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Joseph Bunny

Professor Jennifer Rodrick

English 115

27 October 2017

Draft

What makes individuals unique. A lot of people would say a person's identity is who they

are. Each person is unique do to their different identities. Identities are affected by the person's

environment, therefore, we will look at the different types of identities and how they can be

determined, how genetics and heredity can play a role in shaping identities along with

environment, and the factors in our environment that shape our identities.

Over the years of psychological testing, many different definitions have been offered for

the word identity. We have found out that an individual's identity is the physiological attributes

that make people unique from each other. This includes all the way to thoughts and emotions that

spark us to say and do things in particular ways. Identity affects the most important and most

noticeable pieces of a person's psychological mentality. According to Masaryk University can

be described as a "dynamic and organized set of attributes possessed by a person that uniquely

influences his or her cognitions, motivations, and behaviors in various situations" (Tim Blumer).

There are fundamental attributes of identity. There is generally a recognizable order and

regularity to behaviors. People normally act the same ways or in patterns according to the

situation. Identity is psychological, but scientist found that your biology also affects our identity.

Your identity isn't only response but it also influences our actions. Identity is displayed even in

our thoughts, feelings, close relationships and other social interactions.

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Generally people agree that identity is different for each person but with some many

people in the world we classify people into specific categories. Putting these identities into

specific category types would help people determine what identity type they are.

This process was done in the 1950's, by sociologist David Riesman. He stated that there

are three different types of identity that is found around the world. He decided to called them

tradition oriented, inner-directed, and other directed identities. Now the tradition-oriented

identity is a personality that wants things to be done the way that they have always been done.

People with this type of identity are less likely to seek new experiences and try new things. The

inner-directed identity is one that is guilt oriented. The way they act is strongly influenced by

their conscience. Due to that, there is usually no police needed to make sure they are following

the law. These type of people watch themselves and if they do something wrong they will make

sure they are punished. Oppositely, individuals with other-directed identities have obscure

feelings of morality. When they don't do what is normally accepted, they don't feel any guilty.

However, if caught they are likely to feel shame.

People who use Riesman's idea of the three three different identities suggest that the

most common identity in small societies and in some subcultures of large-scale ones istradition-

oriented identity. Inner-directed identities are found to be more common in some large cities,

especially cities that are culturally homogenous. Oppositely, the other identity is usually found in

culturally diverse big cities such as Los Angeles. Identities in which there is not conformity.

People believe that a person can have traits for more than one of these identity types.

There is a debate on what makes the identity of an individual. Are the genes the things

that shapes us? Are personalities constructed by hereditary attributes? Is the space we dwell in

the strongest factor that makes up our identity? In the 1920's, Ruth Benedict began to believe
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that identity was entirely made up by the space around us. She said that our cultural identity

patterns are felt as if to be "natural" and other identity patterns are seen as "unnatural" and

rebellious. Benedict states that these feelings are characteristics of everyone in all cultures

because we are ethnocentric.

People believe that hereditary factors passed down by our parents and ancestors to us is

the main factor to identity . The individual's actual talent and some other attributes are just some

instances of these traits. Most hereditary factors that add to your development are caused by

interactions with the social environment where people live. For example, you genetically inherit

mental and physical capabilities have an effect on how other people see you, and ultimately how

you see yourself. Skills that prevent you from throwing a ball straight result from poor motor

skills and if you regularly do bad in school, you will likely be told by your friends, teachers, and

family as someone who is incapable or a failure to some extent. This ends up becoming a self-

fulfilling prophesy because you increasingly see yourself in this way and become more negative

about your abilities and your future. Just like your physical appearance health are likely to be

important in your identities development. You may be frail or robust. You may have a learning

disability. You might be skinny in a culture that thinks being fat is attractive or vice versa. These

huge hereditary factors are usually the cause that make you feel that you are good looking, ugly,

or just a 5. Also, gender, skin color, and sexual orientation are usually a major effect on how

you think or see yourself. Either you are accepted by others as being usual or unusual can then

lead to you thinking and acting differently according to the societal norm.

Boys and girls are treated different socially to some extent in most societies. They

are given different messages from their parents as to what is correct for them to do in life

according to their gender. They are told to prepare for their future in jobs fitting their gender
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such as science for boys and teching for girls. Boys usually are allowed more freedom to

experiment and to participate in risky activities. While on the other hand girls are told to learn

how to do domestic tasks like cooking and to participate in childbearing by doing some

babysitting. If children don't follow these usual paths, they are labeled as rebellious or even not

normal. Girls are then called "tomboys" and boys may be made fun of for not being masculine or

tough.

There are always different situations and personal events that help us change and shape

our identities. Only children don't have to learn how to deal with other children as much as kids

who have siblings. There are so many ways to see how a person's identity can be shaped.

Even if you believe that a person is stuck to their genetic makeup or you believe that the space

around us can continue to mold and change us after conception. There is strong evidence that the

environment does influence our identities. It affects what we learn, see, live and experience that

shape our identity.

Works Cited

Ruth Benedict. Department of Anthropology, Columbia University,

anthropology.columbia.edu/ruth-fulton.

Hopwood, Christopher J., et al. Genetic and Environmental Influences on Personality

Trait Stability and Growth during the Transition to Adulthood: A Three Wave Longitudinal
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Study. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Mar.

2011, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3058678/.

Sniffin-Marinoff, Megan, et al. Memorial Minute: David Riesman, Author of The

Lonely Crowd. Harvard Gazette, 12 Nov. 2003,

news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2003/11/memorial-minute-david-riesman-author-of-the-lonely-

crowd/.

MinuteVideos, director. INVISIBLE INFLUENCE: The Hidden Forces That Shape

Behavior by Jonah Berger. Youtube, Youtube, 11 Nov. 2016,

www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxfcaY86jpw.