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Identity is often regarded as the core set of personal characteristics or qualities that distinguishes individuals from each other. The understanding of one’s own identity can be considered as an exploration of the question ‘who am I?’, especially in relation to other people. Stuart Hall argues that the notion of identity has shifted from the ‘Enlightenment subject’ to the ‘sociological subject’ and now, as Hall suggests, the ‘post-modern subject’. The notion of the ‘enlightenment subject’ was the belief that one’s identity was their ‘inner core’ which they possessed from birth and did not change, whilst the ‘sociological subject’ is the belief that identity is only formed from one’s relationship to others and the role and position that is designated to them by society. According to Hall, the ‘post-modern subject’ is the idea that as society has progressed and these designated societal roles have shifted, the very notion of a fixed identity has been called into question. I would argue that identity can be defined in relation to all of Hall’s ‘subjects’; as an individual’s ‘inner core’ or essence of being that is unique to them, as one’s relationship to others and their position in society and as a constantly changing concept that is fluid, changeable and multifarious in postmodern society.

Eibhlin Jones

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Identity on a personal and non-academic way could be defined as a set of associations with factors (family history, education, ideologies, religions and groups of people) that creates skeletons of individuals. Each individual has a role and mental capacity to filter out, maintain and develop these factors. Considering that these individuals are aware of their inherent right to do so, and that there is not an external force dictating their thoughts and actions. As is seen in the 21stcentury, it is difficult to define one’s identity as a solid, unchanging conception of each individual. Identities could be mailable dependent on an individuals location, occupation or relationship. One could have a separate identity for different roles, as student, an employee, a daughter, a lover etc). Identity lends itself to an identification with- So I  Identify with being an Egyptian, female, single, bisexual 29 year old with a Muslim background person. Some of these identifications are imposed upon me and some are by choice, however all add up to a simplified definition of an identity.

Looking at the origin of the concept of identity, beginning with tribes as a form of human social organization based on descent, language, proximity. And how with the growth and development of such social groups the terms start to get more complicated, and hierarchies start to develop, dependent on lineage, gender, power, economic position etc. With that eagle eye view you can step away and see that application on countries and the identities created  within them.

The effect of these identifications have created a complete divide between different cultures, as each culture has developed very strict set of governing social grounds that apply to its inhabitants, becoming the natural order of things, however, majority of these cultures have went through events that would reshape these social grounds (colonization, wars, need for immigrations) and in turn create sub-cultures with hybrid identities, that are sadly, sometimes unaccepted.

Currently, identities as much as they have lineage correlation and connection, result into extreme identification that leads either lack of individualization and following in the footsteps of the ancestors or an inability to tick all the boxes in one specific identity leading to a loss of identification completely. If we consider the different modern subjects theories presented by ‘Hall’s Question of cultural identities’ collectively as one theory to attempt to define what identity is that could be a fair attempt. However, putting such pressure on an individual to define with one predefined identity takes away from that person’s freedom and ability to associate.

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Identity:Identity is an important concept in western cultural studies, which is particularly favored by the New Left, feminism and post-colonialism. Its basic meaning is the identity that points to individual and specific society culture, and including many aspects such as cultural identity, national identity. This word is always asking: who am I? Where did it come from? Where to? Identity can be roughly divided into four categories.1: First, the identity between individual and specific culture is individual identity. From the perspective of culture, in the process of individual identity, the power operation of cultural institutions urges individuals to actively or negatively participate in cultural practices to realize their identity.2: Second, collective identity refers to cultural subjects making choices between two different cultural groups. Influenced by different cultures, this cultural subject must regard one culture as collective culture and another as others.3: Self-identity emphasizes the psychological and physical experience of the self and takes the self as the core. "Social identity emphasizes people's social attributes. It is the focus of enlightenment philosophy.4: Social identity refers to people's social attributes. Sociology, cultural anthropology.

# data[].attributes.subject
Identity:Identity is an important concept in western cultural studies, which is particularly favored by the New Left, feminism and post-colonialism. Its basic meaning is the identity that points to individual and specific society culture, and including many aspects such as cultural identity, national identity. This word is always asking: who am I? Where did it come from? Where to? Identity can be roughly divided into four categories.1: First, the identity between individual and specific culture is individual identity. From the perspective of culture, in the process of individual identity, the power operation of cultural institutions urges individuals to actively or negatively participate in cultural practices to realize their identity.2: Second, collective identity refers to cultural subjects making choices between two different cultural groups. Influenced by different cultures, this cultural subject must regard one culture as collective culture and another as others.3: Self-identity emphasizes the psychological and physical experience of the self and takes the self as the core. "Social identity emphasizes people's social attributes. It is the focus of enlightenment philosophy.4: Social identity refers to people's social attributes. Sociology, cultural anthropology.

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Identity - is a constantly changing structure of an individual’s self that combines multiple elements of its personality making it unique in the eyes of itself as well as others. On the one hand, identity is defined by each person’s beliefs, morals, values and principles. On the other hand, by expectations, norms and ideologies of a community that includes family, friends, colleagues and nationals. One starts with defining who it is and who it wants to be and on that path of personal development ‘reconstructs the autobiographical past and imagines the future in such a way as to provide with some degree of unity, purpose, and meaning’. (McAdams, McLean, 2013). The correlation between ‘identity’ and ‘meaning’ provides an interesting angle from an artist’s perspective. An artist’s identity, in this case, can be defined as the process of crafting itself in order to develop a unique and recognisable set of attributes that will ensure positive differentiation and either artistic fulfilment or public recognition or both. The volatile nature of identity, however, remains relative as every narrative suggests an existence of milestones that remain unchanged within a lifespan and form key identity markers. Pre-defined identity markers such as nationality, gender, religion etc. may serve as foundations but by no means should navigate or limit a trajectory of identity development

# data[].attributes.subject
Identity - is a constantly changing structure of an individual’s self that combines multiple elements of its personality making it unique in the eyes of itself as well as others. On the one hand, identity is defined by each person’s beliefs, morals, values and principles. On the other hand, by expectations, norms and ideologies of a community that includes family, friends, colleagues and nationals. One starts with defining who it is and who it wants to be and on that path of personal development ‘reconstructs the autobiographical past and imagines the future in such a way as to provide with some degree of unity, purpose, and meaning’. (McAdams, McLean, 2013). The correlation between ‘identity’ and ‘meaning’ provides an interesting angle from an artist’s perspective. An artist’s identity, in this case, can be defined as the process of crafting itself in order to develop a unique and recognisable set of attributes that will ensure positive differentiation and either artistic fulfilment or public recognition or both. The volatile nature of identity, however, remains relative as every narrative suggests an existence of milestones that remain unchanged within a lifespan and form key identity markers. Pre-defined identity markers such as nationality, gender, religion etc. may serve as foundations but by no means should navigate or limit a trajectory of identity development

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Identity can be broadly defined as classify people or groups of people into separate value-based categories to describe or define themselves from, or in relation to others. A postmodern understanding of identity positions identity as not being fixed, essential or permanent  - but rather something that is in flux, changeable and complex.  Identity as a concept evolves with individual and cultural changes in systems or beliefs. Our identities can be defined and shaped either personally or by wider society. Identity plays out on many levels of a person’s description to describe personal, collective and social groupings, including main categories such as: age, religion, social class, profession, culture, disability, education, race or ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation and can highlight either an affiliation or division with others. Identity is formed and transformed continually and alters the ways in which we are represented or addressed by ourselves, or others.

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Assuming the different theoretical approaches to the concept of identity, I state here a wider understanding of it.

Identity is a complex system of values, beliefs, attitudes, qualities, which characterise either individual and group. For instance, individuals can interpret events in the world and make their own decisions through their own identity.

In general, “identity comes as self-depiction and describes personal, collective and public trajectories” (S. Wesner, P.74). However, identity is a flux, it is not fixed or unchangeable since it “mediates between positionality in the sociostructural system and the habitus of embodied dispositions, linking experience with the enduring cultural and social systems of belief, values and practice” (S. Wesner, P.76). Moreover, identity influences and contain individual biography and careers (for example, Wesner argued about the artists’ identity) working as a decisional point in the group’s belonging.

Ultimately, as Stuart Hall highlighted, there is a strong connection between identity and history: “it is something which, since the Enlightenment, has been taken to define the very core or essence of our being, and to ground our experience as human subjects” (Hall, 1992, P.275). Not only identity is connected to history, but also it can play in it through its political and social actors.

Manuela Terranova

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Identity is an abstract concept which represents who you are and defines the extremes of an individual, at least temporarily. It is a notion and can be applied to various fields and times such as identity crisis, identity card, brand identity, cultural identity. All these definitions entail different meanings and points of view, primarily theoretical. As we have seen identity can also be interpreted as process, an agency, a development and in a certain way also a fantasy. This happens because of the society development and its changes which have an impact on humans behaviour. For this reason, the individual lives in a constant transition period which create mutiple ways of seeing identity. Therefore, it would be inhumane to identify ourselves in a unique identity since we are surrounded by different realities and ages. 

# data[].attributes.subject
Identity is an abstract concept which represents who you are and defines the extremes of an individual, at least temporarily. It is a notion and can be applied to various fields and times such as identity crisis, identity card, brand identity, cultural identity. All these definitions entail different meanings and points of view, primarily theoretical. As we have seen identity can also be interpreted as process, an agency, a development and in a certain way also a fantasy. This happens because of the society development and its changes which have an impact on humans behaviour. For this reason, the individual lives in a constant transition period which create mutiple ways of seeing identity. Therefore, it would be inhumane to identify ourselves in a unique identity since we are surrounded by different realities and ages. 

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Benedetta Gentileschi

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Identity - An external reflection and internal understanding of the self 

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Identity - An external reflection and internal understanding of the self 

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Identity is the representation of the sum of integrated cultural components, and their external manifestation in interaction with society.

On one side, a confrontation between the self-representation and what others (institutions, peer groups, etc.) might see, understand and perceive about me. On the other side, the development of internal values due to confrontation with others.

Those cultural components are formed of elements you are born with (race,…) et previously thought to be fixed (gender, religion, …) and others more or less variable build by experiences, interests, desire to belong to certain groups (values, social status, work, education, …). Nature & nurture.

The ‘variable’ parameter induce that we can experience several identities as we walk through life: adapting or not to an evolving society around us; as we evolve and move through different paths, interests, etc. but also at the same time, depending on context (common or differentiating elements within groups). Those multiple identities, past/present, internal/external, can be in conflict, resulting in distorted identities or identity crisis.

The definition of identity differs depending on the prism through which we are looking at it. Philosophy, sociology, anthropology, psychology... Each of those disciplines is going to dig deeper on one aspect to the detriment of the others.

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Identity is the construction of different perspectives and cultural traditions that lays each individuals life recognition. Each human has an environment which in a social way-aspect have particular characteristics of ways of thinking, behaviors and free choices. Therefore, identity recovers its sense in order to reflect the beliefs that are in each community. The whole particularities and characteristics regarding in a community makes the differences with other ones and support each individual perspective and identification. In other words, identity follows a sense of belonging to a social group and this distinction delineates the differences with other identities.Trough the time of living each individual is in complete liberty to choose if its mindset and experience belong to one group identity or if its better fits with another environment. In addition, identity changes within the environment where the individual is living, if the environment it’s in constantly changing however each individual will be in the election to define its identity. In other cases, not all, if the individual changes his environment there will be a new perspective in his mind which could generate in him a new shape of his identity, and that will be reborn of the concept of identity.

# data[].attributes.subject
Identity is the construction of different perspectives and cultural traditions that lays each individuals life recognition. Each human has an environment which in a social way-aspect have particular characteristics of ways of thinking, behaviors and free choices. Therefore, identity recovers its sense in order to reflect the beliefs that are in each community. The whole particularities and characteristics regarding in a community makes the differences with other ones and support each individual perspective and identification. In other words, identity follows a sense of belonging to a social group and this distinction delineates the differences with other identities.Trough the time of living each individual is in complete liberty to choose if its mindset and experience belong to one group identity or if its better fits with another environment. In addition, identity changes within the environment where the individual is living, if the environment it’s in constantly changing however each individual will be in the election to define its identity. In other cases, not all, if the individual changes his environment there will be a new perspective in his mind which could generate in him a new shape of his identity, and that will be reborn of the concept of identity.