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thisHliquidworld”(Bauman,2007,p.84),holdingoneidentityforalong
timecanberisky.Alternativesofferanumberofpossibilitiesandconstant
decisiontaking,makingcontemporaryindividualsbelievethatthereisasec-
ondwayoranotheridentity(alterego)basedondifferentvalues,priorities,
careersorrelationswithothers.Relativityinconstructingidentityrefersto
valuesandpseudo-valueswhichchangeinthespaceofthewholelifebut
arerelevantforanindividualinagivencontextwhoisusuallydrivenbythe
promiseofself-developmentorsocialiconsofsuccess,ratherthantradi-
tionalcategoriesrelatedtosomethingexternal,likeanauthority.Processes
representanotherwayofunderstandinghumanidentitydilemmas,accord-
ingtowhichErikson’squestionsofHWhoamI?”orHWhoamItobe?”can
soundlikeprocesses,suchasWhoelsecanIbecome?orHowcanIchange?
Suchidentityisinmotionandconstantlyundergoingtransformation,and
thepointofdepartureisrelianceonbecomingsomeonenew.
1.2BasicIdentityDistinctions
Despitetheexistenceofanumberofapproachesofferinganswerstothe
questionofidentity,therearealsoseveralconsistentwaysofthinkingabout
it.Themostpopularisstillthedistinctionbetweensocialidentityandper-
sonalidentity,abriefdescriptionofeachIwillnowpresent.
1.2.1SocialIdentity
SocialidentityisconnectedwiththeformationofHwe”andisusuallyat-
tachedtothegroupstowhichpeoplebelong.ItreferstoHthatpartofthein-
dividual’sself-conceptwhichderivesfromhisknowledgeofhismembership
ofasocialgroup(orgroups)togetherwiththevalueandemotionalsignifi-
canceofthatmembership”(Tajfel,1981,p.225,inAugoustinosetal.,2006,
p.25).Expressedincognitivelinkswithotherpeopleoridentificationwith
theirintentions,activitiesandwaysofperceivingtheworld(Grzelak&Ja-
rymowicz,2000,p.117),socialidentitymeansfeelingclosetoaparticular
community.Atthesametime,itislookingatanotherindividualfromthe
standpointofasocialcategory,positionorstatus.Socialidentityimpliesthat
groupidentificationsand/orgroupdiscriminationsareformedonanusand
themdichotomy.
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