"What do you identify as"

[User09678]

I hope this is allowed as it was inspired by another thread. Asking people what they "identify as" (in this case class) has always made me curious because it seems so often to me that if someone is having to identify as something, then it's because they're often not that thing. Identifying as having a good sense of humour, lol. Let us be the judge of that. But my point is that you can't pick and choose identities, they're really ascribed by wider society and circumstance and reality. Am I being unreasonable? Probably

Welsh

Poor

I agree. You are something, you don't need to identify as anything.

In most circumstances, yes. But when people are asked if they identify as English, British or a UK citizen, then you can self identify. If you haven't got white skin, a lot of people wouldn't see you as English. So you self identify. There's heated debate around African/American.

You're right. It introduces doubt. If you say someone 'identifies as a feminist' for instance, it implies you don't see them as a real feminist. There's also 'identifies as gay' or 'identifies as disabled '.

I think identify would be more ascribed to an ideologically driven thing and being is reality- so you identify as christian or Muslim but are a human.

I don’t identify as anything, I am me.

28yr old female.
A mother.
Can't be doing with all the cat/dog/ rabbit bloody bear bollox. No time for it.

I identify other people as morons. So do I identify myself as a moron-identifier?

Someone who has zero tolerance for gender identity bollocks.

Identifying as something is completely irrelevant to others - it's like saying I prefer crisps to chocolate. It has no bearing on eg job applications, and not should it.

*nor

Identity is complicated.

Ummm me?

Knackered.

This morning, I identify as tired.

I know what you mean OP. I hate being asked if I identify as disabled, I am disabled, it's not something I can opt out of or change, which I think "identify as" implies.

Are you Charlotte?

It seems people haven't read your post very well OP!

I do wonder what the fascination with self identification has come from. I'm all for gender identity and I believe to an extent you can define your own identity (I identify as a non Brit living in Britain, I know what class I am and I identify as a woman and have done since birth, for example)

I think it seems from young people seeking their own identities as we all have done as teens and YAs. But grown adults whingeing that they identify as this that and the other and we all have to just know how they identify and respect it is odd. I don't just mean gender either- I can tell if someone is a man or woman most of the time- trans or not. But those who identify as disabled when they have an invisible disability, but expect it to be known and respected and never challenged. It gets complicated, should we challenge people's self identity? Or should we be open to being challenged?

Human

A kettle

But my point is that you can't pick and choose identities, they're really ascribed by wider society and circumstance and reality

Well if wider society is ascribing identities to people than I don't see a problem with individuals ascribing an identity to themselves. Although it doesn't necessarily mean that their self-chosen identity is factually correct...

A PP gave a good example of level of nationality, eg British, English, Scottish etc. I would add a regional level, eg Cornish instead of English, Shetlander instead of Scottish. That type of self-identification doesn't affect anyone else.

As to the PP who mentioned disability, I think self-identitying disability is helpful in some circumstances. Some people have health conditions that don't fall under an official definition of disability but can be extremely debilitating, eg migraine so severe and frequent that you can't hold done a job.

A collection of cells.

....and chocolate.

'What .... do you see yourself as?'

Other people may see you differently.