What is Identity
I will proceed under the understanding that identity is a combination of characteristics assigned to an individual by that same individual and by others. These characteristics are not necessarily in agreement with each other, are often misunderstood, and can become unspoken expectations.
The Oxford dictionary talks about "who or what somebody/something is,... the characteristics, feelings or beliefs that distinguish people from others,... or the state or feeling of being very similar to and able to understand somebody/something" (Oxford Dictionaries. Identity). Numerous authorities define identity in similar ways.
Personal identity consists of many interrelated components, and is what somebody believes that they are.
“I am Canadian”
“I am a homosexual man”
“I am a punk”
Society categorizes individuals. With categorization come stereotypes and generalizations.
The Oxford dictionary talks about "who or what somebody/something is,... the characteristics, feelings or beliefs that distinguish people from others,... or the state or feeling of being very similar to and able to understand somebody/something" (Oxford Dictionaries. Identity). Numerous authorities define identity in similar ways.
Personal identity consists of many interrelated components, and is what somebody believes that they are.
“I am Canadian”
“I am a homosexual man”
“I am a punk”
Society categorizes individuals. With categorization come stereotypes and generalizations.
Gender identity determines a person’s orientation with respect to the binary male and female sexes and their lifestyles, partially determined by the physical sex a person was born with. This selection is now very different from the traditional male or female option list. Some people change their genders on a daily basis. I think there is a gender label for that too.
Group identity describes the way a person behaves in society or in a crowd. Will they conform to or oppose the group actively, passively, or not at all? Are they a mascot, a talker, a helper, or "quiet"?
National identity is a balancing combination of cultural, historical, and linguistic traditions, as known and chosen to be expressed by a particular individual, and patriotism. If, in an international group, I say: "I am a Canadian", people will nod and seem to know what this means. However, if asked to explain (which I have done, and regretted doing), they would be hopelessly vague and inaccurate describing what character traits and behaviours they expect from me. Many people have feelings for more than one country. Should immigrants abandon all traces of The Old World?
Social identity describes one's relationship with various social groups. What causes do I support or oppose? What to do about those who disagree? How far am I prepared to go to prove the correctness of my choice?
There are religious, moral, regional, political, and other identities too.