Relationship Between Identity and Employment

Relationship Between personal identity and EmploymentHow important is the relationship between a persons pedigree and his or her identity?Within human social contact, umteen of the interactions we have presume a link between paid traffic and identity. Such a presumption extends not notwithstanding to the identity of the individual in question scarce also to the sentiment of a collective identity an identity sh bed by the individual and his or her co-workers. The income generated from our work and the course in which we distri notwithstandinge it the lifestyle it affords us all help to shape our identity. However, there are another(prenominal) things which influence our identity work being only one of them, and so establishing a causal link between melody and identity can both(prenominal)times be difficult. When thinking about our identity within the economic framework of employment we must also consider the notion of representation our feelings about our occupation and the money and lifestyle it affords us are shaped by the way others see us, and what they have.1Our identity is an encompassing concept that influences and is influenced by our relationships with other lot. This logic dictates that our identities must be closely tied, in some way, to what we do, and how we interpret what we do in the context of our relationships. There is a close connection between doing and identity and the utilization of language in the creation of meaning and understanding of this2. Piaget3 and Kagan4 illustrate how children learn about the world through doing how the realisation that we can act upon the environment contributes to our guts of self, and the realisation that we are separate from our environment. Children, therefore, come to realise that their actions have social meaning and that their approval as individuals is in direct correlation to what they do we set forth to learn about ourselves as individuals and as members of social multitudes. As we develop our identity is shaped by our competencies, especially in comparison with others, as well as our social standing and the expectations placed upon us5. As adults, our identity becomes goal-oriented and this is largely influenced by society6.Occupation is a goal-oriented life activity. Goals are motivators beca rehearse we view them in legal injury of the effect of goals met or unmet. Working late, volunteering, taking on extra responsibility allows us the opportunity to imagine praise, promotion, recognition because of our virtue. This imagining shapes our views of our future self and motivates us to unless goal-directed action. Motivating images are a lot called possible selves7 and they represent what we like efficacy like to become or are afraid of fair. Possible selves are useful for providing the catalyst to transfer thought to action and as we shape our own identity in a positive manner, our satisfaction increases. Our occupation is the fomite through which we can develop and express our identities and in order for us to do so within our occupations we must demonstrate to others that we are competent to foregather approval and avoid rejection. If we are competent it send words that we are able to deal effectively with challenges that come our way the to a greater extent successful we are at dealing with challenges, the higher our self-confidence. Self-confidence highlights a clear link between our identity and a belief in the things that we are able to do.If our identities are crafted by our occupation and the way in which we perform within that sphere, then a threat to our ability to engage in an occupation becomes almost a threat to our identity. Disabilities often threaten the establishment of an identity based on competence.8 Redundancy, for example, or unemployment can erode the shared experience of the labour process which can act as the basis for group identity9 as well as the benchmark that enable us to sustain and articulate our individual identity.10 For men, unemployment or redundancy can de-escalate their masculine identity as the traditional male-breadwinner and relegate them to the private rather than the public sphere, and for those used to employment, a lack of occupation can lead to identities becoming more privatised.11 Turnbull argues that an occupational based identity may offer the individual the highest status and most positive self-image available to them.12 In this way, those without an occupation, or whose occupation affords them only the most basic living have identities specify by the notion of falling into a particular class, e.g. working class here an identity is defined by subsistence. Poverty becomes a marker of status and position and can almost be a deprivation of identity.It is clear that an occupation is central to a horse sense of who we are and our worth which in turn influences how others see us and how we see other people, and since we spend most of our lives working this p rovides us with a sense of coherence which helps plays an important role in the shaping of both our individual and collective identity. It is important to note though, that occupation is only one factor amongst many which impacts upon our identity and its relative importance must be viewed alongside that of other social factors.In what ways do social factors shape our identities?It is true to suggest that our identity is made up of individual traits and interpersonal relationships as well as ideas and beliefs we derive from buy the farming to different groups. Every one of us has a number of different identities open to us and these identities tell us who we are and what each particular identity might involve. Social contexts will generally argue which identity is most pertinent at any given time. Tajfel argues that there are times when our group identity or social identity is more important to us than our personal identity and this decision is particularly dependent upon social f actors.13Categorisation shapes our identities when we categorise someone or something we do so in an attempt to understand them and their social environment. So labelling someone as a Muslim, or a Jew, or a football fan or unforgiving or white, unemployed or employed allows us to define the kinds of behavior that are appropriate or even expected of that category. There are a number of different categories which bring with them their own factors which help to shape our identity and the behaviour that is expected of individuals who fall within a particular category. Perhaps some of the most obvious categories are those of race, gender, nationalism and class. When we talk about categorisation by gender, for example, it is often assumed that the role of an individual is defined by their crotch and that there are social roles for males and social roles for females. This categorisation can be something against which individuals may rebel, but this can also be a group to which they bel ong that brings with it negative aspects, too. For example, a sub-category for women is often that of the victim such groupings can have a substantial impact upon the identity of the individual. In everyday speech, we often use the word race to denote a group of individuals who have a particular way of talking about themselves and others and again we often expect of these people particular types of behaviour, some of which can reinforce stereotypes and contribute to prejudice social factors which can all affect the identity both of the individual themselves and the identity of the group itself.14We identify with groups we perceive that we belong to. This has two ramifications part of what make me me is my membership of a particular group, so sometimes there are in-groups and sometimes out-groups (us vs. them) but my identity is also shaped by the fact that I am truly a unique individual. My membership of a particular category or group is just as real to me as the fact that I know t hat I am unique. A further ramification of this concept is the notion that despite the fact that I am unique, my group self also makes me the same as others within my group. There will be some cause when I will treat members of my group as being the same as me in some important and pertinent way. For example, I may suppose that although I am different to the members of my group, in that I am me, I am also the same in that I believe that my nation is sterling(prenominal) and more deserving of respect than yours (nationalism).Within individual groups Tajfel argues that group members compare themselves with each other, because this comparison allows them to define their group as positive (or negative) and therefore by default, see themselves in a positive (or negative) light. People are generally motivated to see their group as better than other similar groups, but often groups might try to belittle differences between groups in order to be able to view their own group favourably. F or example, people from developing countries might regards their country as inferior technologically or economically but might believe that they live a morally much superior way of life. 15Social factors, therefore, shape our identity in a variety of ways they influence the way we view ourselves and others, the people we feel that we belong to and identify with, the behaviour we feel is expected of us, and of others and the worth we attribute to other individuals and groups, as well as to ourselves and the groups we feel we belong to.BibliographyChristiansen, C H. Defining Lives Occupation as Identity An Essay on Competence, Coherence and the Creation of Meaning. American Journal of Occupational Therapy. 1999Cooley, C.H. Human nature and the social order. New York. Scribner. 1902Kagan, J. The Second Year the emergence of self-awareness. Cambridge, MA. HUP. 1981MacKenzie, R. Stuart, M. Forde, C. Greenwood, E. Perrett, R. Gardiner, J. completely that is Solid? mannikin Identity and the Maintenance of a Collective Orientation amongst Redundant Steel Workers. Sociology 2006.Piaget. J. The construction of reality in the child. 1954. Basic. New York.Ruble, D. Social light and Social Behaviour developmental perspectives. New York. CUP. 1983Tajfel, H. Social identity and intergroup behavior. Cambridge, England Cambridge University Press. 1982Vygotsky, LS. The instrumental method in Psychology. P134-143. 1981.Woodward, K. ed. An introduction to the Social Sciences soul Social Change questioning identity gender, class, nation. Routledge. London. 20021Footnotes1 Woodward, K. ed. An introduction to the Social Sciences Understanding Social Change questioning identity gender, class, nation. Routledge. London. 20022 Vygotsky, LS. The instrumental method in Psychology. P134-143. 1981.3 Piaget. J. The construction of reality in the child. 1954. Basic. New York.4 Kagan, J. The Second Year the emergence of self-awareness. Cambridge, MA. HUP. 19815 Ruble, D. Social Cognition and Social Behaviour developmental perspectives. New York. CUP. 19836 Cooley, C.H. Human nature and the social order. New York. Scribner. 19027 Christiansen, C H. Defining Lives Occupation as Identity An Essay on Competence, Coherence and the Creation of Meaning. American Journal of Occupational Therapy. 19998 Ibid.9 MacKenzie, R. Stuart, M. Forde, C. Greenwood, E. Perrett, R. Gardiner, J. All that is Solid? Class Identity and the Maintenance of a Collective Orientation amongst Redundant Steel Workers. Sociology 2006.10 Ibid.11 Ibid.12 Ibid.13 Tajfel, H. Social identity and intergroup behavior. Cambridge, England Cambridge University Press. 198214 Woodward, K. ed. An introduction to the Social Sciences Understanding Social Change questioning identity gender, class, nation. Routledge. London. 2002.15 Tajfel, H. Social identity and intergroup behavior. Cambridge, England Cambridge University Press. 1982