A framework or model for understanding the nature and development of personal identity
An understanding of personal identity needs to be able to cover two essentials
1. A sense of subjective 慖DENTITY PERMANENCE'
2. Identity in part as a PROCESS with ongoing change and development.
For most people, personal identity will remain fairly stable, with gradual modifications across the life cycle resulting from experience; this applies especially to those whose self-understanding is confirmed positively by others. For some, the self-hypothesis may at times be insecure. While some may try to change aspects of their identity in response to new circumstances, including education, others may resist change, consciously reinforcing their established sense of self and self-image.
1. A working definition of personal identity that can be useful in education
For educational purposes, personal identity can be conceptualised as a process in which individuals draw on both personal / internal and cultural / external resources for their self-understanding and self-expression. There is a dynamic interplay between the two.
2. Personal identity as a dynamic interplay between internal/personal and external/cultural elements
The externals are relevant to identity when they serve as reference points and resources for self-understanding and self-expression that is, as cultural identity resources. They can be appropriated and further developed for the construction of meaning. This view highlights people's integration of ideas, beliefs, values and images as internal identity resources to make sense of their lives that is, making sense of both their inner experience and their interactions with the world and people. Cultural identity resources can be used in two ways: they can be assimilated (as noted above), resourcing self-understanding; and they can be utilised for purposes of distinctive self-expression, that is, helping individuals express themselves in ways they feel are consistent with their identity.
It is interesting to think about how this interpretation of identity would have applied say to Medieval Christians. In the lives of most people at the time (but not necessarily for the aristocrats, clerics and members of religious orders), the scope of cultural identity resources would have been much smaller. And what would have loomed large was the pervasive Christian religion. It was the predominant meaning system and it conveyed a powerful religious narrative about life and its purposes. This was particularly evident in the artistic visual imagery in the churches and cathedrals.
On the façade of the cathedral in Cittadella in northern Italy is a Latin inscription which summed up the role of the church: 揇omus Dei et Coeli Porta The House of God and the Gate of Heaven. In a sense, at that time in Europe the church dominated the 憄ersonal identity resources market'. Today: Shop in one of the new 慶onsumer cathedrals' These days it is evident that religion has much, much more 慶ompetition' than ever before in supplying personal identity resources to people. And of special interest for the study of identity are various cultural narratives about life that can be very popular and pervasive. This is all about secularisation which is discussed in detail elsewhere on this site. This notion of both process and content in identity suggests that it makes use of external elements of culture (family life, heroes |
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and heroines, peers, religion, school, artefacts, work, lifestyle, leisure, television, consumer products), in relationship with internal elements (needs, beliefs, values, ideals, attitudes, emotions and moods), to fashion the 慽nternal clothing' of individuals through which they identify and understand their own characteristics as a person. It is meshed with their sense of individuality and uniqueness. When individuals think about their identity, these self-defining elements come to mind as reference points.
People's personal identities will highlight different components or dimensions from their overall identity profile from time to time according to the situation. For example, sometimes a particular cultural sub-group identification may become prominent such as supporting one's favourite sporting teams. This can also take a strong nationalistic flavour when barracking for one's own country's representative teams.
The religious dimension to identity may grow and it may also decline. The widespread secularisation in most Westernised countries (and also evident in parents, staff and students in Australian Catholic schools) shows that many are paying little formal attention to what might be called 憃rganised religion' as cultural identity reference points.
Age and the effects of illness and accidents will affect the ways individuals think about themselves and their lives.
Sometimes there are significant 憀ife-changing' experiences that have a noticeable effect on individuals' sense of self as well as on their lifestyle. It could be a failed relationship, accident, loss of family member or friend, travel experience, change in or loss of one's job.
3. Projective and defensive functions of identity
Identity, in both its personal and group forms, has two key functions , projective and defensive .
3.1 Projective function of identity : This has two aspects:-
Firstly: The visible actual identity. This is the identity picture that is evident in the behaviour of the individual. The projective function of identity is the way in which it projects or displays the characteristics of the individual (or group). It describes or publicly announces identity and shows what the individual (or group) stands for.
How they behave and what they look like are evident to an observer. Some individuals are not good at being aware of how they are projecting a particular identity profile. They may have little self-knowledge. What people are really like is difficult to hide for any length of time. But people also vary in their capacity to 'see' and 'read' the behaviour of people.
Secondly, there is the Intentional projected identity . This is the identity profile that the individual consciously tries to project. It may or may not be congruent with the visible actual identity. There may be a considerable discrepancy between the two.
| Some people try very hard to project a particular image/identity. Others may not care much about creating impressions and give little thought to what others may think. Concern about projecting a particular image can lead to what Alain de Botton calls Status Anxiety |
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3.2 Protective / defensive function of identity:
At the same time as it signals the characteristics of the individual, identity definition provides psychological protection. Identity includes internal resources that the individual can fall back on in times of stress or trouble. It is what literature describes as people's 憈rue mettle' or character. The defensive or protective function of identity comes into play when individuals feel that they are under attack, whether physical or psychological or both. In particular it is internal identity resources that can sustain the individual when under stress.
4. Identity Health: How can this be understood
From the perspective of the view of identity discussed above, identity health can be regarded as a harmonious balance between internal and external identity resources . It is proposed as a value judgment that personal identity should be based primarily on internal resources like beliefs, values and commitments. These can be thought of as spiritual resources; they may or may not include religious elements.
Too great an identification with externals weakens individuals' autonomy and makes them slaves to expectations from outside, rather than being inner-directed (see earlier on status anxiety ). However, it would be unrealistic to expect people to be so spiritually strong and independent as to rely exclusively on their own internal resources for identity and meaning. It would be even more unrealistic to expect this of children and adolescents.
External reference points and links with culture (family, peers, cultural groups, film and television, and social media) are fundamentally important for personal identity . It is a basic part of the human condition to need the help of others, and access to cultural resources, for making sense of life, for achieving a worthwhile sense of self, and for the experience of happiness and fulfilment. Identity development and maintenance have an important interpersonal component. Some identity problems may be interpreted as too great a dependence on externals, or too much dependence on internals. Identity is displayed by what individuals think of themselves and what they do to express themselves.
A healthy identity is mainly self-validated . It does not need to be continually propped up somewhat artificially by externals, such as the approval of others or identity-related consumerism. Also, a healthy identity does not require too much energy for its maintenance , allowing for personal energies to be directed outwards and not tied up in self-analysis and self-assurance.
Identification: Related to the role of dimension or component identities is the process of personal identification: how and why individuals link themselves with particular identities. It is a basic personality dynamic; it can contribute to the healthy development and fulfilment of individuals and it can be psychologically damaging, with both personal and social repercussions.
Take, for example, the place of identification in relation to employment. Sometimes it is said that an individual is too strongly identified with a job. Men who have invested too many personal resources in their jobs have little time or emotional space left for other aspects or people in their lives; and then, if their jobs are made redundant, or if they have a midlife crisis that results in a loss of satisfaction with their work, the result can be traumatic. There is a high frequency of suicide in men over retirement age. The tendency to define individuals' personal worth in terms of their jobs is a potentially dangerous identification. On the other hand, if individuals do not identify with their job to a minimal level, then the work itself will probably suffer because they take no pride or satisfaction in it.
All of this reinforces the truism that people are born human but they only become persons through human interaction. This is just as true for personal identity. It needs social interaction and some sense of community to enhance and sustain it. You can't really be a good, happy person totally by yourself. This is crucial for any study of the need for human community.
In other words personal identity cannot really be formed without community input.
5. This view of identity and identity health is useful for education and the care of youth in a number of ways: It readily allows for an educational role in helping give young people access to cultural resources to assist with their development of self-understanding and self-expression.
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This interpretation of identity is like 憄ersonal meaning' viewed from the perspective of self-expression and self-understanding:-
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• Identity has a momentum about it; it is relatively fixed, but it can change. It can be influenced by new experience coupled with personal reflection and interpretation. It can be affected by perceptions of what others think of the individual; also, it can change in the light of perceptions of the identity of others, especially if they are favoured role models.
• Personal identity can be influenced and sustained by social interaction , including relationships with groups and institutions.
This view includes the Ricoeur-inspired notion of identity as personal interpretation arising from reflection . But it suggests that identity is not just a process of reflection that articulates the current working hypothesis of self; it acknowledges that externals and social interaction are crucial reference points and raw material for identity . For some, the problem with identity is precisely a lack of the sort of reflection that Ricoeur saw as constituting identity. They may give little or no thought to identity but may live with the stereotypes and values they have absorbed unconsciously . They are less consciously involved in their identity construction it could be said that they display an identity by default.
6. The starting point for personal identity development in children
Personal identity development needs some basic socialisation into the beliefs, values and culture of the individual's family and immediate community , and into some sense of the identities of the groups in which they will participate hopefully positive and non-exclusive. These components should not be fixed and unchangeable, but open to confirmation, evaluation and modification.
7. The values dimension to personal identity the need for individuals to periodically reflect on and evaluate their sense of identity
This view of identity and identity health can be expanded within a values framework.
• A strong sense of personal identity can be the driving force behind idealistic and humane action;
• It can reinforce links with others from various groups;
• It can serve as a source of courage in adversity.
• But at times, for various reasons, individuals can feel fragile and uncertain about their identity.
• A diffuse identity can be related to erratic and immoral behaviour.
A natural interest in maintaining and enhancing identity is healthy, though a concern to project a particular identity may be a facade protecting inner uncertainty. Individuals may appeal to a particular identity to justify their actions both moral and immoral ones. Anxiety about identity can be caused by various things ranging from, for example, the poor form of one's favourite sporting team to fear that immigrants may threaten one's jobs and lifestyle.
8. Retail identity??
Among the cultural resources available to people for the articulation and maintenance of their sense of identity, consumer goods and lifestyle options are particularly prominent. In this sense, people can have a retail identity where consumer goods, together with the strong media-orchestrated images that go with them, appear to make a significant contribution.
9. Identity profile of influential cultural elements
Individuals could be said to have an identity profile' at any time. A snapshot of a period of their lives would show how their thinking, emotional energy and behaviour were partitioned into various component identities . The priority or relative weighting given to these components would be significant for any review of life. Some could look at their implied identity profile and say 慪es, that is a good picture of what I am'. Others might get a shock because what they see conflicts with the view of self they like to project there may be elements in their behaviour they do not want to acknowledge. Perhaps for all people there will be some degree of mismatch between who they are and what sort of a person they would like to be. (See above on actual and projected identity).
The different types or components of identity refer to particular dimensions of personal life or to reference groups or situations that affect the individual.
10. How individuals and groups define themselves, and what cultural elements they draw on to do this, will reveal something about their values and their understanding of what it means to be human.
This view of identity health stresses the importance of inner identity resources. It shows identity intimately linked with meaning and spirituality.
The advice that Polonius gave to Laertes in Shakespeare's play Hamlet is pertinent here:
To thine own self be true; then it follows as surely as the day follows the night that thou shalt not be false to any man.
Inner truth is achieved first by knowing what one's moral identity and values are; then there is the equally important and decisive factor fidelity to those commitments. And courage is needed for this.
11. Where there is a religious dimension to personal identity
Individuals can be said to have a 憆eligious' personal identity when they evidently draw on religious elements from the culture. This often involves adherence to a particular religion or denomination, assimilating the beliefs and stated values of the religious group, and engagement with a local community of faith in formal religious practices. How much the core beliefs of the religion influence values and behaviour will vary. Some people are strongly motivated and influenced by their religious beliefs while there are others where their thinking and behaviour would indicate that their religious commitments are somewhat nominal.
The relationship between personal identity and group identity (for example, a religious Catholic identity) is complex and is not being explored in this section.
Religious identity can be an influential part of people's lives, giving members of a faith tradition a sense of belonging to a community of believers with a long history. It usually defines a pattern of desired beliefs and morals. It has access to resources in spirituality and social structures that can guide people's lives and animate local religious communities. but religious identity can also cause problems. It can be used for justifying sectarianism and in the extreme, violence and ethnic cleansing. Of about 160 civil conflicts in the world in 1994, in about two-thirds of them religious identity was a recognisable component in the complex mixture of causes. The pattern has a long history.
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