Although this article speaks in terms of "giftedness"
it is still interesting and may lend some support to the views expressed here on the topic of identity:
SENG: Articles & Resources - The Gifted Identity Formation Model: In search of the gifted identity, from abstract concept to workable counseling constructs
Identity and Its Formation
Defining identity may be as complex as developing one's identity; even Eric Erikson (1968) was hesitant to offer a definitive explanation. It may be that the definition includes the unity and integration of all aspects of self, including the conscious and unconscious. It may be that another way to define identity is through answering the question, "who am I?"
If identity encompasses the complexity of all aspects of "who I am," then identity formation is the process of integrating and shaping discrete pieces of the self into a unique being. Erikson (1968) spoke of identity formation as "a process located in the core of the individual and yet also in the core of his communal culture" (pg. 22). He refers to the integrative and complex relationship between the inner self (all inner aspects and internal interplay of the self) and the outer world (self as it relates and contends with the external world). He described a "few minimum requirements" to consider when contending with the complex process of identity formation. The Gifted Identity Formation Model utilizes these requirements as the working underpinnings of the model:
Identity formation employs a process of simultaneous reflection and observation;
Identity formation takes place on all levels of mental functioning;
An individual judges himself in light of what he perceives to be the way others judge him, in comparison to himself, and to a topology significant to others.