Introduction
The individual identity of persons is critical, since it defines their character. A keen assessment of these traits reveals a lot about a person, including their upbringing, education and life experiences. Thus, segments of human development is subject to influence by several societal factors. As a result, this paper explores the effects of racial identity, social class and family background and how they influence the development of personal and individual identities of persons.
Racial heritage
The issue of race has played a prominent role in determining a person’s identity. Many people feel comfortable associating with persons who bear a similar skin color. As a result, many people restrict their choice of friends, associates and spouses to persons of a similar racial heritage. This factor also plays out when parents choose schools for their children and neighborhoods where they will settle and buy homes.
Young ones also face immense pressure while they grow up. The neighborhoods are often charged racially, as a result of bias held by parents and other grown ups. Children are fed on stereotypes with the hope that they will emulate former leading lights of a community. For example, a black child will be encouraged to pursue basketball instead of hockey. The opposite is true for white children. While the blacks take pride in their achievements on the court, the white fraternity has a different view on the same issue. They regard this and other physically involving sports as shows for the savages.
A closer look at such sentiments sheds light on the way children are cultured from an early stage in their lives. Children in predominantly white neighborhoods grow up with the perception that their black counterparts are violent people, who thrive in physical contests. On the other hand, black children are instructed that their white counterparts are prejudiced individuals, who are weak and hateful. A closer look at the social circles manifests these statements. Children in campus restrict their dealings and associations within their race. The largest show of diversity may be joint social functions organized by minority groups. Persons are also known to date and get married to persons within their racial heritage. Sadly, this phenomenon has pilfered into religious circles. Many persons attend churches, and that are filled with members of their race.
Summarily, modern-day Americans still take pride in their racial heritage, just as if their fore fathers did. This phenomenon has far-reaching implications, which may affect persons positively or negatively. The phenomenon constitutes an indispensable part of a person’s life, hence should not be overlooked. On the other hand, prejudice against other persons for whatever reason is unacceptable. While people should accept their ethnic heritage with pleasure, they are advised to remain proactive, and all inclusive in their dealings with others.
Class
The existence of social classes in society is inevitable, because of the capitalist forces controlling the society. It is saddening that persons of a higher social class may discriminate against those from their own race. Indians show the best example. Their societies have classes that were inherited from their ancestors, and will be passed down to posterity. These clusters determine economic activities in which one may engage. In addition, people can only marry within in their social class, as opposed to marrying from a superior or inferior one. A breach in any of these rules creates a crisis, which is often resolved by extreme measures, including banishment from the family. It follows that persons will embrace their identity wholly, since all their dealings in life will be influenced and limited by the social class to which they belong.
These strata are also existent in the western world. Owing to civilization, social class is defined by a plethora of factors, including financial ability, occupation and neighborhood. In most cases, these groupings are passed on, just like racial identity. The main difference between the two factors is that someone has the ability of working his way out of one social group to another. It should also be noted that these groups include persons from different races, since a different set of factors determine the group in which a person is falls (Newman & Newman 389).
These classes are grouped into three segments; the high class, middle class and low-class citizens. Some authors have substituted the name low class with working class. Persons in the upper levels view those below them with suspicion; irrespective of their racial heritage. Since the school someone attends will be determined by the class he was born in, job opportunities and qualification for them will also reveal the social class where a person belongs. While isolated cases have strived and shed off this tags, thereby elevating themselves to higher societies, the remaining majority have carried on this identity with them. It should be noted, that some of the successful individuals use their background as a means for motivating others to work hard. An example is Tyra Banks, who often mentions her hometown of Inglewood in her show when encouraging young girls to confront their fears and make the most out of life.
While a number of persons take pride in their social class, several others use it a source of motivation to strive and achieve more in life. This ambition has enabled some to succeed in life, changing their lives and that of their families forever in the process. For others, it has been a source of agony, since it has led them into crime and other unsavory acts mostly as a result of frustration. In addition, most persons have been judged wrongly due to the stereotypes associated with the social where class they belong.
Family background
Studies reveal that family background plays a significant role in shaping up individual identity. Many parents have owned up to telling their children stories about the family past. Children’s dreams and ambitions are often influenced by tendencies and engagements of their fore fathers. Their perceptions towards several issues may be affected by the same issues. For others, their code of conduct, friends, associates and activities they engage in are also determined by their family background. This has seen several youngsters become prominent business personalities or renowned criminals, just like their parents before them.
In addition, a person’s temperament can be deduced from the nature of stories he conjures up. Those with the ability to formulate rational and emotionally communicative stories about depressing events exhibit diminished levels of dejection and nervousness. Adults with the ability to narrate redemptive stories, with emphasis on making positives from improbable situations exhibit emotional well-being. This is accompanied by higher levels of proper transition into and connection with posterity.
Work Cited
Newman, Barbara and Phillip Newman. Development through life: A Psychosocial Approach. New York, NY: CENGAGE Learning. 2008. Print.