Identity Language And Identity

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Identity and Language The concept of identity has been thoroughly debated, discussed, and theorized throughout the years. However, what is identity ? The concept in its self is elusive and hard to pinpoint down to one exact definition. One definition about identity that is easier to grasp is that it exists as your ‘self’ seen throughout your day to day interactions both verbally and physically. A persons’ identity is built, molded, and continuously fine-tuned through social culture, ethnicity, roles, and language, to state a few active aspects. While all those play important parts in one’s identity one stands out above all. Language. Language is a universal yet abstract connector of almost all things. Including identity, which goes hand in…show more content…
There are many different ways to look at one’s identity, and describe different parts of it. What I have chosen to reveal about my identity takes a more socio-cultural approach, which is a combination of both my societal involvement and culture. To further illustrate my cultural identity it’s key to understand that my family has lived within the same area of Northern Michigan for four generations after coming to the United States from Italy, and have kept up remarkably strong family ties and values woven between the different generations. Furthermore, my family ties have shaped my identity by teaching me that family is and will always be a top priority in my life, and my actions. Moving on to the societal part of my identity has a lot to do with the area I was raised in. Growing up in area with people on both ends of socioeconomic spectrum gives a great insight, and reality check to the way a person lives day-to-day. It taught me lessons in being humble, in my own appearance, and most importantly the ability to retain my integratity. One of the biggest downfalls of my societal identity shaping has been my lack of exposure to diversity and the issues surrounding it. Spending the better part of 18 years in a small sheltered white suburbia filled with invisible white privilege had blinded me from understanding so much about how other people live. It came to me as a culture shock to step onto the campus of Michigan State University and see all the different people living, and coexisting among each other. I know that I still have a ways to go before I am truly broken out of my bubble, however this new setting I’m adapting to is helping me reshape my identity to have a better understanding of life outside of my own

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