Identity is all about knowing who you are. It includes different aspects of yourself, like your personality, qualities, beliefs, and more. Some parts of your identity come from your personal experiences, while others are shaped by society and how people around you see you. People have multiple identities that make them unique, such as their gender, race, ethnicity, occupation, and social status. These identities help us connect with others and find a sense of belonging (Baumeister, 1986). Additionally, identities allow one to assume a role within a community (Serpe & Stryker, 2010).
Identity is not fixed; it can change and evolve over time (Smith & Sparkes, 2008). It is influenced by how others perceive you, how they react to you, and how you feel about yourself based on those interactions.
In the world of sports, researchers have long looked into the role of athletic identity, which is how being an athlete becomes a part of someone’s sense of self (Ronkainen et al., 2016). More recent studies however have begun to assess how other identities like gender, age, and sexuality affect athletes and their experiences.
Baumeister, R. F. (1986). Identity: Cultural change and the struggle for self. UK: Oxford University Press.
Ronkainen, N. J., Kavoura, A., & Ryba, T. V. (2016). A meta-study of athletic identity research in sport psychology: Current status and future directions. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 9, 45 64.
Serpe, R. T., & Stryker, S. (2010). The symbolic interactionist perspective and identity theory. In S. J. Schwartz, et al. (Eds.), Handbook of Identity Theory and Research (pp. 225 248). New York: Springer.
Smith, B., & Sparkes, A. C. (2008). Contrasting perspectives on narrating selves and identities: An invitation to dialogue. Qualitative Research, 8, 5 35.
