The Born (again) Identity

This case shows how identities are changed through time and how they can also change through experiences in one’s life. Identity consists of shifts and is multi-layered as well. These layers are how our identities are formed through feelings, thoughts, spirituality and behavior.

John was a high school student who was on the football team. At one of his games he ran the winning touchdown for the team and became well-known at school. This brought him popularity and girls that never had paid attention to him before. To improve his identity he also started drinking and became known as a risk-taker to his friends. His identity was shaped through these specific experiences which made him feel good about himself.  One night he and his sister had been drinking and John decided to drive. That night they got into a bad accident and almost died. John’s sister was bruised and scarred and John had to have surgery on his leg which in return lead him to need a lot of physical therapy. During this time, John started feeling bad for putting his sister in danger and for ruining his own life. He had everything going for him and now he had nothing. Even his friends treated him differently. John fell into a depression but while recovering he and his physical therapist got very close and his therapist suggested a book to him. After he read the book, he started to forgive himself for what he did and began to move forward with a new outlook.  He started to attend church with Mark after rehabilitating and these new things in his life did change the relationship between John and his sister Katie. They were no longer that close because they were doing different activities. John found God and Katie kept drinking.

John later got in contact with one of his friends from school that he played football with and also drank with. John was invited to go and hang out like old times before he has in the accident. The night ended up turning out that all his friends wanted him to be the same old risk-taker and drinker he had always been by reclaiming a drinking title he had. Since the accident John had re evaluated his life and changed the activities that he once engaged in.  His sister also humiliated him by explaining to his friends that he no longer was the same because he had found God. The people at the party than started to turn their heads and carry on with there own conversations as he left  to go home.

Johns looking glass self was built from his relationships with his friends and his popularity increased with drinking, but it changed after the accident and he became depressed. He looked at himself differently which caused him to take on a new identity and how he viewed drinking. The social construction of his identity changed as his relationships changed. He no longer had a relationship to drank with friends and took on a relationship with God and Mark. He had to re-negotiate expectations for self and for the relationships with friends. Peer relationships shaped his identity and his identity was reshaped because of the relationships he formed with his peers. (risk-taker and drinker)