Proces kształtowania się tożsamości człowieka – samoświadomość z wykorzystaniem odbicia w lustrach społecznych

Abstract

In defining and assessing reality, a person needs self-awareness, a sense of belonging to some category as well as a sense of separateness and uniqueness, which in turn involves the need of an environment. The feedback mechanism between us and the environment is the leaven of a process of shaping personal, social and cultural identity. The intention of this article is to present the methods of scientific exploration and analysis of the process of identity formation. Identity can be defined as a socially negotiated project of individual awareness. However, it is not given to a human being right away; instead, it should be sought throughout an entire life, made a subject of search as part of everyday human activity. Rather unappealing images of adulthood can strengthen the mechanism of escaping from responsibility and stimulating the attitudes of living for today. Strong mechanisms of modelling identity patterns on the basis of intergenerational transmission become less relevant. The current young generation is looking for patterns in the space of their own generation, while having strong mechanisms of selfdetermination, shaping their own reality, creating their own behaviour patterns, often based on experience. In the author’s opinion, reversing these trends, an attempt to consciously analyse the past, present and future, becomes an important and necessary challenge of education.