unstable identity

I found a very interesting essay about instability of identity:

"The application of identity as an 'unfixed' and 'unstable' state within visual arts. Identity as an 'unfixed' and 'unstable' state. There are a number of complex theories which centre upon questions of identity. There are many issues that need to be considered when discussing this complicated area of study. I propose to examine some of these issues of identity with the support of the work of several artists whom I feel, at least in some part, directly or otherwise, deal with identity as an influence within their work. "Personal identity within philosophical accounts almost always centres on the question of what internal feature of the person establishes the continuity or self-identity of the person through time". (1) Judith Butler, in her book "Gender Trouble" warns us to be wary of considering the subject of identity as if there are set attributes within us that create or control the person we project outwardly towards others. We often believe that within each person there is a true and fixed identity. The theorist Foucault rejected this view. Foucault explained 'identity' as something we communicate to others during our interactions with them, a shifting and temporary construction. Because we interact with many people, from all parts of our society, it is reasonable to accept Psychologist Kath Woodward's proposition that perhaps we actually have more than one identity. And that we can call upon any of these identities at any particular time. Woodward pointed out that identity will need to change in relation to with whom we interact. William James, in his book "Principles of Psychology" (1890), also recognised this need to adapt to circumstances. He said "A man has as many social selves as there are individuals who recognise him and carry an image of him in their minds". For example, many people combine the life of a student, a parent and an employee at the same time. Subtle and not so subtle variations of identity may well be called upon for each of these roles. (2) It would be perhaps wise to attempt to illuminate the difference between identity and personality at this stage. Woodward is keen to point out the often held misconception that personality and identity are one and the same. Personality is a construct of traits, often common to many other people, for example - shy, timid, violent, or self confident. However, identity is perhaps best explained as providing "a link between individuals and the world in which they live," this is the process of association that seems to be central to many of the arguments. (3) Charles Cooley (1902) and George H. Mead (1934) both also agreed with the theory of interaction and attributed the 'self' as being mainly a social construct. William James had also acknowledged this, to some extent, in his theory concerning the 'Me' and 'I', in which the 'Me' is the part of our identity that we wish to show to others whilst he still believed there to be another uncontrollable influence within us which he called the 'I'. James saw the 'I' as the central core of our person. Cooley was perhaps ahead of his time with his "Looking Glass" theory of 'self', whereby he said the self is a reflection, largely from the minds of others. This therefore also being recognition of the social interaction of the process of association. (4) Erikson (1968) defined this process further by suggesting that that association occurs from a young age and continues throughout our development into adulthood. He claimed that identity formation "arises from the selective repudiation and mutual assimilation of childhood identifications" (5) Erikson continued to argue that 'children at different stages of their development identify with those part aspects of people by which they themselves are most immediately affected'. They consciously take what they need and discard what they don't. (6) Indeed, from the moment we are born we are categorised as either male or female and cultural specific sets of roles are enforced to ensure a child follows the accepted norms. But complex gender issues find a way to usurp and revise these carefully constructed role models."