The term “identity”, in the context of social psychology, was originally expanded on by Psychoanalyst Erik Erikson, whose theory of psychosocial development was based on the concept of the ego identity, often known as the self, which is defined as a person's unique feeling of continuity.
Sociologist Richard Jenkins redefines identity as “knowing who we are, knowing who others are, them knowing who we are, us knowing who they think we are and so on”. A person's identity is shaped by the various relationships they have, including those with their parents, friends, partners and children. It involves outside factors that an individual has no control over, such as height, race or socioeconomic status. Political views, moral convictions and religious convictions are all components of identity that influence daily decisions.
Barbara Smith, author and activist further incorporated this term into her concept of “identity politics”, which she employed to explain how different facets of identity collide to produce distinct kinds of oppression for women of colour, particularly Black lesbian women. The term identity politics describes a trend away from traditional broad-based party politics and towards the formation of exclusive political alliances by members of specific religious, ethnic, social, and other groups. Identity politics has been growing more impactful, both in wider society and the workplace.
