Ethnic Identity - The Process Of Identity Formation

Name Tutor Course Date Ethnic Identity Ethnic identity refers to the degree to which an individual belongs and identifies with a certain ethnic group. It also includes one’s perceptions, way of thinking, as well as behaviour that arises as a result of being a member to a certain ethnic group. Ethic identity also determines one’s awareness and attitude towards other ethnic groups. Though ethnic identity is frequently used interchangeably with personal identity, the two are not synonymous. Moreover, ethnic identity is different from racial identity in that while race is categorization used by sociologists to classify humans into distinct populations, ethnic groups are classifications based on shared traits such as common heritage or language. Ethnic identity development is the process of identity formation as well as self-categorization and attachment to an ethnic group. Various theories have been put forward over time to explain ethnic identity development (Baty, Dominy and Mason 2011). According to the Phinney’s Model of Ethnic Identity Development developed in 1995, ethnic identity develops in three stages, unexamined ethnic identity, ethnic identity search, and ethnic identity achievement. The unexamined ethnic identity consists of two categories depending on the knowledge of the existence of ethnicity that an individual has. In the diffusion category, an individual has not yet encountered ethnicity and the issue does not really matter to them. In the foreclosure category, an individual has gathered various information on ethnicity either from family or peers, and succumbs to it. In the ethnic identity search stage, which is also called the moratorium stage, an individual become more aware of ethnicity and start looking for their own identity. In the ethnic identity achievement stage, an individual is more knowledgeable about their ethnicity and...