identity psychology
for this project it focuses predominately on the idea of self and ideas of identity as it is a self portrait. there have been many psyclogists who have made theorys on the ideas of self and I believe looking into some of these theorys can give ammunition to my work.
Collective identity[edit]
Many people gain a sense of positive self-esteem from their identity groups, which furthers a sense of
community and belonging. Another issue that researchers have attempted to address is the question of why people engage in
discrimination, i.e., why they tend to favor those they consider a part of their "in-group" over those considered to be outsiders. Both questions have been given extensive attention by researchers working in the
social identity tradition. For example, in work relating to
social identity theory it has been shown that merely crafting cognitive distinction between in- and out-groups can lead to subtle effects on people's evaluations of others (
Cote & Levine 2002).
[2]
Different social situations also compel people to attach themselves to different self-identities which may cause some to feel marginalized, thus traveling between different groups and self-identifications. These different selves lead to constructed images dichotomized between what people want to be (the ideal self) and how others see them (the limited self). Educational background and Occupational status and roles significantly influence identity formation in this regard.
[3]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Identity_(social_science)
Identity formation strategies[edit]
Another issue of interest in social psychology is related to the notion that there are certain
identity formation strategies which a person may use to adapt to the social world. (
Cote & Levin 2002, pp. 3–5) developed a
typology which investigated the different manners of behavior that individuals may have. (3) Their typology includes:
Identity formation strategies[edit]
Another issue of interest in social psychology is related to the notion that there are certain
identity formation strategies which a person may use to adapt to the social world. (
Cote & Levin 2002, pp. 3–5) developed a
typology which investigated the different manners of behavior that individuals may have. (3) Their typology includes:
| Psychological symptoms | Personality symptoms | Social symptoms |
| Refuser | Develops cognitive blocks that prevent adoption of adult role-schemas | Engages in childlike behavior | Shows extensive dependency upon others and no meaningful engagement with the community of adults |
| Drifter | Possesses greater psychological resources than the Refuser (i.e., intelligence, charisma) | Is apathetic toward application of psychological resources | Has no meaningful engagement with or commitment to adult communities |
| Searcher | Has a sense of dissatisfaction due to high personal and social expectations | Shows disdain for imperfections within the community | Interacts to some degree with role-models, but ultimately these relationships are abandoned |
| Guardian | Possesses clear personal values and attitudes, but also a deep fear of change | Sense of personal identity is almost exhausted by sense of social identity | Has an extremely rigid sense of social identity and strong identification with adult communities |
| Resolver | Consciously desires self-growth | Accepts personal skills and competencies and uses them actively | Is responsive to communities that provide opportunity for self-growth |
Anthropologists have most frequently employed the term 'identity' to refer to this idea of selfhood in a loosely
Eriksonian way (Erikson 1972) properties based on the uniqueness and individuality which makes a person distinct from others. Identity became of more interest to anthropologists with the emergence of modern concerns with
ethnicity and
social movements in the 1970s. This was reinforced by an appreciation, following the trend in sociological thought
The first favours a primordialist approach which takes the sense of self and
belonging to a collective group as a fixed thing, defined by objective criteria such as common
ancestry and common
biological characteristics. The second, rooted in
social constructionist theory, takes the view that identity is formed by a predominantly political choice of certain characteristics. In so doing, it questions the idea that identity is a natural given, characterised by fixed, supposedly objective criteria. Both approaches need to be understood in their respective political and historical contexts, characterised by debate on issues of class, race and
ethnicity. While they have been criticized, they continue to exert an influence on approaches to the conceptualisation of identity today
Hegel rejects Cartesian philosophy, supposing that we do not always doubt and that we do not always have consciousness. In his famous Master-Slave Dialectic Hegel attempts to show that the mind
(
Geist) only become conscious when it encounters another mind. One Geist attempts to control the other, since up until that point it has only encountered tools for its use. A struggle for domination ensues, leading to Lordship and Bondage.
Nietzsche, who was influenced by Hegel in some ways but rejected him in others, called for a rejection of "Soul Atomism" in
The Gay Science. Nietzsche supposed that the Soul was an interaction of forces, an ever-changing thing far from the immortal soul posited by both Descartes and the Christian tradition. His "Construction of the Soul" in many ways resembles modern
social constructivism.
Martin Heidegger, following Nietzsche, did work on identity. For Heidegger, people only really form an identity after facing death. It's death that allows people to choose from the social constructed meanings in their world, and assemble a finite identity out of seemingly infinite meanings. For Heidegger, most people never escape the "they", a socially constructed identity of "how one ought to be" created mostly to try to escape death through ambiguity
this is an interesting aspect of identity and how we have many different disciplines to understand the self. I find nietzches idea of fighting back the idea of a soul and bringing into a scientific aspect. I also find heidggers idea of only choosing idenitys when facing death. I will use this in my piece by using death symbolism.
I also lke the idea of collective and socially constructed identity. I want to try and reach this idea in my work by having symoboylism of the collective- maybe a crowd or a communist symbol.
http://psychology.about.com/od/theoriesofpersonality/a/personalityelem.htm
According to Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory of personality, personality is composed of three elements. These three elements of personality - known as the id, the ego and the superego - work together to create complex human behaviors.
- According to Freud, the id is the source of all psychic energy, making it the primary component of personality.
The id is driven by the
pleasure principle, which strives for immediate gratification of all desires, wants, and needs. If these needs are not satisfied immediately, the result is a state anxiety or tension.
However, immediately satisfying these needs is not always realistic or even possible. If we were ruled entirely by the pleasure principle, we might find ourselves grabbing things we want out of other people's hands to satisfy our own cravings
- The ego is the component of personality that is responsible for dealing with reality.
- According to Freud, the ego develops from the id and ensures that the impulses of the id can be expressed in a manner acceptable in the real world.
- The ego functions in both the conscious, preconscious, and unconscious mind.
The ego operates based on the reality principle, which strives to satisfy the id's desires in realistic and socially appropriate ways. The reality principle weighs the costs and benefits of an action before deciding to act upon or abandon impulses.
- he superego is the aspect of personality that holds all of our internalized moral standards and ideals that we acquire from both parents and society - our sense of right and wrong.
- The superego provides guidelines for making judgments.
- According to Freud, the superego begins to emerge at around age five.
There are two parts of the superego:
- The ego ideal includes the rules and standards for good behaviors. These behaviors include those which are approved of by parental and other authority figures. Obeying these rules leads to feelings of pride, value and accomplishment.
- The conscience includes information about things that are viewed as bad by parents and society. These behaviors are often forbidden and lead to bad consequences, punishments or feelings of guilt and remorse.
The superego acts to perfect and civilize our behavior.
i like the idea of seprating into 3s for the personalities. maybe for one of the characters in the line up having an illustration of the ego, id, superego to represent the ideas of identity. i feel like i could make symbolism to psychology in the photo.
id would be represented by an animal , the ego by chains , and the superego by a bible /law book
