Types of identity
Identity refers to how we view ourselves and the perception we hold concerning our self-image. Each and every individual possess different types of identities. Some of these identities include gender which refers to masculine and feminine roles as defined by certain cultures. Social identity is a result of belonging to a certain group of people and Cultural identity refers to the emotional significance we hold as a result of a sense of belonging to a large culture.
Relationship between communication and Identity
To start with communication with other people verbally or non-verbally is very essential as it defines who we are. For instance, when somebody asks you to tell him or her about what you do, your favorite game, your likes and dislikes, the last time you cheated and the very last time you remember giving a hand among other things concerning yourself, the answer that you will give will enable this person defines who you are. For example, if you cannot recall the last time you gave a hand, the person may take you to be selfish. Moreover, in each identity, we use different communication behaviors. For instance, the language we will use when talking to our teachers will be different from the one, we will use when talking with our parents and our peers. And after interacting with others we can change our identities. I have also learned that whatever perception you hold concerning yourself will be reflected by others. For example; if you feel bad about yourself others will feel the same. In addition, people with high self–esteem are more verbal and communicate well with other people compared to their counterparts with low self-esteem. Lastly, in order to communicate effectively with our friends, our cultural identity should be flexible.
During the lesson, we did some scaling and after doing the scale twice the result was the same due to the fact that scaling is a very reliable technique of measurement. For example, when we measure the weight of some individuals so many times at the time their weights were the same.
How we currently communicate our gender, social and cultural identities face to face and in an online environment
Currently, there are many ways of social networking. For example, we communicate and connect with our friends online through Facebook and my space. In these social networks, we create a profile where we indicate our details like gender, ages, our favorite musicians and likes. In addition, social networks enable people to interact as they share their cultural ideologies.
However; we have a chance to choose who will access our information. Photograph representation is also another way in which we can communicate our identities. In all these communications we communicate our identities differently. These social networking means have replaced most interpersonal communication. However; face to face communication is also used in communicating our identities. For example, our parents communicate gender identity to us by making us engage ourselves in certain tasks. On the other hand, we communicate our social identity by doing things that please our friends and that do not harm us. We communicate our identities differently. This is because our cultures are different and some of the information we give may be misunderstood.