Essay/Term paper: Identities and how they are formed

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Humanities Essays

Identities and How they are Formed

From this section of the course, Sociology 1, I have learned about
different philosophies and ideas about how identities are formed. The
philosophies that make the most sense to me are the ideas of John Locke, Jean-
Jacues Rousseau, Charles Harton Cooley and George Herburt Mead. Also the ideas
focused on in my exercise have as well helped me to form an idea where
identities come from and what they mean socially.
John Locke had the idea that people in a society truly want to live
together in harmony and that people are not aggressive by nature. That people
are born with a "blank slate" and that anything can be learned. I completely
agree with this statement. How people are brought up and what they are exposed
to defines their identity and intentions in society. I was brought up by loving
parents that among others things taught me to be true to my feelings and to
express them truthfully. Jean-Jacues Rousseau's theory about corruption relates
to the "clean slate" idea. He stated that corruption come from society. So if
one is not influenced positively they may end up corrupt and be a hindrance on
society. If a child grows up in a "dysfunctional family" they may be at a
disadvantage to a child like my brother who is getting the same social education
from my parents and the society we live in.
Charles Harton Cooley also touched on the idea of identities. He
believed that identities are formed from interactions with people in society.
This would mean that the more interactions one has the more choices that have to
form there own identity. In a sense my upbringing and my brother's can be
dangerous in a way because our parents have to be careful not to shelter us too
much form parts of society. Otherwise we create one sided identities and
opinions of ourselves and others. I feel that that is what college is all about.
To be exposed to others and their ideas to help yourself and people around you
to form ideas. In a way social interactions are a learning process and a part of
higher learning.
George Herburt Mead said that all group life is from social interaction.
That humans can work together well for social reasons. But I believe this to be
true only if people have been exposed to enough interactions, only then are we
able to come together for common ideas and the good of society. Furthermore he
said that we have the capacity to figure out the intentions of people, but again
only after we have substantial exposure to society. Mead stated that we must use
the same meanings for gestures and find a common understanding. This is the
foundation of language and the process in which we learn how to communicate with
others.
Finally, my identity exercise not only help me to figure out my own
identity but how I am perceived by others. Like Cooley said, we see ourselves in
other people's eyes and we ponder the judgments being made about us. I feel that
the only way to get around people judging others is to continue to interact in
society. I think that I have made significant progress in coming to the point of
"enlightenment", able to figure out people and their intentions. Only then will
I be able to work for the common good of the society I live in because I will
have to knowledge to do so. To become educated and to help society I feel that
college is an excellent way of learning how to do this. College is more than
just going to class and trying to get the grade, but it is there as a tool to
help us open our minds. I feel once we all can "open our minds" to become
"enlightened" then we are ready to work for the common good of our societies and
the people in them.