Identity in the Melting Pot

Essay by EssaySwap ContributorUniversity, Bachelor's February 2008

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American society is thought by many to be a free society made up of much diversity in terms of cultures, ethnicity, and gender, just to mention a few. These are mechanisms that contribute to the country's growth and development. Known as a melting pot, the country is made up of many different cultures synthesize into one social group as well as displaying unique identities. it is vital to acknowledge the fact that in order to excuse certain behaviors we owe it to our selves to understand the concept of identity.

Our identity is very important because it encourages individuals to see themselves in relation to their friends and family, as well as in relation to the larger community that surrounds them. The different aspects of one's society shape the individuals in terms of the way we perceive things, respond to situations and makes decisions. It affects the values that we hold.

Our various identities are the backbone of the diversity that the glob poses.

Diversity is a whirlwind of color through a society. There are no two people in the world that are exactly alike. Individuality distinguishes one person or thing from the other. Lot of things determines our identity and a person's environment as a whole: an interaction with others, experiences, and time makes a collage of traits that distinguishes someone as an individual.

Our identity is characterized by class, race, gender, and nation. It is a single concept that is molded by our experiences from the world. However, people are individuals, not a development of their surroundings. Identity is then not just a single concept, there are many factors that shape it, and environment is not the only factor that shapes our identity.

Indeed, from sociologists' point of view, identity is socially constructed; People, are, in part, socialized...