The word self points to a personal feature that distinguishes people from each other. It encompasses one’s character set, general behavioral conduct and many other distinctions in term of appearance, attitude, skills, abilities and personal beliefs and value systems (Mercer,2011). Self concept implies a clear understanding of one’s inherent abilities and basic qualities. There exists a number of theories that have been put forward in a concerted effort at socializing the self concept. Socialization is the act of trying to understand particular aspects of life. It aims at establishing an understanding of societal beliefs, norms, values and overall expectations. From initiating formal interactions with other people, we are made aware of the values which society expects of us. Interaction with one another, get us to learn about our capabilities, skills and of our character in general. Self concept improves our awareness of our own attitudes, goals, and aspirations in life.
I am a fairly tall man who considers myself attractive in appearance. I am confident of my intelligence and cognitive abilities. My expansive knowledge of finance is just one of the many reasons I consider myself bright. I am a talented artist who can draw, dance, play lawn tennis, sing and play the violin. My great sense of humor is legendary. I suffer fears and bear hope, like all fellow humans. I derive immense hope from the successes of some of my close relations who have managed great achievement in the face of so much adversity. I hope and duly work towards attaining excellence in life. Death is the worst of all of my fear. It is ironical how my fear of death pushes me to become a force for positive change in the world today. That I have witnessed persons die miserable in spite of their huge potential has kept me grounded in humility. Poverty is the encouragement behind my being industrous. One of my weaknesses is that I tend to work too hard to the point that I don’t remember to have some little time for my family and for me . Each and every one is intelligent but in many different ways. A number of people around me have had an influence on my concept, the best example of which is my elder brother. He proofreads my work to make sure it has met certain thresholds that set apart good writing from poor writing. This has greatly influenced my life. My parents have made the greatest contribution towards building my emotional intelligence by way of their unrelenting counseling.
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Race, as well as ethnicity, affects identity. The race or alternatively the ethnic group that predominantly occupies the place where one grew up at gives them a sense of identity through the assimilation of beliefs and values from the people around. I personally identify my race is paying consideration to the place I grew up in. The people that I associate with the culture that I have brought up in and the experience I have achieved. Living in San Diego CA, I consider myself to be of a white race. The culture of most San Diego residents with my inclusion borrows extensively from Western European culture.
Research has outlined some attributes of the people whom it classifies as being part of the white race. Researchers also have indicated that this classification should be a reason for and not against racial integration. They should appreciate the diversity that exists between white and black people and try to eliminate the gap to yield great advances in the general well being of both races (Allen, 2001). Race and ethnicity have greatly influenced my personal life in many ways. I have come to understand that most people make choices based on their racial background. Some people show favoritism to people who belong to their racial or ethnic group. Race is an undeniable consideration in making our choices in life such as the kind of friends I associate with.
The term gender means the state of being either female or male .It defines and differentiates between masculinity and feminist. Gender gives the clear meaning to a person’s sex. It helps in identifying who you are and how you interact with others around you. Gender greatly affects the person’s identity. There are different expectations from different people on behaviors of different genders. Gender affects one's sexual orientation, average weight, and job titles. It influences career choices in a person’s life. Some people’s views on gender may influence how you grow to be. If a guy is gay, that is his identity. Gender is always on set with the societal values and the expected conduct. I believe that a persons` experience has a greater effect on the view of gender compared to the societal view of gender.
Being a male or a female is not enough reason to identify our gender especially when it comes to our sexual orientation; who are we actually attracted to. You may be unsure of your gender or sexual identity. Both biological and social factors have been found to influence gender formation in a person. I identify my gender as being male because I am comfortable with my sexual identity. I meet the expectations of people falling in my gender according to research to proof the masculinity. Putting on a dress or a skirt and you are a male may raise questions.
The term social, economic class refers to the measure of social and economic experiences of a person based on education levels, income rates, and occupation compared to other people. It also measures one's professional status. A persons’ choice on whom to marry has indicated their social, economic status. Salary status and peoples` levels of education has given one a social, economic class. The social, economic class has influenced the sense of identity in a person greatly . Education has been used to evaluate people so as to understand them and know their position in the social life. Positive social identification has been of progress in the current world. People are able to compare themselves with others in terms of their salary amounts and in professionalism. This has increased and improved the general well being of the society and reduced inter conflict issues. Currently, I consider myself to be in a solid middle social, economic class.
A person’s preferences, opinions, beliefs, attitudes, values and character influence one's identity. How one views life, personal thoughts and performance of various roles in the society give identity. It gives a clear view of how people view themselves. The self is sometimes difficult to understand. Sometimes we can’t give a clear meaning of why we behave in a certain manner or act in different ways. Our characters and abilities refer to the self concept. The aspect of self concept has been greatly influenced in various ways by a number of factors such as social, economic class of a person, a person’s gender and the ethnic group or rather race of an individual. These factors have influenced and impacted the lives of individuals both positively and negatively. To conclude with, every person should know that the self concept is dynamic. It changes now and then because we tend to change how we see ourselves according to change of situations.
References
Allen, R. L. (2001). The concept of self: A study of black identity and self esteem . Detroit, MI: Wayne State Univ. Press.
Mercer, S. (2011). Towards an understanding of language learner self concept . Dordrecht: Springer.
Wood, P. (2003). Diversity: The invention of a concept . San Francisco, Calif: Encounter Books.
