S OCI AL 30 CH 1

FACTORS OF IDENTITY
WHAT IS IDENTITY?
Our sense of self

The way we see ourselves as individuals

The way we interact with others

Primary Identity = personal identity, Gender/Sex
identity, Cultural identity, Ethnic identity

Secondary identity = religion, spirituality, relationship
to the land, environment, media, language, culture

A QUICK NOTE ON BELIEFS AND
VALUES
Simply by living life, the events and experiences we
go through will modify our beliefs and values.

These modifications guide our behaviour and help
us answer questions such as:
What is important to me?
What are human beings like? How should they act?
Are my concerns restricted to my own self-interest, or do
they extend to others as well?
Should I be concerned with the wellbeing of people I do
not know?
What sort of world do I want to live in? What effect can I
have on my world, if any?
A QUICK NOTE ON BELIEFS AND
VALUES
The following slides are factors that influence the
formation of your beliefs and values.
FAMILY INFLUENCE
Human personality is made, not born. As such,
Families have a strong influence on the identity of a
child. In fact, the earliest influence on your personal
beliefs and values come from your family

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqYUns2YQik

How has family influence shaped your identity? Has
this influence led you to a particular ideology?
GENDER
Gender is often affected by personal, social, and
cultural experiences.

For instance, various cultures assign specific gender
roles to their members.
In Egypt, women are not allowed to drive.
In numerous Islamic countries, women are not allowed to
be seen by any male outside of her own family

In our culture a woman can have any job a man can have.
Or can they?
Does our culture assign roles based on gender? (Who is more
likely to stay at home with the baby? Who is more likely to be a nurse?
RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY
Many of the worlds religions share ideals that teach
peace and respect between individuals


Faith can give meaning to peoples lives and provides
them with a moral system that informs their actions as
individuals.


Religion also provides people with a set of shared
traditions, and a sense of community.

RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY
Which of your beliefs and values originate from religion? Do
these beliefs and values influence how you think society
should operate?


Religion also affects many ideologies.
Do you think religion, or the lack thereof, contributes to the
platforms of the various political parties in Canada?

ENVIRONMENT
Most scientists agree that human activities are
having a significant negative affect on the
environment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03xB9JbVgLE&list
=PL112704D05FB9921E


What impact has environmentalist ideology had on
you?
RELATIONSHIP TO THE LAND
The relationship you have with the land affects your
beliefs and values as well

If your livelihood is connected to the land (farmer,
oil field worker, logger), this may exert a stronger
influence on your identity than it does on a journalist
living in Edmonton.


LANGUAGE
If you belong to the majority linguistic group in a
society, you may not give much consideration to
the role language plays in the formation of your
identity.

Language is the direct expression of culture. This is
why many language groups fight to preserve their
language (like who?)
Preserving languages is important because without
language, the main vehicle for transmitting cultural values
and traditions no longer exist.
The preservation of a minority language is used as a form of
cultural resistance.
READ PAGES 44-46 AND WRITE SOME
NOTES!
What is important on these pages?