop over time. Nature supporters believe that genes form a child's conscience and determine one's approach to life, contrasting with nature is the idea that children are born “blank slates,” only to be formed by experience, or nurture. Nurture is constituted of the influence of millions of complex environmental factors that form a child's character. Advocators of nature do not believe that character is predetermined by genes, but formed over time. Although often separated, nature and nurture work together in human development. The human conscience is neither innate from birth or entirely shaped through experience, instead, genetics and environmental influences combine to form human behaviorism, character, and personality traits that constantly change and develop throughout life.
...can go through an entire lifetime and not really know how to define their own identity. In many cases people suffer through a great crisis to discover who they really are. If someone doesn?t know the meaning of their own identity, how can society apply a definition to the word? It leaves people to ponder whether or not there are some feelings and parts of life that simply cannot be explained. When defining the word identity scholars and common men alike must agree to disagree. It is a word so diverse in context that it is seemingly impossible to take it down to a simplified definition. There are some things in life that just aren?t meant to be completely understood, and one?s identity is among these things. Not until a person has a lived out their live could they sit down and tell you how their adventure has shaped them into the person they became in the end.
A person’s identity is shaped by many different aspects. Family, culture, friends, personal interests and surrounding environments are all factors that tend to help shape a person’s identity. Some factors may have more of an influence than others and some may not have any influence at all. As a person grows up in a family, they are influenced by many aspects of their life. Family and culture may influence a person’s sense of responsibilities, ethics and morals, tastes in music, humor and sports, and many other aspects of life. Friends and surrounding environments may influence a person’s taste in clothing, music, speech, and social activities. Personal interests are what truly set individuals apart. An individual is not a puppet on the string of their puppet-master, nor a chess piece on their master’s game board, individuals choose their own paths in life. They accomplish, or strive to accomplish, goals that they have set for themselves throughout their lifetime. Individuals are different from any other individual in the world because they live their own life rather than following a crowd of puppets. A person’s identity is defined by what shaped it in the first place, why they chose to be who they are, and what makes them different from everybody else in the world. I feel that I have developed most of my identity from my own dreams, fantasies, friends, and idols.
This means, the environment that he or she was brought upon is the leading influence on his or her behavioral pattern. For example, if one was brought up in a strict household he or she will likely have a shy and reclusive personality. Another result of an individual being raised in a totalitarian like home is him or her not being able to function properly as an adult. For instance, Jerry Thomas grew up in a very strict household. All decisions about his life were made by his parents. When Thomas went to college he was not able to make a decision based on his personal desire. Moving out of that totalitarian like environment caused him to rely on the decisions of others rather than doing what is in his best interest. Clearly, this shows nurture has an impact on the way one
It is interesting to wonder about what aspects creates someone’s identity. Identity is something that distinguishes someone’s character and what makes a person unique and different. The topic of identity is a very controversial topic and has many viewpoints and opinions. As more and more people have shared their opinions and joined the conversation about identity, people can start figuring out what their own opinion of identity is. It is important to realize that there is a mass aspects of identity that can change a viewpoint when looking at each different one. Some questions that will hopefully be answered -- “Are people born with an identity?”, “What makes us who we really are?”, “Is our sense of identity true?” -- to rectify for you what identity truly is.
Everyone has an identity even though it takes a while to find out what it is. I never thought about what my identity was. I didn’t find my identity until I became a mother, my whole outlook on life changed. Growing up I didn’t have a relationship with my mother, so I didn’t have anyone to show me how to be a mother. I made a packed with myself to be a better mother then my own mother.