Let’s Get Social
Who Am I? Considering Different Identities
Personal identity captures what distinguishes one person from another based on life experiences. No two people, even identical twins, live the same life.
Role identity defines how we interact in certain situations. Our roles change from setting to setting, and so do our identities. At work you may be a supervisor; in the classroom you are a peer working collaboratively; at home, you may be the parent of a 10-year-old. In each setting, your bubbly personality may be the same, but how your coworkers, classmates, and family see you is different.
Social identity shapes our public lives by our awareness of how we relate to certain groups. For example, an individual might relate to or “identify with” Korean Americans, Chicagoans, Methodists, and Lakers fans. These identities influence our interactions with others. Upon meeting someone, for example, we look for connections as to how we are the same or different. Our awareness of who we are makes us behave a certain way in relation to others. If you identify as a hockey fan, you may feel an affinity for someone else who also loves the game.
Collective identity refers to how groups form around a common cause or belief. For example, individuals may bond over similar political ideologies or social movements. Their identity is as much a physical formation as a shared understanding of the issues they believe in. For example, many people consider themselves part of the collective energy surrounding the #metoo movement. Others may identify as fans of a specific type of entertainment such as Trekkies, fans of the Star Trek series.
Many people are uncomfortable with identities that do not fit squarely into one category. How do you respond when someone’s identity or social role is unclear? Such ambiguity may challenge your sense of certainty about the roles that we all play in relationship to one another. Racial, ethnic, and gender ambiguity, in particular, can challenge some people’s sense of social order and social identity.
When we force others to choose only one category of identity (race, ethnicity, or gender, for example) to make ourselves feel comfortable, we do a disservice to the person who identifies with more than one group. For instance, people with multiracial ancestry are often told that they are too much of one and not enough of another.
Gender
More and more, gender is also a diversity category that we increasingly understand to be less clearly defined. Some people identify themselves as gender fluid or non-binary. “Binary” refers to the notion that gender is only one of two possibilities, male or female. Fluidity suggests that there is a range or continuum of expression. Gender fluidity acknowledges that a person may vacillate between male and female identity.
| Subjective | Objective | Possessive | Reflexive | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| She | Her | Hers | Herself | She is speaking.I listened to her.The backpack is hers. |
| He | Him | His | Himself | He is speaking.I listened to him.The backpack is his. |
| They | Them | Theirs | Themself | They are speaking.I listened to them.The backpack is theirs. |
| Ze | Hir/Zir | Hirs/Zirs | Hirself/Zirself | Ze is speaking.I listened to hir.The backpack is zirs. |
Intersectionality
The many layers of our multiple identities do not fit together like puzzle pieces with clear boundaries between one piece and another. Our identities overlap, creating a combined identity in which one aspect is inseparable from the next.
The term intersectionality was coined by legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989 to describe how the experience of Black women was a unique combination of gender and race that could not be divided into two separate identities. In other words, this group could not be seen solely as women or solely as Black; where their identities overlapped is considered the “intersection,” or crossroads, where identities combine in specific and inseparable ways.
Figure 9.14 Our identities are formed by dozens of factors, sometimes represented in intersection wheels. Consider the subset of identity elements represented here. Generally, the outer ring are elements that may change relatively often, while the inner circle are often considered more permanent. (There are certainly exceptions.) How does each contribute to who you are, and how would possible change alter your self-defined identity?
Intersectionality and awareness of intersectionality can drive societal change, both in how people see themselves and how they interact with others. That experience can be very inward-facing, or can be more external. It can also lead to debate and challenges. For example, the term “Latinx” is growing in use because it is seen as more inclusive than “Latino/Latina,” but some people—including scholars and advocates—lay out substantive arguments against its use. While the debate continues, it serves as an important reminder of a key element of intersectionality: Never assume that all people in a certain group or population feel the same way. Why not? Because people are more than any one element of their identity; they are defined by more than their race, color, geographic origin, gender, or socio-economic status. The overlapping aspects of each person’s identity and experiences will create a unique perspective.
Microagressions
microaggression refers to acts of insensitivity that reveal our inherent biases, cultural incompetency, and hostility toward someone outside of our community. Those biases can be toward race, gender, nationality, or any other diversity variable. The individual on the receiving end of a microaggression is reminded of the barriers to complete acceptance and understanding in the relationship.
| Microaggression | Why It’s Offensive | |
| Educational Status or Situation | “You’re an athlete; you don’t need to study.” | Stereotypes athletes and ignores their hard work. |
| “You don’t get financial aid; you must be rich. | ”Even an assumption of privilege can be invalidating. | |
| “Did they have honors classes at your high school?” | Implies that someone is less prepared or intelligent based on their geography. | |
| Race, Ethnicity, National Origin | You speak so well for someone like you.” | Implies that people of a certain race/ethnicity can’t speak well. |
| “No, where are you really from?” | Calling attention to someone’s national origin makes them feel separate.“ | |
| You must be good at _____.” | Falsely connects identity to ability. | |
| “My people had it so much worse than yours did.” | Makes assumptions and diminishes suffering/difficulty. | |
| “I’m not even going to try your name. It looks too difficult.” | Dismisses a person’s culture and heritage. | |
| “It’s so much easier for Black people to get into college.” | Assumes that merit is not the basis for achievement. | |
| Gender & Gender Identity | “They’re so emotional.” | Assumes a person cannot be emotional and rational. |
| “I guess you can’t meet tonight because you have to take care of your son?” | Assumes a parent (of any gender) cannot participate. | |
| “I don’t get all this pronoun stuff, so I’m just gonna call you what I call you.” | Diminishes the importance of gender identity; indicates a lack of empathy. | |
| “I can’t even tell you used to be a woman.” | Conflates identity with appearance, and assumes a person needs someone else’s validation. | |
| “You’re too good-looking to be so smart.” | Connects outward appearance to ability. | |
| Sexual Orientation | “I support you; just don’t throw it in my face.” | Denies another person’s right to express their identity or point of view. |
| “You seem so rugged for a gay guy.” | Stereotypes all gay people as being “not rugged,” and could likely offend the recipient. | |
| “I might try being a lesbian.” | May imply that sexual orientation is a choice. | |
| “I can’t even keep track of all these new categories.” | Bisexual, pansexual, asexual, and other sexual orientations are just as valid and deserving of respect as more binary orientations. | |
| Age | “Are you going to need help with the software?” | May stereotype an older person as lacking experience with the latest technology. |
| “Young people have it so easy nowadays.” | Makes a false comparison between age and experience. | |
| “Okay, boomer.” | Dismisses an older generation as out of touch. | |
| Size | “I bet no one messes with you.” | Projects a tendency to be aggressive onto a person of large stature. |
| “You are so cute and tiny.” | Condescending to a person of small stature. | |
| “I wish I was thin and perfect like you.” | Equates a person’s size with character. | |
| Ability | (To a person using a wheelchair) “I wish I could sit down wherever I went.” | Falsely assumes a wheelchair is a luxury; minimizes disabilities. |
| “You don’t have to complete the whole test. Just do your best.” | Assumes that a disability means limited intellectual potential. | |
| “I’m blind without my glasses.” | Equating diminished capacity with a true disability. |
Remixed with:
Amy, Baldwin. College Success. OpenStax, 2020, https://openstax.org/books/college-success/pages/1-introduction.
