ABSTRACT
This chapter examines general notions of 'self' and 'identity'; what are some of the possible consequences of such conceptualisations; and how 'identities' may be formed. It also examines some illusions people have about, one's notionally distinctive 'selves'; the relationship between one's identity and others in social groups; and what one can morally and ethically do in light of such considerations. The chapter suggests that identities as observable or conceptualised characteristics, epiphenomena, can also be misleading or prejudicial. It outlines some theoretical and admittedly abstract ideas that are relevant foreground and context for due consideration of how teachers are currently affected by educational, political and economic circumstances of education in the UK in the early 21st century. The chapter looks at the philosophical and psychological grounding for 'the other' in the abstract and in the reality of its psychological implications.
