Identity and Belonging

Our perception of our identity is constantly changing, the groups we belong to, the people we talk to and the way we connect with others help to form our identity. There is one thing we all have in common despite our individual identities, is the need to belong. There’s no obligation to belong to only one group, you can belong to many. An individual can belong to many groups, which will then create multiple identities; hence our understanding of identity is never constant. Belonging to a loving family, group of caring friends that help us to develop our own sense of self. However, belonging can have a negative side. For example our families might have an expectation of us to do something that might alter our ambitions and interfere with our lives. Media leaves a huge impact on us in today’s society, especially on young people who strive to become like famous celebrities on daily shows on television. Groups that an individual belongs to and the friends we interact with may change our sense of identity.

Identity is who we are and what our beliefs and values are. Our identity helps others to know more about us, helps them see us as an individual rather then judging us on which groups we belong to and the people we interact with. In spite of this, Belonging to a group requires various forms of change in a person’s identity, which in turn leave the individual with multiple or inconsistent identities. In order to belong to a group, a person must be obedient, understand the way they connect together as a group and blend in with them. We realize that if it had not been for the existence of the people who are around us, we probably have not turned out the way we are. Our friends can have a positive and a negative influence on our identity.

Our parents can be very strict on us, have educational expectations of us that we might not like or because we have interest in something else. We get forced to belong to a place where we don’t fit into and we try to hide our true