Culture Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Culture Studies - Essay Example Identity can also refer to other qualities such as hairstyles, clothes, and preferences that make one different from other individuals. Some of the most vital facets of the term identity for me include issues such as beliefs, qualities, attitudes and preferences. I personally have unique beliefs, qualities attitudes and preferences that I have been able to acquire over the years from my culture, religion and environment, and which make me recognizable. All these make me unique and contribute to my personality. I also believe that each individual ascribes to a different set of beliefs, qualities, preferences and attitudes, and in as much as they may appear similar in the broad sense, they are very unique in the finer details. Social identity refers to an individual’s sense of self in relation to others or groups with regard to what they all have in common (Bennett, 2005). Social identity therefore refers to how one perceives themselves in relation to the groups they belong to. Social identity can also be understood as the self-awareness or perception of an individual gotten from being a member of a social group like a political organization, religious group, or family. Individuals tend to affiliate themselves with groups that address their interests and issues Social identity, as a concept is very important in trying to explain social behavior of individuals as well as in trying to understand culture. Sociologists rely on social identity to explain the behavior of individuals as well as understanding their role on the society. Psychologist Henri Tajfel first introduced the term social identity in 1979 in the social identity theory. According to the theory, individuals always classify or categorize themselves and others in relation to their membership to wider groups in the society. People identify with groups that have the same interests as themselves and those that have a positive impact on the