Appiah chapter 1 identity

Narratives and the self

Who we are is shaped by family and local ties, but also by broader identities: nationality, gender, class, sexuality, race, and religion

Religion as practice, not creed

While often reduced to belief and scripture, religious life is also about rituals, community, and practices

The illusion of essence

People often assume identities have a deep, binding similarity at their core, but this is misleading

Social identity

Modern notions of identity (race, sex, class, nationality, religion) are recent and socially constructed. Sociologists define identity as a position within a group, carrying rights, obligations, and expectations

Normative significance

Identities matter because they guide how people live, what they value, and how they treat each other. But meanings are always contested

Power and hierarchy

Identities can elevate or marginalize people, fueling struggles over status and justice

intersectionality

Identities overlap in complex ways (race, gender, sexuality, class). The idea of intersectionality captures how these overlapping identities create unique experiences of privilege or oppression

Habitus (Bourdieu)

Identities shape unconscious habits of body and speech (how we walk, dress, or talk), signaling who we are

Psychological tendencies: Essentialism

Humans assume groups share a hidden “essence,” which leads to stereotyping and prejudice

Psychological tendencies: In-groups vs. out-groups

We instinctively favor those we see as “us” and often distrust “them.”

Conclusion

Identities are powerful, shaping both behavior and perception, but they are constructed, contested, and often misunderstood as fixed essences