Roles in Society as an Indicator of Identity

Necessary wisdom

Some people believe they can sum up their identity by the various roles they play in society - roles associated with such things as family, paid and unpaid employment, personal interests, groups and organizations or politics etc. If asked, “Who are you?”, these people might give replies such as, “I am an accountant”, or “I am the mother of three beautiful children” or “I’m the President of the local Rotary club” or “I am the local member of Parliament” etc. Unfortunately, if this is the only way such people view their identity, they may face identity issues if forced to move on from such roles later. Most of our roles in society are temporary, and whilst they might help to define us for a short period, they will change just as surely as we will change. Even so, with this limitation in mind, it can still be helpful to spell out the roles we currently play and have played over time to reveal and explore any patterns in our role-playing. The exercise can also provide some insights into the later set of identity indicators dealing with skills, talents and gifts (Step 19).

Creative responses

CREATIVE RESPONSE (SU): Make a list of the roles you currently play and have played in various areas of life such as employment, family duties, sport, organizations, and politics.

*         Here are some sample responses under some suggested headings.

My Roles in Society (Present and Past)

Roles in My Family

-          Father (is a father of two children) etc.

Roles in Employment & Vocations (Paid and Unpaid)

-          A teacher (was a teacher of adolescents) etc.

Roles in Interests, Pastimes and Sports

-          A movie goer (is a regular movie goer)

-          A footballer (was a footballer in the district football competition)

Roles in Organizations and Groups

-          A president (was president of a local Lions club) etc.

Roles in Politics

-          A swinging voter (is a swinging voter in a rural electorate in Australia)