Jamie Acker 20161215

Constructing Identities

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Constructing identities provide an insight into the analysis of social constructionism and social psychology. Identity can be defined as how an individual perceives himself. Identities are constantly changing since they are constructed through experiences, emotions, connections, and rejections. The construction of identity is encouraged by the individual’s ability to identify with others; it is a core and unavoidable part of an individual’s life. His actions are instrumental in the shaping of his identity, as a consequence of a person’s identity his actions come to life. Identity is a socially and historically constructed concept which allows an individual to learn about his identity and the identity of others through interactions with his family, peers, media, organizations, institutions, and other interactive connections in his life. The essential components of identity include an individual’s gender, social class, age, sexual orientation, race, and his ethnicity. These elements play a significant role in the shaping of the individual’s understanding and experience of the world; they also shape the opportunities and challenges the individual’s thus influencing his actions and the construction of his identity. The social and cultural identity of a person is directly linked to the issues which originate from power, value systems, and ideologies. The self or identity arises in communication with others thus the perspectives of society are revealed to the individual either through interactions with other people who have internalized cultural values and passed them on to others or through media and social institutions such as judicial and educational systems. The media uses representations to convey specific ideas and values related to culture and identity in society. The construction of identities is multidimensional since there are many dimensions to an individual’s identity such as his physicality, cognitive capacity, emotions, social role, and sense of morality. An individual relies on social perspectives to define him and to guide how he thinks, acts and feels (Stewart, 2012).

Reference

Stewart, J. (2012). Bridges not walls: A book about interpersonal communication (11th ed).

New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education. ISBN: 9780073534312.