IDENTITY

Identity

is an umbrella term used throughout the social sciences to describe an individual's comprehension of him or herself as a discrete, separate entity.

Specification of Identity

• Psychological Identity – relating to self image • Sociological Identity – by learning of social roles through personal experience Psychologists use the term identity to refer to personal identity

Psychological Identity

• P

sychological identity (personal identity)

relates to: - self-concept - self-image (a person's mental model of him or herself), - self-esteem, - and individuation.

Self

• A

self

is an individual person, from his or her own perspective. To you,

self

is you.

To someone else,

self

is that person.

Personal Identity

• Psychologists most commonly use the term "identity" to describe

personal identity

, or the idiosyncratic things that make a person unique

Gender Identity

• An important part of identity in psychology is gender identity, as this dictates to a significant degree how an individual views him or herself both as a person and in relation to other people.

Erik Erikson

• Erik Erikson (psychodynamic tradition) was one of the earliest psychologists to be explicitly interested in identity. By far, this is the most comprehensive and provocative story of identity development.

• The developmental process is called psychosocial vs psychosexual (Freud)

Identity (5

th

stage)

• Identity is Erikson’s fifth developmental stage. At this stage the individuals face the task of finding out who they are, what they are about, and where they are going in life. This is the time of exploration

Identity achievement

• If the adolescents explores different roles in a healthy manner and arrives at positive path to follow, then a positive identity will be achieved. This is a life long process

Consequences of Id. Achievement

• People who are capable of: - intimacy - Generativity - Integrity Emerges a new sense of self that is both refreshing and acceptable

Consequence of failure - Identity Confusion

• If an identity is pushed on the adolescents by parents, • If the adolescent does not adequately explore many roles, • And if a positive future path is not defined then identity confusion is the result

Consequence of failure

• Isolation • Stagnation • Despair Such individuals withdraw, isolating themselves from peers and family Or They may lose their identity in the crowd

Erikson’s Stages of Development

• Trust vs. Mistrust (I)- physical comfort and minimal amount of fear • Autonomy vs. shame and doubt (1-3)- healthy independence • Initiative vs. guilt (3-6)- active and purposeful behaviour • Industry vs. inferiority (7-11)- mastering knowledge and intellectual skills • Identity vs. identity confusion (12-19) – who they are • Intimacy vs. isolation (20-40)- intimate relationships skills • Generativity vs. stagnation (41-60)- assist the next generation • Integrity vs. despair (61and above ) - Satisfaction

Process

• Successful negotiation of early stages • Most basic is the stage of trust vs. mistrust

Ego Identity and Social Identity

•

The Eriksonian framework rests upon a distinction among the psychological sense of continuity, known as the ego identity

( sometimes identified simply as "the self"); the personal idiosyncrasies that separate one person from the next, known as the

personal identity

;

and the collection of social roles that a person might play, known as either the social identity or the cultural identity.

Identity Formation

•

Identity formation

is the process of the development of the distinct personality of an individual regarded as a persisting entity (known as personal continuity) in a particular stage of life in which individual characteristics are possessed by which a person is recognized or known

Identity formation

• This process defines an individual to others and oneself.

Elements of Identity

Pieces of the entity's actual identity include: • a sense of continuity, • a sense of uniqueness from others, • a sense of affiliation.

Identity Formation Strategies

• There are certain

identity formation strategies

which a person may use to adapt to the social world.

Identity Formation Strategies (Cote and Levine)

According to the different manner of behaviors, they are divided into: • Refuser • Drifter • Searcher • Guardian • Resolve

Manners of behavior

• Psychological Symptoms – thoughts and emotions • Personality symptoms –expressions and functions • Social Symptoms – relational patterns

Refuser

• Psychological Symptoms Develop cognitive blocks that prevent adoption of adult roles • Personality symptoms Engages in child-like behavior • Shows extensive dependency upon others and no meaningful engagement with the community of adults

Drifter

• PS Possesses greater psychological resources than the refuser (intelligence and charisma) • Person S.

• Is apathetic toward application of psychological resources • SS • Has no meaningful engagement with or commitment to adult communities

Searcher

• Psy.S

Has a sense of dissatisfaction due to high personal or social expectations • Person S.

Shows disdain for imperfections within the community • SS Interacts to some degree with role-models, but ultimately these relationships are abandoned

Guardian

• Psy. S.

Possesses clear personal values and attitudes, but also a deep fear of change • Person. S.

Sense of personal identity is almost exhausted by sense of social identity • SS.

Has an extremely rigid sense of social identity and strong identification with adult communities

Resolver

• Psy. S.

Consciously desire self growth • Person S.

Accepts personal skills and competence and uses them actively • SS.

• Is responsive to communities that provide opportunity for self-growth

Four Statuses of Identity (James Marcia)

• Identity diffusion • Identity Foreclosure • Identity Moratorium • Identity Achievement

Crisis and Commitment

• Crisis is the period of Identity development during which the adolescent is choosing among meaningful alternatives • Commitment is the part of Identity development in which adolescents show a personal investment in what they are going to do

Identity diffusion

• The status of adolescents who have not yet experienced a crisis (i.e. they have not yet explored meaningful alternatives) or made any commitments.

• Undecided about occupational or ideological choices

Identity foreclosure

• Status of adolescents who have made a commitment but have not experienced a crisis • This occurs when parents hand down commitments to adolescents in an authoritarian manner • In such circumstances there is no possibility for exploring different approaches, ideologies and vocations on their own

Identity moratorium

• The status of adolescents who are in the midst of a crisis, but their commitments are either absent or only vaguely defined

Identity Achievement

• The status of adolescents who have undergone a crisis and have made a commitment

Identity Status

Position On occupation & Ideology Identity Moratorium Identity fore closure Identity diffusion Crisis Present Absent Absent Identity achievement Present Commit ment Absent Present Absent Present

Important factors for Identity formation

• Establish confident in parental support • Develop a sense of industry • Gain a self-reflective perspective

Important considerations

• 1. Identity development is a lengthy process. • It is gradual and less cataclysmic transition

IC contd…

• 2. Identity development is extraordinarily complex • It neither begins or ends with adolescence. • It begins with the development of self and reaches final stage at old age

IC contd…

• 3. identity formation does not happen neatly. • It does not happen cataclysmically.

• It involves commitment to a vocational direction, an ideological stance and a sexual orientation

IC contd…

• 4. synthesizing the identity components (Physical development, cognitive development, emotional development and social development) can be a long process with many negations and affirmations

IC contd…

• 5. Identities are made in bits and pieces. Decisions are not made once and for all, but have to be made again and again

Claretian Identity

• Components - Historical Identity - Canonical Identity - Charismatic Identity

Achievement of Claretian Identity

• How?

- Through the spiritual patrimony – the charism (of the founder and of the Congregation), the tradition and healthy traditions

Charism

• Gift of grace intended to begin a form of life suited for many people to be lived (collective gift) • Charism that is transmissible, enduring and able to be developed and updated (Only the Holy Spirit can give or transmit the charism. The founder cannot give or transmit his charism to others)

Charism through

• Institutionalization – the process of making the charism visible through expression, regulation and ecclesiastical approval • Historical Expression – incarnated in and linked to the culture of a particular time and geographical location

The tradition

• The accumulated living out of the charism by the entire institute throughout its history; i.e. the mindset of the congregation, its lifestyle as a family, its role model, its saints etc.

• It is the treasure house of the life, spirituality and mission of our Congregation over the course of its history

The traditions

• Customs and usages, ideas, values related to the living out of the charism that is expressed in the spirituality, mission and lifestyle).

• Traditions must have three characteristics: - Healthy – salutary, living and life-producing - Universal – lived throughout the whole congregation - Permanent – endure throughout the congregation’s nistory

Charism of the founder

• Four aspects: 1. A special personal vocation. For Claret, the charism is converted into a particular call. Charism of our founder is a missionary charism which is basically expressed as the ministry of the Word in the style of the apsotles

Mission

• 2 . A unique call – An acute sensitivity to the needs of the church- effective collaborators of the bishops

Spirituality

• 3. A particular spirituality Claret’s spirituality was apostolic – he lived imitating the Son sent by the Father, through Mary, in order to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom (CC3,4,5)

Lifestyle

• 4. The charism of Claret crystallized into a specific lifestyle Spirituality, mission and lifestyle are intimately related.

Charism of the Congregation

• Keep alive the awareness that our congregation was founded by the Holy Spirit through he mediation of St. Claret.

• The charism of the congregation is basically expressed in the life of St. Claret, but it has undergone development (constitutions, directory, general chapters, etc.)

Basic Identity of….

• I. The basic identity of the Congregation’s charism 1. We are a congregation of missionaries (to be with him and so He might sent them to preach) (substantial and essential, reminds the GC of 1967)

Servants of the Word

• 2. Congregation of Servants of the Word - founder proposes to th students to become “suitable ministers of God’s Word” - General Chapter of 1967 – our specific mission as servants of the Word - Very clear in the CC 6,13, 46,73.

- GC 1991 –Theme Servants of the Word - GC 1997 Prophetic Dimension of the Service of the Word

Charismatic Identity

• 3. The Charismatic Identity the consciousness of being a community of apostolic missionaries for the service of the Word is the energizing and configuring principle

Manifestation of Charism

• II. The manifestation of the Charism in the lived experience of the congregation 1. The congregation's mission

receives its identity and nature from the charism.

It is missionary in the style of the apostles and it revolves around the service of the Word.

Congregation’s Spirituality

• 2. The congregation's Spirituality.

Spirituality is the internalization and the subjective living out of the charism Main Characteristics of spirituality: - spirituality of hearers and servants of the Word - A Christ-centered spirituality – following Christ the supreme rule

Characteristics of Spirituality

A Eucharistic spirituality –generative center of our missionary and community life.

- A spirituality of total dedication to the Father - A spirituality of Cordi-Marian sonship - A spirituality of sacrifice and self-denial 3. The congregation’s lifestyle

Institutionalization & Historical Development •

III

. Institutionalization of the claretian Charism • IV. Historical development in creative fidelity

Transmission of the Experience of Charism • Formation in the Charismatic Identity • Formation in the community dimension of the Claretian Charism Tension….

• Formation for the Apostolic Dimension of the Claretian Charism

Prepared by Fr. George Kallampally cmf