Ascribed Identity

Guiding Foundations

Ruthellen Josselson definedidentity as an unconscious process that unites personality and links the individual to the social world. Though somewhat stable and consistent, offering a reliable sense of self and continuity linking the self with the past and present, identity grows in assurance and sophistication across the life span. We learn about ourselves by connecting with the self, observing what others reflect back to us, and by comparing and contrasting ourselves with others. Social identities indicate who we are, who other people are, and, receptively, who other people think we are. What does it mean to be an American? How is it to be a gay man? Janet Helms indicated that the concepts of identity and status indicate the dynamic interplay of processes such as cognitive and psychosocial development. Early writings on ascription used the termascribed status, whereas later writings more often used the termascribed identity.

The literature on identity indicates that premodernera identities were ascribed in that they were inherited or conferred by tradition, though rituals could alter ascribed identities. For example, through baptism and confirmation, one could convert to Catholicism. Also, through rituals, such as completion of an apprenticeship, one becomes an adult member of a culture. Now, identities are considered more likely to be achieved in that identity is malleable, flexible, and connected to people's reflection upon their experiences, circumstances, and events in relationship to their ability and will.

Early Notions of Ascribed Identity

Lipton differentiated ascribed identity from achieved identity. He believed that ascribed identities were determined at birth and individuals had little control over them, whereas achieved identities were the result of accomplishments across the life span and were often the result of will and perseverance. According to Lipton and later authors, ascribed identities served the purpose of training individuals for their future functions in society. Sigmund Freud wrote of an individual's insertion into a collection, and in so doing, the individual inherits the characteristics of the group. Leaving opportunity for an achieved identity, Anna Freud wrote that an individual can be singled out and achieve special status due to unpredicted circumstances.

Ascribed roles were seen as physiological fact. Lipton, as well as Erik Erikson, Jean Piaget, and Robert Kegan, wrote of the importance of parents and society in preparing a child for his or her future. They believed that socialization for the future predominately came from parents or what Erikson calledchildhood identifications. He [Page 45]believed that through the socializing process, children recognized their future selves in those around them. In turn, the surrounding community recognized the child as such. Erikson also noted that society vengefully rejected an individual who does not care to be acceptable. For example, through one's family, children inherited their social class position. Kinship provided a boundary of opportunity that served the purpose of the society. Ascription ensured that children replaced their parents in the labor market. Hence, it was not necessary to create new means of replacing or training labor. Ascribed identities provided the technical skills that children used to contribute to the reproduced division of labor. In fact, this reproduction occurred without force. Families and their children complied willingly due to benefits such as salary and housing.

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