What Is Collective Indentity?

The collective identity of a person is created through thir sense of belonging to a group or class. This could be through their place of work, religion, family life, peers, social class, E/community (Internet social networking/school/clubs/groups) and aspirations.

A leader in the development of ones identity was Jacques Lacan, a French psychoanalyst. He proposed a theory called the Mirror Stage, which is when a child develop their identity. The Mirror Stage explains the creation of an Ego through the process of identification with ones own image. He showed how a baby can recognise itself in the mirror at around six months. This theory can be used in the media to describe how audiences recognise images on screen, helping to reinforce and define their personal identity and aspirations. When an audience see a character on screen that they like, this could be due to the fact that they can identify with the character or aspire to be like the character, or both.

The media can influence the indentity of a person through many formats and platforms. TV, Film, Radio, Magazines and the internet can affect how we create our own identity, as people can idolise or aspire to be like a famous celebrity. Furthermore, as a result of peer pressure and false advertising, ones identity can be affected in a negative way.