We continue to make mistakes and erroneous judgements in current times about how we construct identify. Identity cannot be compartmentalised and broken down into various segments. We highlight a particular allegiance and ascribe to it as the most defining factor of our identity. It is common for one to view nationality as being our identity but events in history have proved that our identity changes as situations demand. If we look at the various events happening around the world today, it will be noticed that no single allegiance or affiliation remains static and can be alluded as the single defining factor of our identity. The inhabitants of a country can have a different ethnicity and identity, whilst those of the same ethnicity can identify themselves as belonging to different nations.
Amin Maalouf is a Lebanese-born French author who despite being a Christian, was very averse to a number of misconceptions about the Muslim world and the way the rest of the world sees them. He defines identity as what prevents us from being identical to others. There are various elements to be considered including profession, nationality, colour, race, tribe and a lot of other affiliations. While it is possible to have each of this characteristics in a group of individuals, it is almost impossible to find a mixture of all these elements in an individual, which is what makes each of us unique in our separate ways. Identity is not given at birth. Instead, it is an ongoing process of acquiring new knowledge, language, various life experiences and new culture.
Identity is constructed differently given different circumstances, different situations and different environments. Our identity is formed relative to the group in which we find ourselves. From childhood, family values, traditions and culture are instilled in us. The various people we come into contact with from childhood to adulthood all add to our formative years. We may be called short, black, literate, illiterate, illegal immigrant or any other term. All of these contribute to the early formative influence on how we think, how we feel, how we behave, and how we see the world around us. Our words and actions on individuals’ construction and concept of their own identities matter. The words we use, the political narrative and government policies can serve to imprison people within their narrowest allegiances. In the same vein, the words we say and the overturn or change in legal status can set them free and cause a shift in how one classifies their identity. For some, a change in status does not sever the nexus between varying degrees of feelings of a lack of gravity and the certainty the change comes with. They continue to experience feelings of wavering identities.
Identity should not be seen as one particular element but rather should be constructed against a list of different factors.