Who am I?
Your identity is how you see yourself and how others see you. It’s shaped by many factors and changes throughout your life.
Parts of identity can include:
- family and ancestry
- culture, ethnicity and language
- nationality and citizenship
- religion or beliefs
- gender
- age and generation
- abilities and disabilities
- interests, talents and values
- where you live
- Indigenous identity and connection to land
Some parts of identity are visible; others aren’t. Some feel central to who you are; others matter less.
How identity is formed
Identity develops through socialization: learning the norms, values and behaviours of a society.
| Agent of socialization | Influence |
|---|---|
| Family | language, values, traditions, religion |
| Peers | friendships, interests, fashion, slang |
| School | knowledge, rules, citizenship |
| Media and social media | images of what’s "normal," popular or ideal |
| Community and religious groups | beliefs, belonging, service |
| Experiences | travel, challenges, achievements |
Identity is also shaped by how others treat us. Being included or excluded affects how people see themselves.
Belonging
Belonging is the feeling of being accepted and connected. It’s a basic human need. People find belonging in families, friend groups, teams, cultural communities, faith communities and online spaces.
Lack of belonging can lead to loneliness and isolation. Communities can foster belonging by being welcoming, inclusive and respectful.
Intersectionality
Intersectionality, a term coined by legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989, describes how parts of a person’s identity, such as race, gender, class and disability, combine to shape their experiences. For example, a Black woman’s experiences may differ from both a white woman’s and a Black man’s, because of how race and gender interact.
Culture and identity in a diverse society
When people move to a new country, they and their children navigate more than one culture.
| Process | Description |
|---|---|
| Assimilation | adopting the dominant culture and losing one’s own; sometimes forced, as in residential schools |
| Acculturation | adapting to a new culture while keeping parts of one’s own |
| Integration | participating fully in society while maintaining one’s cultural identity |
| Separation or segregation | keeping apart from the wider society, by choice or exclusion |
Many young people with immigrant parents describe having a hybrid or bicultural identity, for example feeling both Canadian and Korean, or both American and Nigerian.
Canadian and American identities
National identity is the sense of belonging to a nation. It can be expressed through symbols, history, values, sports and shared experiences.
- Canadian identity is often linked to multiculturalism, bilingualism, public health care, peacekeeping, hockey and the land. But there isn’t one single Canadian identity. Quebec, Indigenous nations and regional identities are strong.
- American identity is often linked to ideals of freedom, democracy, opportunity (the "American Dream") and individualism, alongside diverse regional and cultural identities.
Indigenous identity
For many Indigenous peoples, identity is tied to nation, family, language, ceremony and relationship to the land. Colonial policies such as the Indian Act’s status rules and residential schools tried to control or erase Indigenous identities. Today, language revitalization and cultural resurgence are strengthening identity and belonging.
Identity online
Social media lets people express identity, find communities and connect with others who share their experiences. It can also create pressure to present a perfect image, enable bullying and expose people to harmful stereotypes. Thinking critically about online identity is an important skill.
Try it yourself
- Create an identity map: write your name in the centre and surround it with the parts of your identity.
- Reflect: Which parts of your identity are most important to you? Have they changed over time?
- Interview someone about how they balance more than one culture.
- Analyze how a TV show, ad or social media account portrays identity.
Quick recap
- Identity is how we see ourselves and how others see us.
- Identity is shaped by family, peers, school, media and experiences.
- Belonging is a basic human need.
- Intersectionality shows how parts of identity combine.
- People in diverse societies navigate assimilation, acculturation and integration.