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Sociology vocabulary · Society and Culture

Identity

Meaning in sociology, with examples

/aɪˈdentəti/nounCore term

In sociology, identity means: A person's sense of who they are, shaped both by how they see themselves and by the social groups, such as nation, class, gender or religion, they belong to or are placed in.

In Turkish: kimlik, toplumsal kimlik

How it is used

Sociologists distinguish personal identity from social or collective identity. Identities are formed, constructed, negotiated, expressed and sometimes contested. Identity politics refers to political action organised around shared group identities.

Example sentences

  1. Second-generation migrants often build a hybrid identity that draws on two cultures.

  2. Supporting a football club can be an important source of identity for young people.

Common collocations

  • social identity
  • national identity
  • collective identity
  • identity formation
  • construct an identity
  • ethnicityA shared cultural identity based on things such as common ancestry, language, religion, traditions or a sense of shared history.
  • social constructionThe idea that many things we take as natural or obvious, such as gender roles, childhood or race, are created and maintained by people through shared meanings and practices.
  • symbolic interactionismA theoretical approach that studies how people create and share meanings in everyday interaction, using symbols such as language and gestures.
  • subcultureA group within a larger society whose members share some distinctive values, norms, styles or activities while still taking part in the wider culture.

More terms: Society and Culture

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