In the current world, people find it challenging to define their identity because of the challenges that come with modernity and have a direct impact on the self. In all the class readings, the articles point to the fact that defining self in the current world depends on the influences and the ability to resist to external forces such as the perception people have on a person, activities, and some behaviors that people may exhibit that differs with the norm. A common theme, therefore, is the external change impact on the self.
Beginning with the reading on the issues with modernity, what comes out clear is the fact that the modern society is different from the traditional society by the fact that in contemporary society, there is a high rate of connectivity between people ( Ahuja, Nikolova & Clegg, 2020). The changes in modernity, such as the introduction of the internet and the social media platform, bridge the gap between people and thus has a significant impact on how people see themselves in modern society. The identity of many people has changed as people engage in different activities and behaviors to impress others and to conform to social norms. People tend to copy what other people do, and this later defines who they are in society. In the reading about the social construction of deviance and disorder, it is evident that if a person fails to conform to the social identity in society, they risk facing social isolation and stereotype.
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The situation is similar to those who suffer from mental illnesses. In a typical case, society should support those who are mentally unstable. However, such is sometimes not the case as the mentally ill patients face a lot of prejudice that comes to define them in society. Therefore, it is evident from the readings that in the current community, people find it challenging to establish their identity as they face a lot of challenges and influences that stem from the society and the world at large.
Therefore, I think it is critical for the professor to group these readings under the same category because they are similar concerns. The most compelling message in the readings is the societal changes and the influences that make it difficult to define the self in modern society. Across all these readings, the standpoint remains the same that people need to understand the external influence for them to define themselves in society ( Lean, M., Fornells-Ambrojo et al., 2019). The differences between the articles do not draw much attention to divert the central theme that comes out across. The difference lies in the fact that while one of them significant on the issues facing the modern world, another one major on the mental illness and self-identity. At the same time, another looks into the issue of deviance. However, mental illnesses, modernity issues such as technology, and deviation from the norms are what define people and define in modern society.
Reading through the article, I clearly understand the objectives and the outcome of the course. I come to understand that self-identity is influenced by different factors in society, the social perceptions of some behaviors, and the stereotype that come in when a person is unable to conform with the societal norms. I also come to understand the idea that staying flexible is critical in defining the self-identity amidst the modernity issues that people face in the current society. Also, it comes out clear that understanding the society and the environment as well as people that form the basis of people’s interaction is critical in defining the self.
References
Ahuja, S., Nikolova, N., & Clegg, S. (2020). Identities, Digital Nomads, and Liquid Modernity. In The Oxford Handbook of Identities in Organizations .
Lean, M., Fornells-Ambrojo, M., Milton, A., Lloyd-Evans, B., Harrison-Stewart, B., Yesufu-Udechuku, A., ...& Johnson, S. (2019). Self-management interventions for people with severe mental illness: systematic review and meta-analysis. The British Journal of Psychiatry , 214 (5), 260-268.
