Vandana Thakur

Asst Professor
RIE Bhopal

IDENTITY FORMATION
Definition of identity

 the distinctive characteristic belonging to any

given individual, or shared by all members of
a particular social category or group.
 Identity may be distinguished from
identification; identity is a label, whereas
identification refers to the classifying act
itself. Identity is thus best construed as being
both relational and contextual, while the act
of identification is best viewed as inherently
processual.
 Identity formation strategies[edit]
 Another issue of interest in social psychology
is related to the notion that there are
certain identity formation strategies which a
person may use to adapt to the social world.
(Cote & Levin 2002, pp. 3–5) developed
a typology which investigated the different
manners of behavior that individuals may
have. (3) Their typology includes:
 Psychological symptoms Personality symptoms Social symptoms

Refuser Develops cognitive blocks that Engages in childlike Shows extensive

prevent adoption of adult role- behavior dependency upon
schemas others and no
meaningful
engagement with the
community of adults

Drifter Possesses greater psychological Is apathetic toward Has no meaningful

resources than the Refuser (i.e., application of engagement with or
intelligence, charisma) psychological resources commitment to adult
communities
Searcher Has a sense of dissatisfaction due to Shows disdain for Interacts to some
high personal and social imperfections within the degree with role-
expectations community models, but ultimately
these relationships are
abandoned

Guardian Possesses clear personal values and Sense of personal Has an extremely rigid
attitudes, but also a deep fear of identity is almost sense of social identity
change exhausted by sense of and strong
social identity identification with adult
communities

Consciously desires self-growth Accepts personal skills Is responsive to

and competencies and communities that
Resolver uses them actively provide opportunity for
self-growth
Identity formation

 also known as individuation, is the

development of the distinct personality of an
individual regarded as a persisting entity
(known as personal continuity) in a particular
stage of life in which individual characteristics
are possessed and by which a person is
recognized or known.
 This process defines individuals to others and
themselves
 Pieces of the person's actual identity include
a sense of continuity, a sense
of uniqueness from others, and a sense
ofaffiliation.
 his may be through individuation whereby
the undifferentiated individual tends to
become unique, or undergoes stages through
which differentiated facets of a person's life
tend toward becoming a more indivisible
whole.
Theories on identity
formation
 Erikson
 throughout each person's lifetime, they experience
different crises or conflicts. Each of the conflicts
arises at a certain point in life and must be
successfully resolved for progression to the next of
the eight stages
 "Identity versus Role Confusion" stage consists of
adolescents trying to figure out who they are in
order to form a basic identity that they will build on
throughout their life, especially concerning social
and occupational identities
 Marcia

The four identity statuses in James Marcia's theory

are:[5]
1. Identity Diffusion (also known as Role
Confusion): This is the opposite of identity
achievement. The individual has not yet resolved
their identity crisis, failing to commit to any goals
or values and establish future life direction. In
adolescents, this stage is characterized by
disorganized thinking, procrastination, and
avoidance of issues and action.[4]
2. Identity Foreclosure: This occurs when teenagers accept
traditional values and cultural norms, rather than determining
their own values. In other words, the person conforms to an
identity without exploration as to what really suits him or her
best. For instance, teenagers might follow the values and
roles of their parents or cultural norms. They might also
foreclose on a negative identity, the direct opposite of their
parent's values or cultural norms.[4]
2. Identity Moratorium: This postpones identity achievement
by providing temporary shelter. This status provides
opportunities for exploration, either in breadth or in depth.
Examples of moratoria common in American society include
college or the military.[4]
2. Identity Achievement: This status is attained
when the person has solved the identity issues
by making commitments to goals, beliefs and
values after extensive exploration of different
areas.
Self-concept

 Self-concept or self-identity is the sum of a

being's knowledge and understanding of
their self. The self-concept is different
from self-consciousness, which is an
awareness of one's self.
 Components of the self-concept include
physical, psychological, and social attributes,
which can be influenced by the individual's
attitudes, habits, beliefs and ideas.
 These components and attributes can not be
condensed to the general concepts of self-
image and self-esteem[citation needed] as different
types of identity coming together in one
person.
 Cultural identity
 Cultural identity is the (feeling of) identity of a
group or culture, or of an individual as far as they
are influenced by their belonging to a group or
culture. Cultural identity is similar to and has
overlaps with, but is not synonymous
with, identity politics.
 There are modern questions of culture that are
transferred into questions of identity. Historical
culture also influences individual identity, and as
with modern cultural identity, individuals may pick
and choose aspects of cultural identity, while
rejecting or disowning other associated ideas.
 Ethnic and national identity
 An ethnic identity is the identification with a
certain ethnicity, usually on the basis of a
presumed common genealogy or ancestry.
Recognition by others as a distinct ethnic
group is often a contributing factor to
developing this bond of identification. Ethnic
groups are also often united by common
cultural, behavioral, linguistic, ritualistic, or
religious traits.
 National identity is an ethical and
philosophical concept whereby all humans
are divided into groups called nations.
Members of a "nation" share a common
identity, and usually a common origin, in the
sense of ancestry, parentage or descent.
Religious identity

 A religious identity is the set of beliefs and

practices generally held by an individual,
involving adherence to codified beliefs and
rituals and study of ancestral or cultural
traditions, writings, history, and mythology, as
well as faith and mystic experience.
 The term "religious identity" refers to the
personal practices related to communal faith and
to rituals and communication stemming from
such conviction. This identity formation begins
with association in the parents' religious
contacts, and individuation requires that the
person chooses to the same—or different—
religious identity than that of his/her parents
Gender identity

 In sociology, gender identity describes the

gender with which a person identifies (i.e.,
whether one perceives oneself to be a man, a
woman, outside of the gender binary, etc.),
but can also be used to refer to the gender
that other people attribute to the individual
on the basis of what they know from gender
role indications (social behavior, clothing, hair
style, etc.).
Social support

 Another way of defining identity formation is

“the problem‐solving behavior aimed at
eliciting information about oneself or
environment in order to make a decision
about an important life choice” (Bosma &
Kunnen, 2001, p. 52).
 Social support can be defined as supportive
relationships with others
Interpersonal identity
development
 Interpersonal identity development is
composed of three elements:
 Interpersonal identity development is
composed of three elements:
 Categorisation: Labeling others (and
ourselves) into categories.
 Identification: Associating others with
certain groups.
 Comparison: Comparing groups.