ABSTRACT
The chapter on Self-Awareness held the spotlight on understanding oneself as a being and in the moment. This chapter will articulate the Personal and Social identities that one needs to be aware of as they form the field for self-awareness. We shall explore the origins of social identities and the influence of family, education and culture in that process. Social identities thus formed change based on experiences and learning derived from them. The dimensions of change in social identities are also covered in this chapter. This chapter will look at the origin of Personal identity theory with William James and George Herbert Mead, and the foundational work done by them to establish the idea of consistency and differentiation in identities. With Tajfel and Turner, it will take the reader through the work done in Social Identity theory, highlighting the idea of in-group and out-group dynamics. Moving the focus to how these identities play out in social context and become part of our everyday interactions, the author holds a lens on Indian society. Here we bring in the work done by Sudhir Kakar and Veena Das on Indian social identity. T-Groups play a vital role in awareness and understanding of how personal and social identities can form the backdrop to group dynamics.
