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Identity is the set of qualities, beliefs, personality traits, appearance, and/or expressions that characterize a person or a group.[1][2][3][4]
Identity emerges during childhood as children start to comprehend their self-concept, and it remains a consistent aspect throughout different stages of life. Identity is shaped by social and cultural factors and how others perceive and acknowledge one's characteristics.[5] The etymology of the term "identity" from the Latin noun identitas emphasizes an individual's mental image of themselves and their "sameness with others".[6] Identity encompasses various aspects such as occupational, religious, national, ethnic or racial, gender, educational, generational, and political identities, among others.
Identity serves multiple functions, acting as a "self-regulatory structure" that provides meaning, direction, and a sense of self-control. It fosters internal harmony and serves as a behavioral compass, enabling individuals to orient themselves towards the future and establish long-term goals.[7] As an active process, it profoundly influences an individual's capacity to adapt to life events and achieve a state of well-being.[8][9] However, identity originates from traits or attributes that individuals may have little or no control over, such as their family background or ethnicity.[10]
In sociology, emphasis is placed by sociologists on collective identity, in which an individual's identity is strongly associated with role-behavior or the collection of group memberships that define them.[11] According to Peter Burke, "Identities tell us who we are and they announce to others who we are."[11] Identities subsequently guide behavior, leading "fathers" to behave like "fathers" and "nurses" to act like "nurses".[11]
In psychology, the term "identity" is most commonly used to describe personal identity, or the distinctive qualities or traits that make an individual unique.[12][13] Identities are strongly associated with self-concept, self-image (one's mental model of oneself), self-esteem, and individuality.[14][page needed][15] Individuals' identities are situated, but also contextual, situationally adaptive and changing. Despite their fluid character, identities often feel as if they are stable ubiquitous categories defining an individual, because of their grounding in the sense of personal identity (the sense of being a continuous and persistent self).[16]
Jary and Jary (1991) define identity as 'a sense of self that develops as the child differentiates from parents and the family, and takes a place in society.'
Identity formation has to do with the complex manner in which human beings establish a unique view of self and is characterized by continuity and inner unity. It is therefore highly related to terms such as the self, self-concept, values, and personality development.
Identity offers a way of thinking about the links between the personal and the social, that is, how the psychological and social aspects of the self are tied together to create a self-concept (Woodward, 2002)
Within identity theory, an identity is a set of meanings defining who one is in a role (e.g., father, plumber, student), in a group or social category (e.g., member of a church or voluntary association, an American, a female), or a unique individual (e.g., a highly moral person, an assertive person, an outgoing person)