In the social jungle of human existence, there is no feeling of being alive without a sense of identity.” – Erik Erikson. This famous quote by Erik Erikson reflects on how feelings of worthlessness and emptiness, rather than feelings of being alive without an identity. Have you ever noticed that whenever we meet someone, the most common question we ask is “What do you do?” The answer to this question is not merely a description of the job, but is a testimony of who we are. Work has become a huge part of our lives. It is not only for paying bills, but it has become deeply intertwined with our personality. But have you ever thought about what you would do without your job?
What is Identity
According to the American Psychological Association, identity is an individual’s sense of self defined by a set of physical and psychological characteristics that are not shared with anyone else. It includes a range of affiliations and roles and involves a sense of continuity, the feeling that one is the same person today as one was yesterday or last year. It is a combination of internal and external factors, including culture, social and personal influences such as gender, ethnicity, and family dynamics.
According to Erikson’s psycho social development theory, adolescence is the crucial stage for identity formation, failing which an individual may develop role confusion. According to James Marcia, there are two important elements: crises and commitment. Crises involve exploration and selection of identity alternatives in different social situations, and commitment is engaging in activities to implement the choice made.
Based on these two elements, identity can be classified into four statuses. These four statuses are identity diffusion (low exploration and low commitment), identity foreclosure (low exploration and high commitment), identity moratorium( high exploration but low commitment) and identity achievement ( high exploration and high commitment). These statuses are related to different roles and values such as sexuality, religion and occupation (EBSCO). Occupation unknowingly takes a central role in our lives, shaping our values and relationships.
Read More: Born Into an Era: How Society Creates and Reinforces Generational Identity
Role of Work in Shaping Our Identity
Carl Jung said that man cannot stand a meaningless life. By meaning, he didn’t mean productivity or work, but we’ve been exposed culture where there’s overidentification with the work we do. School achievements, career aspirations, bonuses in a job, and job titles decide our values. Due to this, these job roles become a major part of oneself and are also inseparable. While identity is influenced by roles, relationships, religion, occupation and work often overshadow the other elements and become the defining element. This may sometimes lead to loss of the authentic self.
This is mostly seen in the loss of a job. Studies show that with the loss of a job, there is a loss of purpose in life (Springer et al. 2011). Sense of purpose is an important motivational factor in enhancing the meaning of life ( Ward and King et al. 2017). Not only this, but when people find their work and life meaningful, they experience higher well-being and heightened motivation and performance in the workplace. This explains why people with job insecurity experience lower self-worth. Due to this, work is considered a priority and relationships may suffer. When relationships take a back seat, people feel isolated and are unable to enjoy and value personal connections.
One question that might occur is, why is work overshadowing the other elements of identity? This is because we spend most of our time at work, especially in demanding sectors. This naturally leads to us being in that particular role, completing projects and dealing with deadlines. Not only this, when our family, as well as society, values professional achievements, we are more conditioned to meet certain profession-related expectations. All this in turn impacts our ambitions and ideals. Not only does this work fulfil the need for validation, but it also offers us an opportunity to work, see the results, achieve and feel useful. Apart from this, jobs with good pay provide us with an opportunity to move upward in the socioeconomic strata, which helps in transforming our lifestyle and habits. Such opportunities and their achievements enhance our sense of self and self-concept.
Social Identity Theory
This theory clearly explains that individuals develop their identities and sense of self from their membership in social groups. Tajfel and Turner state that group status influences the formation of identity. Criteria such as an individual’s unemployment in comparative evaluation can sometimes shed negative light on the individual, lowering their self-esteem. Stigma related to unemployment can cause feelings of guilt, shame, inadequacy, and loss of social status, which impact identity formation. Thus negative social identity can negatively impact mental health as well.
Read More: Workplace Belonging: How Jobs Affect Social Identity and Inclusion
Conclusion
A study by Anastasia Kitiashvili (2019 states that work plays an important role in identity and well-being. Unemployment not only impacts financially but also psychologically and socially. A strong identification with the identity of unemployment leads to low self-esteem, poor life satisfaction and hence decreased sense of well-being. It is often accompanied by a lack of optimism and limited control over one’s life.
It is also found that virtual identity is mostly used as a coping mechanism, which involves the construction of a persona, community membership and digital reputation in spaces like social media. These help in seeking social support and reduce isolation. Work not only shapes identity but also impacts all elements of self.
References +
Springer K. W., Pudrovska T., Hauser R. M. (2011). Does psychological well-being change with age? Longitudinal tests of age variations and further exploration of the multidimensionality of Ryff’s model of psychological well-being. Social Science Research, 40(1), 392–398. 10.1016/j.ssresearch.2010.05.008
Ward S. J., King L. A. (2017). Work and the good life: How work contributes to meaning in life. Research in Organisational Behaviour, 37, 59–82. 10.1016/j.riob.2017.10.001
Kitiashvili, A. (2019). Dealing with Identity Loss and Well-being of Unemployed Young People. Journal of Advanced Research in Social Sciences. https://doi.org/10.33422/jarss.2019.05.04
Zahraa. (2025, October 1). Who we are and what we do: How work impacts our sense of identity – PEN Consultancy. Pen Consultancy. https://penconsultancy.co/who-we-are-and-what-we-do-how-work-impacts-our-sense-of-identity/
Rh, L. (2024, October 17). When work shapes our identity. Leduc Ressources Humaines. https://ressources.leducrh.ca/en/blog/when-work-shapes-our-identity
APA Dictionary of Psychology. (n.d.). https://dictionary.apa.org/identity
Identity formation | Psychology | Research Starters | EBSCO Research. (n.d.). EBSCO. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/psychology/identity-formation
Morgan, K. (2022, February 25). Why do we define ourselves by our jobs? https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210409-why-we-define-ourselves-by-our-jobs
Job loss, identity, and mental health. (n.d.-b). Google Books. https://books.google.com/books/about/Job_Loss_Identity_and_Mental_Health.html?id=X1YuDAAAQBAJ#v=onepage&q&f=false
