Identity is what we
perceive ourselves to be in the
eyes and opinions of others. It is the defining factor of what we are and also what we are not.
Identity can be personal, national or false. By false I mean the whole stereotypical view one gets from institutions like the media.
Think about gendered roles of stereotypes, the meaning of image, how powerful is that?
Movies and television adverts reinforce dominant ideologies and stereotypes aid this. Think of a western movie, the woman was always situated within the home looking out from a window across the desert. Consider the woman in an advert, washing, cleaning, looking after her children and man, eternally the mother.
Identity and identification are not stable; they are constantly engaged in a hegemonic battle between the forces in social structures.