Types of identity:

Identity formation is also called identity development or identity construction

and this is a complex process in which humans develop a clear and unique view of
themselves and of their identity.
“Who am I?”
Recall from our earlier discussion of self-concept that we develop a
sense of who we are based on what is reflected back on us from other
people. Our parents, friends, teachers, and the media help to shape our
identities. This begins a lifelong process of thinking about who we are
now, who we were before, and who we will become. We must avoid the
temptation to think of our identities as constant. Instead, our identities
are formed through processes that started before we were born and will
continue after we are gone; therefore, our identities aren’t something we
achieve or complete. Our identities make up an important part of our
self-concept and can be broken down into different categories.

Following are the types/ categories of identity:

 Personal identity
 Cultural identity
 Ethnic identity
 National identity
 Religious identity
 Gender identity.
Personal identity:
Our personal identity means how we perceive ourselves. The concept of personal
identity refers to an individual posing questions about themselves that challenge
their original perception, like "Who am I?” The process defines individuals to
others and themselves. Various factors make up a person's actual identity,
including a sense of continuity, a sense of uniqueness from others, and a sense
of affiliation based on their membership in various groups like family, ethnicity,
and occupation. These group identities demonstrate the human need for affiliation
or for people to define themselves in the eyes of others and themselves. Personal
identities include the components of self that are primarily intrapersonal and
connected to our life experiences.

Cultural identity:

Cultural identity is the 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 identities are
based on socially constructed categories that teach us a way of being and include
expectations for social behavior or ways of acting. Since we are often a part of
them since birth, cultural identities are the least changeable. The ways of being and
the social expectations for behavior within cultural identities do change over time.
Cultural identity adheres to location, gender, race, history, nationality, sexual
orientation, religious beliefs, and ethnicity.

Ethnic identity
An ethnic identity is an 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 identity. Ethnic
groups are also often united by common cultural, behavioral, linguistic, ritualistic,
or religious traits.
National identity:
A person's citizenship of a nation is referred to as national identity. Depending on
the person, his or her national identity may be stronger than his or her ethnic or
cultural identity, and vice versa. National identity is an ethical and philosophical
concept where 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 or parentage.

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, mythology, and faith and mystical
experience. Religious identity refers to the personal practices related to communal
faith along with rituals and communication stemming from such conviction. This
identity formation begins with an association in the parents' religious contacts, and
individuation requires that the person chooses the same or different religious
identity than that of their parents.

Gender identity
Our gender identity is influenced by the way we are treated by our parents, other
relatives, neighbors and friends. Boys and girls are dressed in different colors and
they are introduced to different types of toys. In every culture there are
communications and interactions which are considered feminine, masculine or
androgynous.

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), 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, hairstyle, etc.). Gender identity may be affected by a variety of
social structures, including the person's ethnic group, employment status, religion
or irreligion, and family. It can also be biological in the sense of puberty.

Class identity
Our social class identity influences how we behave and communicate towards
other people. A person's class identity is not necessarily noticed until he or she
encounters another person representing another social class.

Some sociologists argue that people have more complex identities, these are
known as multiple identities. Those sociologists who prefer this explanation of
identity argue that the formation of identity is far more complex as issues
surrounding things like social-class, gender, ethnicity age, nationality is very
influential. More importantly it’s not just one of the above but it could be a
combination of factors.
 Some key points:
 Culture is an ongoing negotiation of learned patterns of beliefs, attitudes,
values, and behaviors.
 Each of us has personal, social, and cultural identities.
o Personal identities are components of self that are primarily
intrapersonal and connect to our individual interests and life experiences.

o Social identities are components of self that are derived from our
involvement in social groups to which we are interpersonally invested.

o Cultural identities are components of self-based on socially

constructed categories that teach us a way of being and include expectations for
our thoughts and behaviors.

 Nondominant identity formation may include a person moving from

unawareness of the importance of their identities, to adopting the values of
dominant society, to separating from dominant society, to integrating components
of identities.

 Dominant identity formation may include a person moving from

unawareness of their identities, to accepting the identity hierarchy, to separation
from and guilt regarding the dominant group, to redefining and integrating
components of identities.

 Difference matters because people are treated differently based on their

identities and demographics and patterns of interaction are changing. Knowing
why and how this came to be and how to navigate our increasingly diverse
society can make us more competent communicators.