IDENTITY AND DIVERSITY

Social Construction of Identities Theory

Social Construction of Identities Theory

Introduction

Man is always in the quest of his identity. Through the history, he has raised several questions about himself. It is the collection of these questions we ask about ourselves and the answers we give ourselves that define our identity. Identity is how we view our self.

For if anything in the world is worth wishing for it is that a ray of light should fall on the obscurity of our being.

-- Arthur Schopenhauer

Psychologists study the man's need for his identity in the light of different theories. The social constructive theory on identity suggests that identities are constructed through language and social relations (Miell, 2002).

Discussion

Identity may be defined as how we view our self in relation to others around us. The social construction of identity theory suggests that identities are constructed, and they are not natural, as most people misunderstand. Identity is how we give meaning to things and people around us. Identity constructs itself through through language and social relations. This statement is true in that identities alter over time, and so do languages and our relationships.

For instance, women have always played the role of primary caregiver for their children. However, the increase in number of at-home dads challenges this identity of women. Hence, identity is transitive in nature. The following example best explains the role of language in the transitory nature of identity. The trouble makers in the West in the name of religion were initially labelled extremists. The label has now changed to terrorists. Hence, the two words, though used in the same context, represent two distinct identities. Identities change and this change strengthens the fact that identities do not just unfold but they are created. People use language not only to express our self to others but also to think about them.

Identity is a function of social relations. It is how we interact with people around us, how our behaviour changes with them and what the effects of these changes on our identity are. For instance, a person who is very good at work will be considered very competitive and dedicated. However, if, for some reason, his performance dwindles and remains low on a consistent basis, then over time his identity will change. He will not be regarded as a hard working and dedicated employee of the company. Instead, he might be considered as a burden for the organization.

Language is central to the construction of our stories. This is true because each one of us has our own unique way of expressing our self. We tell our stories the way we perceive them (Miell, 2002). This, however, can be untrue in certain cases, as well. Although, it is true that we have a certain way of telling our story but the identity we depict through our story will not be uniform, in that different people interpret our story in different ways. For instance, a thief may justify his action ...