Social Identity, Personality and Gender

Enculturation, defined as the process by which a society shares and socially transmits ideas, values, and perceptions, plays an important role in a person's social psychology. This process starts as soon as we are born, making our upbringing and our experiences the "backbone" of who we are. Different cultures raise their children in different ways, people undergo unique experiences, and people respond to these experiences in different ways. Enculturation is an important process in developing an individual's self-awareness, personality, and gender.

A child's social identity is established partly by the way in which the culture affects the development of the individual's self-awareness. An example of this is the importance many cultures place on naming an individual. Naming establishes a person's social identity because without a name they have no self. Names are given at different times in one's life. In American culture, names are given at birth, but in other cultures names are given later in life. They can be symbolic, marking an experience or milestone in one's life. Some cultures indicate names through tattoos or scarification. Sometimes a person may be given more than one name. This can occur when a person reaches a certain spiritual level. Naming helps children to establish self-awareness because it allows them to identify themselves as distinct individuals. Because cultures have different beliefs about naming, individuals are distinguishable, not only, outside the culture but within the culture. The culture influences the development of the individual's self-awareness which in turn establishes the child's complete social identity.

The methods in which the culture affects the development of the individual's personality, as well as the development of the individual's self-awareness, helps in creating a child's social identity. For instance, consider the fact that identical twins tend to be grouped by some cultures. In these cultures, they are not given unique identities because they look exactly the same. Instead of being given two identities they are given one. It is for this reason that identical twins in those cultures strive to establish unique identities. Mostly, their personalities are what make them unique. When asked to describe themselves, they never mention their appearance because it refutes their unique identity. Instead they place their emphasis on their personality, the distinctive way they think, feel, and behave. In the video, it is mentioned that twins tend to have a better sense of who they are because they must distinguish themselves differently from someone that outwardly appears the same. People other than twins also develop their own personalities. However, in the case of the twins, their social identity is affected by the society's views about twins. They strive to be different from one another through their personalities. A child's social identity is influenced by the methods in which the culture affects the development of the individual's personality.

Furthermore, the development of an individual's sense of gender which is affected by the culture in which the child is raised, places an impact on the child's social identity. For instance, many cultures leave room for those that do not fit a distinct male or female category. Transgender individuals are those that do not fit the male or female social cultural constructs of the particular society. Intersexual individuals are those that do not fit the male or female biological construct of the particular society. In American society, gender is determined biologically, as either male or female, and transgender or intersexual individuals, who don't fit either category of sex, are undermined as mutants or homosexuals. In Native American societies, however, these individuals are often seen as blessed and are given a higher authority in the spiritually sense. The development of an individual's sense of gender is greatly affected by culture and, in turn, has its impact on the child's social identity.

Enculturation is an important process in developing an individual's self-awareness, personality, and gender. An individual's development of self-awareness depends on how the culture distinguishes individuals as unique, often done through naming ceremonies. An individual's development of personality depends on how the culture views groups of people, often done by distinguishing oneself different from other people within the group. An individual's development of gender depends on how the culture defines gender roles within the society, whether they be male, female, transgender, or intersexual. Through the process of enculturation people are taught to transmit ideas, values, and perceptions, including the processes of establishing social identity. No matter, without culture, people are nothing. Culture is the key to our existence.

Sources:
William A. Haviland, Harald E.L. Prinns, Dana Walrath. Cultural Anthropology: The Human Challenge