Is Identity Learned Or Innate

This essay will attempt to provide an argument on the topic of whether identity is learned or innate. This shall be discussed by referring to the topic of Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transsexual identity in Africa and North America. Furthermore, in this argument, the essay shall include identity with regards to sex, race, gender, religion and age. The argument of this essay –being that of identity as learnt– will take the following structure. Firstly, it will define as well as discuss the concept of identity with reference to the different types of identity. Secondly, it will consider Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transsexual identity in order to explain –with empirical evidence– that this type of identity is ultimately learnt as opposed to being innate.

Individuals often find themselves wondering about the future. This leaves them with feelings of uncertainty. Thus, by associating themselves within a religious group, it allows them to be apart of a social group, which is often able to provide them with answers relating to there concerns beyond themselves. Through religion, individuals often acquire a new identity, they find themselves conforming to expectations of how to behave in an acceptable manner pertaining to the religion that they follow. For example, individuals become apart of a social group because of the common interests they have amongst themselves –that of following the same religion. From this, different identities emerge in religious groups, this occurs in situations where religions practice different ideas, this can be seen where some religions encourage love and compassion for other individuals where as other religions are concerned with hate and judgment towards

It could be argued that sex as a form of identity would be that of the only form of identity which is innate, as opposed to being learnt. This is due to the fact that each individual is born a specific sex –either male or female–, which will ultimately stay with him or her throughout their life-time, unchanged or affected by other social groups. However, it should be noted, in some circumstances, individuals choose to change their sex. This can be in the form of males believing that they should be female and vis-versa. In these cases, identity is then a learnt process as individuals choose to change their identity from a certain sex to another, thus, it cannot be considered innate as they were not born that specific