The idea that beliefs about “who we are” are created in a social context reflects the basic sociological theory that human beings are socially created, not prisoners of instinct. Sociologists see identity as related to the society in which people exist. People, are, in part, socialized into their identities. There are assorted ways that conceptions about individual and group identities are socially constructed. An identity is created against a social background that tries to make social interaction meaningful, understandable and well-organized by categorizing people in various ways. The nature of identity is expressed as a social phenomenon and a dynamic feature of social life. The understanding that “who we are” is socially constructed permits us to account for the fact that how we view ourselves and how others see us is not socially static.

The concept of identity narrates an understanding of who and what we are; and what we and other people believe us to be. An identity involves a set of characteristics that define us as individuals, groups, societies and so forth. In order to develop a sense of identity, it

Sociologists have focussed on gender as a learned set of behaviours. The existence of gender appropriate norms and gender expectations imply that gender identity is only possible through learning. . It is about learning to do something and convincing others that we are doing it right. Gender roles are attitudes and activities that a society links to each biological sex. They are the active expression of gender identity. Basically, gendered identity is about role-playing. Aspects of the male roles reflect the kind of assumptions we make about how men should behave such as leadership and taking control of situations. This applies to aspects of women’s roles where a woman is assumed to be more emotionally expressive than men – the disparity being due to gender socialization. Femininity and masculinity are not innate properties of the associative biological sex. Femininity and masculinity refer to the characteristic types of behaviour of the woman and man in a given culture. What counts as femininity and masculinity varies between societies – reflecting that gendered identity has to be a social construct. Several femininities and masculinities are also probable in complex societies. For example, one becomes ‘feminine’ through social processes such as learning how to wear dresses, use of makeup, caring for others and so on. Sexual identity is not attained simply by an act of individual will nor is it discovered in the ‘recesses of the soul’. Sexuality is shaped by the society and culture in which we are a member of. Social factors like religious teachings, laws, the media, medical definitions, social politics, psychological theory and the media all inform and influence our sexuality.

is essential to have a sense of self-awareness. Individuals develop this sense of self through the socialization process when they learn the manner of social interaction on the basis of various cultural identities. The one, in short, is dependent on the other. Identity is a social construct, in the way that once an individual assumes a particular identity – they acquire and exhibit specific social characteristics. Cooley’s “looking-glass self” offers an insight into the development of an identity. His theory was that we use behaviour of others towards us as a kind of mirror in which is reflected an image of the person we are. Erving Goffman’s dramaturgic

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According Stoller, Erving Goffman’s, Richard Jenkins, Shaun Hides, social construct, , identity social, ethnic identity, identity social construct, social characteristics, sense identity, social identity, gender identity, feel belong, cultural identities, sources identity,
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