Identity as a personal project (0)

Identity as a personal project
How could be one identity created? Or is it creating itself? Or, maybe, every child is born with some kind of identity? There are many theories about what identity is and how it is developing, so in this essay I want to discuss A. Giddens´ text and my reflection about his theory.
“It's like everyone tells a story about themselves inside their own head. Always. All the time. That story makes you what you are. We build ourselves out of that story.” Patrick Rothfuss
When talking about identity, it´s creation is a very important moment. To understand it, I was always thinking practically – I created a character , like in a movie or a book. What should happen first with the character, what factors influence the creation of individual identity? I agree to Giddens – person isn´t born with identity, everyone has to build and develop it during the whole life. Many factors play their own roles in this process , and I think the first factor is a family. All mayor impressions about culture, religion, relations we carry through life starting from families, especially parents. Secondary factor, what comes to characters ´ life is neighbourhood and friends .
From this moment factors are starting to interact, influencing our thoughts and feelings. Later as a factor could come religion or state or work – it depends on characters´ life. Factors interactions could be very different – they can supply one another or to be in conflict. For example, when our character will be deciding who is right about skipping lessons, his friends or his mother. This very common thing could influence characters´ future and his decision depends only on his choice, his thoughts and behaviour.
What happens when characters´ identity is created? Then a person is free to go to “big world”, where his identity will develop inside a particular sociocultural space, with it´s own rules, processes and other people. In this space important is ability to be flexible, on the one side, and to stay individual on the other side. An identity should be strong and reflective to be able to change and to adapt.
“Particular narrative going”
Actually I like the metaphor, as I already mentioned, I think of an identity as a story and characters. I think every word in this metaphor means something special about self-identity. My own “narrative” consists of these three words “particular” “narrative” “going”.
Like every story, my one has to be special, individual. The one I designed by myself and for myself. I find, that my own narrative was built with help of my family and friends – that’s what adds individual traits. I learned from my parents our family culture and from my friends rules of communication. In my opinion, these are groups what influenced my behaviour at the start.
The “narrative” means the context. Sociocultural and physical, the one I live in. Its my country, my language, my work and my hobbies – everything what makes me feel. Also for me in my narrative is very important to get experience, to build a concept of me and my identity.
Word “going” means for me, that it´s a process. Like every process, mine has semi-starts (attempts) and semi-finishes (achieved goals). During this process, my identity is changing, improving and I think the most important in this process is lifelong learning. It helps to meet new people, not to stop and to stay reflecting about what I´ve done and what I will do next. It consists of changes and learning.
“Through others we become ourselves.” Lev S. Vygotsky
I really think that the biggest addiction is communication with others. That’s because we need to know, what they are thinking, how do they react for our behaviour and speech. On the special place here is understanding of “person” and it´s context. I do agree to Giddens, that it varies culturally. For example, the families are different – big or small, how many generations live together and what are they celebrating. Every culture has its own folklore and traditions, language and cuisine. All of these factors influence persons´ future and identity.
Reading assumptions described by Wetherell and Maybin, I found myself recognising and sharing them. First, very important trait for persons from counties “such as the UK and USA” is democracy of expression. I do think, that in Arabic culture there is no such freedom to express yourself publicly, that just don´t suit their traditions. Second, I find very important a role of experience. So I´m free to try something, to go abroad or to choose different profession. I´m not limited in my decisions by family or country. And last important assumption, what I really share is tolerance and respecting others individuality. In our culture I can dress like I want and I can think the way I want – and I know, that other people have the same rights.
So, it turns that the most powerful factors what influence our identity, our project and concept, are people around us and processes around us. They change us, make us reflect and learn – the only thing what is rest to one particular character is to stay himself.