Identity And Identity Essay

More focus into the ethnic groups is just another racial grouping on a different perspective. The increased competition for ethnic identity among ethnic groups is posing as a rediscovery of racial groups, in which ethnic groups are termed as majority or minority groups. However, the shift to ethnic group has shaped some characteristics of individuals that were previously coined in social differentiation according to race. One of the noticeable individual features that have been shaped is the aspect of mutual and collective interests, in which every member strives to protect common interests of the group e.g. human rights.

When observing race with a sociological outlook it is clear that it is a rather complex matter. This is because race is a socially constructed category. Meaning that contrary to initial belief, racial groups are formed on the basis of much more than biological differences alone. Instead racial categories are assigned to an individual based on social and historical experiences. Within society, racial classifications continue to have an overwhelming impact on an individual’s life opportunities.

In today’s society, it is acknowledgeable to assert that the concepts of race and ethnicity have changed enormously across different countries, cultures, eras, and customs. Even more, they have become less connected and tied with ancestral and familial ties but rather more concerned with superficial physical characteristics. Moreover, a great deal can be discussed the relationship between ethnicity and race. Both race and ethnicity are useful and counterproductive in their ways. To begin, the concept of race is, and its ideas are vital to society because it allows those contemporary nationalist movements which include, racist actions; to become more familiar to members of society.

However others hold on to their identity and try to identify their race and maintain it. This enriches societies and makes them multi-racial. Therefore, every ethnic group is essential to complete the mosaic. Although they are sometimes threatened, minorities must fight to preserve their principles. Why must they fight?

“Identity development is the process through which individuals achieve a sense of who they are, what moral and political beliefs they embrace, the sort of occupation they wish to pursue, and their communities and culture” (Lightfoot, Cole & Cole, 2012, p.573). There are many paths of identity development, but the path that will be mostly focused on is ethnic identity. According to the text ethnic identity is the extent of identifying oneself as a part of a particular ethnic group, including the part of one’s feelings, perception and behavior that is due to being a member in that group. Identity formation is more complicated on minority ethnic groups than majority ethnic groups. It is because of their differences in customs, values and beliefs.

Our individual cultures play a tremendously important role in all of our lives. To some extent, it can be said that our culture defines how we exist. The unfortunate part truth about culture is that there are some that are far less tolerant of others. This stems from a plethora of reasons. Sometimes cultures view each differently due to socio-economic differences, while others see skin color and pass judgment.

However, arguably no one seems to know exactly what the word “Race” means. One of the main ways that race is socially constructed is through culture. Your culture is a large part of how you get classified into different races. People that are in different cultural groups will be stereotyped differently when it comes to race than others. A big part of why culture is a way to socially construct race is because of language.

The most common idea in this time period for people to identity with is identification with their own personal state. Nationalism defines people but it also allows other identities to exist at the same time, so one may be patriotic while also being a number of other things. People in general have different identity’s at different scales as well so at a national global scale ... ... middle of paper ... ...eography is likely the most complex because it has to do with society and people who are ever changing and developing. Most simply it can be summarized as how people identity themselves and each other, and how those identity influence lives and relationships. Social Geography can explain things, like why dowries appear in certain countries and not others, and can be used to solve certain issues, such as finding out why residential segregation has gotten better within the last decade and what we can do to improve it even more.

Finding your overall identity in this hectic world is challenging, but even more so when you are still unsure of your racial identity as well. Discovering who you are in respect to your race, while taking on an antiracist worldview, is the ultimate goal. In chapter 28 of the Handbook of Multicultural Counseling, Rivera (2010) explained why there are multiple theories of acculturation in the United States. I can easily understand that acculturation is not a unidimensional process because I have seen and heard of individuals from other cultures coming to America who each react very differently when attempting to accommodate themselves to the traditional customs of the United States (Rivera, 2010). I assume that it can be extremely overwhelming to come into a culture that is so drastically unlike the one you grew up with.

This shared use of codes within a given group of persons, also leads to a common philosophy of life, ideas or morals. Therefore, culture to a certain extent, shapes our thoughts in different fashions in spite of the fact that we have common biological or emotional needs and therefore, common responses to certain stimuli. In addition, various societies are now stratified in classes inside which, groups create and develop other codes. Each subgroup sustains its values and tradition through language and rites creating multicultural interactions. Hence, the human communication process cannot be held for homogenous, even inside the same society because factors like race, gender or social class will slightly modify this pattern.