Day 1 Friday 8/10. What is “identity”? What are the necessary elements of an identity? What are the boundaries or limits of what an identity includes? How do they form? How do they function? How do we act upon them, and how might they act upon us? Your job is to explore how you define identity having read, researched, and thought about the concept this semester & comment on your peers’ posts to generate discussion.
Thursday, August 9, 2018
Web-build . Day 1 . 8/10
Day 1 Friday 8/10. What is “identity”? What are the necessary elements of an identity? What are the boundaries or limits of what an identity includes? How do they form? How do they function? How do we act upon them, and how might they act upon us? Your job is to explore how you define identity having read, researched, and thought about the concept this semester & comment on your peers’ posts to generate discussion.
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Day 1 Friday 8/10. What is “identity”? What are the necessary elements of an identity? What are the boundaries or limits of what an ident...
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Day 2 Saturday 8/11. What overall aesthetic theme best reflects our collective ideas about IDA (identity in a digital age)? I’ll post s...
I would say that identity is comprised of many aspects, such as our social roles in society, our unchangeable or easily identified markers (race, gender, sexuality, disability/ability, etc.), our invisible markers (religion, education, etc), and how all of these are perceived by the culture and society we live in. I believe who we are is heavily influenced by who we interact with (either in person or through other means such as culture, the media, and society’s norms). Who we are is shaped by how we are seen, perceived, or regulated. Digital identity is basically this definition, but also includes a space that allows for gender-bending, role exploration, and the ability to experience intersectionality. Many of the articles that I read talked about the influence the Internet has on identity and covered the positives and negatives; like the real-world, the digital world presents idealized versions of “perfection” and participants must take great care to no be sucked into this. Also, the digital world polices people into specific roles (perfect femininity, for instance) that the culture believes to be ideal. Identity is a fragile balance between who we want to be to feel genuine and who society wants us to be.
ReplyDeleteIvonne,
DeleteI couldn't agree with you more. In my personal case, within my family I'm only seen as the one who is actually going to college. They forget to see me for who I am and focus on what I have been accomplishing in my education.
I really like how you phrase it, "Identity is a fragile balance between who we want to be to feel genuine and who society wants us to be".
Ivonne, I agree with you on some aspects of your definition. Especially the end statement. But, I think you might have some aspects of invisible and visible markers mixed up. For instance you claim that gender, disability and sexuality are visible markers and that religion is an invisible marker. I would argue that in many cases they are the opposite. Gender has been heavily supported by research as a social construct and is heavily influenced by the society and culture we live in so its not always visible. Sexuality is in many cases also an invisible marker (i.e. people who are still in the closet and have to hide their sexuality) Disability is not always a visible marker either because there are mental disabilities that are easily hidden or overlooked and more private areas that are not 'visible' either. And lastly religion. For many women across the world such as, Muslim, Hindu, Hasidic Jewish, Pentecostal, Amish etc. religion is VERY much a visible marker and they have to wear this aspect of their identity for all to see. I do believe these aspects mentioned can be dissected even more but I do think it is important to see where invisible and visible markers overlap and differentiate.
DeleteIvonne,
DeleteI agree on your definition of identity and digital identity. One thing that you pointed out to me that really spoke to me in levels is that even though the digital world can also shape a person on who they are and what they wish to identify is that sometimes the digital world tells us how to be this perfect identity on what we already we identify. Just like you said, people should not get sucked into this due to the fact that people can develop an identity and shape that identity based on the personality that the individual has. That is a perfect identity something that is based on your own personality and not based on others how they view perfection! :)
Great analysis Ivonne
I agree with you, Ivonne. Identity is comprised of many aspects. I would say that identity is multi-faceted. We are influenced by our environments and daily interactions with others. Based on what I've read, I think there's not a separation between our real-world identities and digital identities. I think that our real-world identities shape our digital identities and whatever we post on social media, or the projects we ask our students to complete, using digital technology.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteIdentity is made of a myriad of things that it is so hard to say it is this or that. I agree with much of what you said. We have these visible things that tell others who we are immediately. They are all superficial things, of course. Then we have the invisible--the depth of who we are. It is our personality, fears, goals, the way we think, etc. All of these things may identify us to us, but others may not always see the same person. I think that is where it gets even more complicated. To each and every person, we have a different identity. To my students, I am just their teacher, to my mother, her daughter, and so on.
DeleteI completely agree Ivonne, identity is such a broad based word. Of course there are the obvious characteristics that people see and identify us partially, but the invisible signifiers, as you put it, are only known if a person has an association to that person. We are also definitely a reflection of what others around us think of us.
DeleteDisability is discussed here a physical marker that people can see but not all disabilities can be seen. Alot of mental disabilities cant be seen unless you know the physical markers of someone suffering from anxiety or PTSD. Also I have fibromyagia and one thing that people always post on facebook is that not disabilities are visible even the ones that can affect people physically like having chronic pain. When I started college the accessibility office told me to get disabled parking permit and I was scared to use it because I kept seeing facebook stories of people online facing discrimination. Also in the support group I am in online some ladies have mentioned getting rude comments like being overweight is not a disability when they use theirs. When I told my parents, my mom reminded me that they dont see the every day struggles at home and they cant feel my pain. I had to get past it. Also I dont use it all the time when I am parking. I only use when in really bad flare. Something that may affect physically is not always seen by others.
DeleteIvonne,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your comment on Identity. I feel that we are getting pulled every day into the digital world. It's becoming inevitable
Identity is a broad word that fits into many elements of who we are. Identity is seen by having a driver license, passports, ID cards, and birth certificates, all these proofs of who we are. In this case, digital identity our “persona” is identified by whether people decide to have some interaction with any digital device. Throughout this summer, I read many articles about digital identity and realized that it’s all around us. Therefore, I feel this is the tip of the iceberg. As we progress into the future. Our digital identity will be a hundred percent part of our daily lives.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth,
DeleteI agree! If you think about it, we are given our identities when we are born. The government assigns us a number and that is how they see us the rest of our lives. To do a lot of things, we need our social-security numbers.
It goes on as we progress in life from the viewing of our browsing history even to the type of videos we watch on YouTube.
Digital identity IS becoming more and more important because as you said, "...we progress into the future." The future is going to get even more digital.
I find it interesting how you mentioned social security numbers. That is a crucial identity marker in our lives, but it does not actually DO anything to identify us as an actual individual. Yes, it proves that we are US citizens and whatnot, but it kind of dehumanizes us, too. I feel like these government assigned identity markers aren't actual IDENTITY markers.
DeleteIdentity is a compilation of our different aspects. That includes our mental and physical aspects that make up who we are. In my research I found that the way we think of ourselves is only part of who we are. Society has a lot to do with our identities both in the digital and real world. We grow up believing we must behave/be a certain way and then grow up to find society sees things differently. There are many different versions of ourselves-who we think we are, who people think we are, and who we actually are.
ReplyDeleteIn our class, we all researched about specifically, digital identity. When thinking about digital identity, I find that what we post, what we search for, and (in what I researched) the avatars we choose/create in video games says a lot about who we are. When it comes to this however, there are certain aspects that cannot be ignored.
It is difficult to get a read of who a person is digitally because when posting things online, that person may or may not be true to their words. For example, there are people who only post about their happy moments which may lead you to believe that they are always happy and never sad or frustrated. The same goes for the opposite. Because of this, it is difficult to determine if who we are on social media is who we truly are.
I completely agree with your first paragraph in regards to how people perceive themselves. This actually took me back to a professional development training where we were to reflect on our characteristics. We were given a set of 50 different traits such as, friendly, hard-working, talkative, etc. The activity asked for the participants to narrow it down from 50 to 20 to 10 to 5 to at the end having only the most important 3 traits that described themselves. After that we were to present and give examples of why. Many times the participants who felt they were a certain trait then back pedaled and came to the realization they were not always seen in that way by other co-workers. It was a pretty good insight to what and how we perceive ourselves.
DeleteI feel like digital identity is only a branch off of what our whole identity is made of. It tells us things about ourselves that we may not have known, allows us to be who we are with a form of anonymity, or allows us to pretend to be someone else. But again, it is only part of the self, not the whole self.
DeletePriscilla,
DeleteI agree with everything your wrote, especially your last paragraph. Social identity is not something that we can truly believe from people's post. Because like you said,
"they may or may not be true to their words."
Priscilla I agree that with social media we can choose to present only a certain part of us. Everyone may not see all of us. This can create a false reading of who people are. Yet I have found that on facebook I was able to join a support group for chroic pain syndrome - fribromyagia and one thing I have noticed posted by others. Is this groups gives them a place to freely post about having this illness because even though we do not have it the same way, we all have it. Some women have stated that they post there what they can post on their own personal page. That on their own person page they get attacked where they are told it not a real illness, or eat better or exercise and it will go away. I noticed myself doing that to but at the same time I post on facebook what I wont say in real life. I have been told that in real life I talk to much about my illnesses. Yet on facebook I will post medical articles or warning signs not because I want to be annoying but almost to educate others. Some people believe that it can never effect them but as someone who been sick since I was 6 years old. I have learned that illnesses do not discriminate. We have to fight creating a false identity on line but it can also helps us to be ourselves.
DeleteThe definition of identity for me at the beginning of this class was my self-perception, which identified with the general traits of a mommy and teacher. Throughout the class I have gained a more in depth definition of identity through the various elements of identity. One limit of identity which I never gave a second thought about was my digital identity and how it is affected by those who are around me at the time. The social environment shaping my identity without me realizing it. The ability to form an identity based on who you are with and what your can run into within the internet. The different interests and activities within the social media aspect is something that I had not given importance to until reading on the various digital identity one can inhabit. The way in which digital identity can form and then function without us paying close attention to is very eye opening. This will help me in being more conscious of what and how my digital identity is then perceived by others.
ReplyDeleteMichelle,
DeleteI agree, I have never gave a second thought that digital identity shape the person that I am today. For instance, let's say that a person does not have any form of social media. This person still depends on using technology in order to make reservations, some purchases, registrations, and thing of that nature, and the algorithm picks up those activities and suggests these other websites that align with your interest, purchases, or just simple browsing.
Great Analysis Michelle!
Erix,
DeleteWhat caught me off guard was exactly what you pointed out in your response, which is the browsing. I have become more aware of where my browsing may lead me. Thanks for pointing it out I really appreciated your reply.
Yes! Identity is so made up of so many things that we are not always conscious of. Small encounters and little things sometimes shape our way of thinking or behaviors without us even realizing. This class has definitely given me insight into the depth that identity actually goes.
DeleteMichelle,
DeleteI agree with your comment about how sometimes we don't notice or take into consideration that what we allow us to be engaged with in social media then we are allowing others perceive our own digital identity.
Michelle, I also thought it was crazy to read others shape a perspective of us and therefore we start seeing ourselves in that way as well. It took me a little bit to completely realize that this is pretty accurate.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIdentity is different for everyone. It stems from clothing, language, movies your into, the food you eat, or try, what perfume you wear, what books you read, what memes you know about, what religion you are, how private or public you are online, it is socially constructed, influenced by others, and changes according to what situation a person finds themselves in. By considering identity limitations, it is important to understand the social influence and in what physical space a person is in. Identity is heavily shaped by other people and how they perceive you and if it is in a way that the individual agrees with. For instance at the grocery store people don't normally talk to one another so many people are shaping an idea of who you are based solely on your appearance and the things you put into your cart. Even if a person is getting a 'version' of you, it is still a part of your identity as a whole. Now your online presence might be different, in some spaces you may air your thoughts, your ideologies, your fan-fiction, your music taste, or perfectly timed selfie, all things used to give others another 'version' of yourself. I could use this example over and over again to fit all aspects of spaces we occupy, physical and not. This idea has revealed to me that we are the only ones who truly know 'who we are, and our identities' because every person you interact with has a version of you they think about and it doesn't contain other aspects of you. To put this into perspective I'll use the subway (yes I know we don't have any here okay!) Imagine yourself riding a subway every day to work. You encounter more or less the same people M-F on their commute as well and to them you are the person who sits in the same spot every day carrying a backpack. This is the version of you others have created. Now consider your FB friends, those you've met and haven't, they see the things you share, and the dank memes you engage in, they think you're witty and clever, and not the quiet person who sits on the subway, and those who ride the subway don't know you're clever side. (starting to make sense I hope) In conclusion my point is, we put our many different versions of ourselves which indeed, all shape our identity, others have an idea of who we are, but never the full picture (at least this is my argument)
ReplyDeleteI really hope I didn't confuse everyone LOL
Nikki,
DeleteNo confusion here. As a matter of fact, I can completely related to your take on identity. I too fall into the different version of myself and there isn't a full picture of my identity. That in itself might be a huge reason for my unsuccessful relationships. I'd like to consider myself as "always evolving" my identity. (in a completely sarcastic demeanor) Thank you for sharing!
Nikki,
DeleteI understand what you are trying to say. I agree with your percepetion of identity. At the end of the day, your right, no one really knows who we really are. Unless we let them in.
I dont find it confusing. I do think we are the only ones who truly know who we are. As a kid I was bullied and people would spread rumors. Then come up to me and ask me hey I heard you did this or did this with so and so? I would tell the truth. They would look at me and call me a liar. I would tell them I know what I have done. Alot of times I didnt defend myself against rumors because I learned that some people will believe what they want no matter what I say. But I knew who I was. Yet many times it did take me a while to truly let someone see me for me.
DeleteAt the beginning of this semester, my definition of digital identity was the distinction between students' identities when they compose digitally, and their identities in the world they inhabit. I thought that there was a disparity in their identities, but the articles I've read have convinced me that there is no difference in their identities. Students can choose to create the digital identity they choose to portray online, depending on the rhetorical context. For example, if a student chooses to have a separate profile for Facebook and Twitter, they can choose what type of audience their posts will create, based on the language of their posts. As far as borders and limits of digital identity, I believe that students can choose to create the borders, depending on the audience of their posts or projects. I've discovered that there is a connection between multimodal composition and students' digital identities. Students utilize various digital tools to compose and each of these tools provides various affordances, which students can manipulate, in order to meet the requirements of their assignments. In completing their assignments, students are influenced by their interactions with these digital tools and their experiences with them. For example, if a student is assigned to compose a narrative on Snapchat, and they do not have WiFi, or Snapchat, the results will be evident in their final product. It may seem convenient to have students compose digitally, but there are disadvantages, particularly accessibility. Therefore, I think there are various identities that a person chooses to portray, but all of these identities, whichever way they are analyzed, are influenced by interactions with others and environment. I think that the implications of digital identity for composition and rhetoric is that technology is going to be integrated into the classroom, and teachers need to be aware of these technological affordances, and how students use technology to express themselves as writers.
ReplyDeleteI feel that identity can embody in many different shapes or forms. I believe that it is all depended upon the individual how he or she wants to use in order to identify themselves, and be proud on what they are. For instance, some people feel a sense of fulfillment when it comes to earning a degree, joining an organization, being able to vote, being able to work, or show being able to show your entertainment or musical taste. All of these are valid reasons of having or feeling that an individual has an identity which some might not think that is their true identity. I firmly believe that it is all upon the individual on how they want to identify themselves in order to form their own identity.
ReplyDeleteHowever, on the other hand, throughout this course and research I came to learn that your identity can also be identified through the use of social media and technology. People do develop an impression of a person based on what photos they have, what kind of statements they make in social media, what they share, and things of that nature. As a high school educator I became very aware that students' identity does evolve substantially in their social media life rather than their tangible day-to-day activities. Sometimes it can have a good or negative impact depending on how the social media is used. I have seen first hand that students harass each other through the use of social media, by making fake accounts and harassing others, or several or many teenagers picking on one teenager, but I have seen good in it such as promoting a school event, asking for donations for a students' or teachers' ill family member. All of these activities are executed through the use of technology, and everything that I have mentioned has been done through the physical identity.
Overall, I make this analysis due to the fact that my research has been evolved on developing lesson plans that revolves on the use of technology because I believe that it is easier to develop and deliver a lesson easier when it comes to the use of technology due to the fact that most of the students' upbringing in the United States consist of using technology, so most, if not, all students have the technological know-how on operating on a computer, smartphone, and tablet. This is when digital identity comes into play I am an ESL teacher and I want to develop lessons that align not only with the curriculum but aligns to the current fad that is going on among teenagers.
The ability to share your perspective of teenage social media identity is very useful. I as an elementary teacher, kind of have that whole "outta mind, outta sight" perspective. I haven't seen that side. Thank you for sharing that example.
DeleteErix,
DeleteAs an educator, I can relate to your observation of students’ identity evolution along with identity struggles. It is difficult for me to see students uncomfortable in their own skin because of their peers’ perceptions. My hope for them is to explore aspects of their identity to hold on to, which may result in more acceptance among classmates.
- Kimberly Ortega
Identity can be understood in many different ways and came be in many different stages depending on the individual. As children, we undergo many trials and mimic different people and or characters in our life that we would like to ultimately be. However, as we grow, so too does our identity. For instance, as a child our ideal identity would be like that of Superman or a character within a video game. This will be an on going trial and error as a child until we find our footing and mature. We tend to be very impressionable as kids but as we get older and progress into middle school and high school, our concept of who we want to be like, changes. As adult, especially if we attracted to social media, we may find ourselves in many different areas of identification based on self perception and or mental state. I mention mental state because, based on research I have conducted, the mental state of a person (depression, anxiety, or physical disabilities), may effect your reasons for play or use of media/video games. Many surveys have been conducted, which attempt to understand the relationship/reasons (or types of reasons) why gamers are so addicted and/or connected to their avatars. This relationship and the players dependency on the avatar vary on status of player (casual player, habitual player, and hard core gamer). Many researchers notice that the casual players may play video games as a way of escape or relaxation. The habitual players, the gamers who play more than 12 hours a day, normally have a set mission within their Role-Playing game, which is tasked oriented and has been played with the same group of friends/avatars for months or years. The hard-core gamers, were found to be the players who had hazy mental state and had lower scores of self acceptance. Meaning, the hard-core gamers tended to have self esteem issues and or found the concepts and traits they had in the real world inadequate. Leading them to identify their avatar, and strangers, as more appealing than themselves. This data was often found in MMORPG's (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games). All in all, identity can be identified differently and is dependent on the individual and their concept of self and reasons for online escape.
ReplyDeleteRachel,
DeleteAfter reading your thoughts on the definition of identity, I am in need of some "game time". I am now mesmerized with the sheer thought of relaxation and escape as you mentioned. I'm happy to have read this, as I prepare for the whole 2018-2019 school year with my 5 children, set up of my classroom, and back to school trainings. I read a couple of avatar articles but you sharing what you found has intrigued and excited me.
I had actually not thought about depression, anxiety, and other mental health diagnoses as part of a person's identity. I forget that it isn't just society or how you grew up that affects who you become. Your mental state is something that can possess a form of control over you and your behaviors even if they are unwelcomed. As someone who has anxiety/depression, when I am experiencing an anxiety attack or an "out of it" day, the world is completely different, my thoughts are completely different, and I am completely different. Things that I do or say may not "be me" but it is me and those actions and words have consequences, be it good or bad.
DeleteSuper interesting about the video games as well. Games can be an escape from our reality to help build our confidence, socialize, relax, etc. Having a gamer identity has ripple effects on our whole identity.
Rachel, Rebecca, have you girls seen the movie Ready Player One? It is exactly about this topic we are talking about: the fact that video games, specifically virtual reality, can provide an escape route for our minds, our insecurities, our worries and troubles, and can actually help us boost our personal thoughts! I strongly suggest you all watch this movie (they have it on Redbox).
DeleteIdentity is a complex thing to attempt to describe. It is everything we are and also it is everything we are not. Identity has multiple layers that are enmeshed within each other. I really did like Irving’s definition of identity when he summarized/responded to the article he had read about the tapestry model. Although we have this one complete tapestry, or one person, there are so many layers—so many connections. We have this individual but if we look closely, we see the little details of how they became the way they are. And if we look closely, we can see that individuals are actually never truly individuals.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many conscious and unconscious things that create identity. For one, we start off with our temperament. Some babies are quiet, others loud, needy, or independent. From day one, we have a natural sort of identity that we are born with. From there, society, family, peers, strangers, race, religion, gender, age, location, and so many other factors affect what decisions we make, how we see ourselves, and how we take those internal/external factors and be.
Individuals also do not just have one identity. They are different people in different places, with others, etc. We have academic identities, home identities, work identities, digital identities. A lot of the times, they are all very much different than the other. Moreover, identities never stay the same. They are fluid and constantly changing, reverting, growing, and developing. There is a quote that I like a lot. I just don’t remember who said it. It goes, “The self is not to be found. It is to be created.” I find that to be something that makes me feel hopeful. We aren’t just one person. We are many. We learn and we grow. Saying that you are “finding yourself” is saying that you have absolutely no control over who you become. While there are things that you cannot control and do have an effect on you whether you want it to or not, identity is so multifaceted that there’s still a lot of control in our hands.
Identity is not just something we show to people, it is something that others give to us. The way society perceives us affects the way that they treat us, talk to us, what jobs we get, etc. With that, that affects, consciously and unconsciously, the way in which we see ourselves too. Of course, this is not every single interaction with others but it is with some.
Rebecca, based on what I posted, it is safe to say that I agree with you when you say "Individuals also do not just have one identity. They are different people in different places, with others, etc." I wrote about how our digital identity is very versatile when it comes to changing and adapting to whatever surrounds us in the moment. Identity s not a "set in stone" thing. It varies depending on our current status in life, in thoughts, and in point of view.
DeleteI wanted to note that I had not thought of identity as something people show us or give us. I definitely like this idea. I had not thought of it this way. I think I got so wrapped up in thinking and exploring the self, and didn't go into detail about the societal aspect of Identity.
Man there are so many approaches and discoveries and topics of research in just this one word: identity.
Identity is dynamic, constantly changing throughout our lives through the social contexts we find ourselves in. In Freire’s words, “people live in social contexts which mark them and which they also mark” (Tracey & Morrow, 2017, p.172).
ReplyDeleteSome aspects of our identity are out of control (race, gender, sexual orientation, etc.) and even then, we may not accept them as part of our identity for fear of being ridiculed, being ostracized, or being invalidated. The need for acceptance or validation, I feel, shapes a lot of the aspects of identity that individuals choose to embrace. Dr. Diana Cárdenas (2004) describes the identity struggle she experienced because aspects of her identity were used to differentiate her from her classmates, which resulted in feeling isolated and unvalued. This societal influence shapes our perceptions of ourselves and others, which ultimately shapes how we make decisions. Cárdenas’s academic identity was shaped by those who alienated her by leading her to encompass an identity that did not match her abilities or potential.
This may sound absolutely horrible, but, I believe, my identity has been limited by the circumstances I find myself in. As a mother, teacher, student, daughter, sister, aunt, etc., I do not feel as if I have time to explore aspects of my identity that would fulfill me. In the recent past, I realized that I do not have a steady foundation, so I always seem to be searching for inspiration or guidance when others naturally have that instilled in them.
Rebecca made a very astute observation when she stated that we may possess multiple identities in different contexts. For example, my identity at work is largely shaped by the opportunities I am and am not given, by how my personality contrasts in relation to others, by how my family life contrasts in relation to others, etc. My digital identity is on the verge of being non-existent because of scarring experiences I had years ago. I consciously avoid social media and am very aware of the content I share. This act of withholding information may lead others to have a false or incomplete perception of me. However, this is the only way I feel comfortable with my digital identity.
I truly envy those who feel as if they truly have a grasp on their identity, whether that is even possible. Those individuals SEEM to have an identity that helps guide their day-to-day decisions and leaves them feeling content. The goal must be to feel confident and in control of who you really are, no matter how that came to be.
- Kimberly Ortega
Awesome post Kimberly! As a teacher I hear kids all the time say they aren't good at something, but the reality of it is that they believe this because they've heard someone say it. People and things around a person definitely affects the way they see themselves.
DeleteIdentity is complicated. You can be born with a trait that forms your identity such as gender. As a child, I made fun of because as a girl I had male attributes as to much hair on my face. There were times I questioned if I was a boy born in a girl’s body but I did feel like a girl. It wasn’t till 14 when I was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome with too many male hormones in my system. I do have certain male physical attributes, but I am girl. Yet I doubted who I was because of others. In Tale of 2 theories, under the identity theory, identity is a product of how we interact with others in society (Hogg, Terry, & White, 1995). When I would question who am I when others made fun of me it helped me to form my identity because in trying to answer it, I figured out who I was. Hogg (1995) states that we have roles that we play because we were born to them such as our gender, race or ethnicity. We are born into a race and our ethnicity is defined by our birth. I know I am Mexican because my mother was born in Mexico. These 2 theories despite being from two different schools define the bigger picture, the social and psychological aspect. They both define identity and using what we learn from others in certain groups to figure out who we are forms our identity. Gee (2001) defines that for identity to be formed, the aspects that create it must be recognized by others. We need other people to create our identity and this was hard for me to grasp. As someone one who was bullied as a kid, I would often say I didn’t care what others thought to try to protect myself, but I did. Gee states that we have multiple identities that connected to our performances in society. The key is being recognized that that attribute from that perspective is seen in you by others. Gee (2001) also defines a boundary to identity. Gee (2001) defines one limit to identity, that is people don’t see a certain attribute in us then it can’t be a part of our identity. Gee (2001) uses an example of a friend that was considered charismatic and this was part of her identity. But for charismatic to be a part of her identity someone else must recognize it. This attribute, she can't be born with it or achieve it. when people talk about us it becomes part of us. Knowing our identity is important because you won't always be asking who am I when faced with issues or problems. It can be negative because if we accept the negative attributes that others call us it may affect the way we lead our life. For example, when I was 18 I was told to apply for disability because I was hard of hearing and my learning disability. They framed it as it can help you pay for college by receiving a monthly check and health benefits. But they also tried to limit what I could study. I couldn’t decide between being a teacher or a lawyer. They tried to tell me I couldn’t study this because it affects my disability ruling. Yet I said no because even though I had been hard of hearing since elementary school and dyslexia since the second grade, my parents and teachers never treated me this way. I didn’t see myself as disabled. This was positive, but it was also negative. Since I didn’t always see myself as disabled, so I don’t always ask for help Identities may also act upon us to because an identity is given to us or we are born with can shape us. As a person who can't hear very well, I have picked up the skills to help me in school, big groups and life. At first as a child, I hated those skills because I felt like it made me different. Now as an adult it second nature that I do it without having to remind myself, they are part of who I am. My sister likes to tell me that as a person I am more than my illnesses or disabilities but by living with them. Or in this case, learning to live with them has shaped who I am.
ReplyDeleteMaria, Identity is definitely complicated! To add to that, my theory of the endless spiral we can fall into when researching and learning about identity has just been confirmed: I learned a lot more about identity by reading some of my classmate's posts.
DeleteI agree with you that although most of us say we don't care about social media or what others think about us or what others tell us, it does affect the way we see ourselves. Bullies have a tendency of affecting the thoughts of oneself more than physical abuse. There so many approaches to this topic by itself: bullying and identity.
Good job!
I felt like it was endless spiral in the research but at the same time it helped me to understand my own personal ideas and experiences.
DeleteIdentity is an extremely versatile extension of ourselves – our thoughts, our intentions, our doubts and inquiries, our goals, our vast environments, and our many personalities. There are a few necessary elements to having or shaping an identity. For example, confidence (whether in person or behind a screen) is needed in order to create who you are through the digital world. Consciousness is also a major element that is important in order for users to develop or create an identity. Users must be conscientious of who they are, who they want to be, what their goal is, what they want to achieve and be conscious of what they say, think, and feel. I know it sounds like a lot of information, and I may be completely wrong, however, I think the digital identity topic is a very broad, which makes it a very deep topic with so many possibilities. Having a digital identity is sort of like multi-tasking. The user is considering so many things in her mind in order to make every single decision such as posting, searching, deleting, commenting, sharing, etc.
ReplyDeleteThese elements work together to form the decisions that the user is comfortable making. Slowly, these decisions, these elements begin to form a trend, a pattern that form and shape who we are as digital users. These elements form an aspect, an extension, a branch of who we are. In my opinion, after what I have read, mostly from my classmates’ posts, I have observed that these shapes and patterns that form us are not set in stone. As we change our point of view, our decisions, our actions, our hobbies, our thoughts and opinions, our digital identity changes as well. We carry it with us and mold it to our liking as close to our current personality being accessed at the time. Who knows, maybe ten days, ten months, or ten years from now we will have read or learned or changed our way of thinking, our personality changes, our experiences, our environment and surroundings vary, so do our digital identities.
By Sophia Rodriguez
DeleteIdentity is an extremely versatile extension of ourselves – our thoughts, our intentions, our doubts and inquiries, our goals, our vast environments, and our many personalities. There are a few necessary elements to having or shaping an identity. For example, confidence (whether in person or behind a screen) is needed in order to create who you are through the digital world. Consciousness is also a major element that is important in order for users to develop or create an identity. Users must be conscientious of who they are, who they want to be, what their goal is, what they want to achieve and be conscious of what they say, think, and feel. I know it sounds like a lot of information, and I may be completely wrong, however, I think the digital identity topic is a very broad, which makes it a very deep topic with so many possibilities. Having a digital identity is sort of like multi-tasking. The user is considering so many things in her mind in order to make every single decision such as posting, searching, deleting, commenting, sharing, etc.
ReplyDeleteThese elements work together to form the decisions that the user is comfortable making. Slowly, these decisions, these elements begin to form a trend, a pattern that form and shape who we are as digital users. These elements form an aspect, an extension, a branch of who we are. In my opinion, after what I have read, mostly from my classmates’ posts, I have observed that these shapes and patterns that form us are not set in stone. As we change our point of view, our decisions, our actions, our hobbies, our thoughts and opinions, our digital identity changes as well. We carry it with us and mold it to our liking as close to our current personality being accessed at the time. Who knows, maybe ten days, ten months, or ten years from now we will have read or learned or changed our way of thinking, our personality changes, our experiences, our environment and surroundings vary, so do our digital identities.
Like any other abstraction, the only way to discuss what constitutes identity is through metaphor.
ReplyDeleteIdentity is a fabric. That fabric, while appearing to be a singular thing, is in fact comprised of thousands of threads made of fibers (either natural or synthetic) woven together in particular sequence and chosen for display, thus making it an artifice.
Through my research, I’ve uncovered that identity is universally acknowledged as a dichotomy of perceptions where rhetor and audience contribute to the final abstraction. What occurs through interaction is an instant-specific truth that is created and limited by the past experiences of the actors involved. Therefore, age, class, sex, race, ethnicity, and location are neither responsible for nor inextricable from identity. They are either sufficiently necessary or necessarily sufficient, but not both. Individual explorations, individual interactions, individual endeavors, and individual happenstances are the hammer strike of the forging process, while the traditionally agreed upon determiners are implements to the malleable self.
Identity, then, is beyond any dialectic because it is an abstraction that posits completion. When the fabric is chosen, or the ore cools, the search for self concludes. What supplants the process of creating awareness is the resolution to accept external direction.
So, identity is the teleological referent of living reaction to circumstance.
Identity is such a word that is way too broad to define. but I've learned after this summer that there are so many different aspects of it. The obvious definition would be a person's characteristics both emotional and physical, as well as what a person associates with themselves. Then there's digital identity, where a person can be whomever they want. The digital world is where a person can unleash any voice that has somewhat been repressed as well as voices that aren't considered to be appropriate. The digital world is also a place that can be considered as an escape for social norms that may be hindering a person from doing what they want.
ReplyDeleteWhat is “identity”?
ReplyDeleteFrom the handful of journals I've read since the inception of the course, in addition to the summaries from classmates; identity and digital identity is evolving. Like Andres said, "it's comprised of thousands of threads." Or snow balling Sophias point, identity is not set in stone but a living organism evolving, growing and adapting with what is current in ones life.
One consistency in identity (cyber or not) is intersectionality. Identities are used, cross paths, expand through interactions and continue to grow and intersect with other identities in our tool box (or other's tool box) which is why I believe the Tapestry Model was one of the most useful tools I gained from the articles I've read. It should be included in our final product as a basic element or foundation of understanding identity.