This course has however significantly challenged my conceptualisation of identity. To begin with, as mentioned above, my thoughts on identity perceived it as something that was static in nature and could not change. However, after enrolling in this course, I have learned that the identity of a person depends on the context in which such a person is. In this regard, I have come to understand that a person could have multiple identities irrespective of his or her social or cultural background. This is well emphasized by researchers who observe that the external environment in a person’s life at a particular point in time has an impact on the way his or her identity is conceptualised (Jackson, 629). For instance, Jackson gives an example that a British man on a vacation abroad would be termed as a man with a British origin, and when he returned to the United Kingdom, he could be termed as a Londoner because of the fact that he comes from London. Through the understanding that person’s identity changes depending on the context, I am learning to embrace the fact that it is almost impossible to define the identity of a person in totality within a specific context since his or her identity is only consistent with such a context.
然而，这门课程对我的身份概念提出了重大挑战。首先，如上所述，我对身份的看法是，它本质上是静态的，无法改变。然而，在参加本课程后，我了解到一个人的身份取决于他所处的环境。在这方面，我逐渐了解到，一个人可以有多重身份，而不论其社会或文化背景如何。研究人员很好地强调了这一点，他们观察到一个人在特定时间点生活中的外部环境会影响他或她的身份概念化的方式（Jackson，629）。例如，杰克逊举了一个例子，一个在国外度假的英国人会被称为英国血统的人，而当他回到英国时，他可以被称为伦敦人，因为他来自伦敦。通过理解一个人的身份随着语境的变化而变化，我正在学习接受这样一个事实，即在特定语境中几乎不可能定义一个人的整体身份，因为他或她的身份只与这样一个语境相一致。
Similarly, my conceptualisation of identity has changed in the sense that I can no longer use generality to define the identity of a person by examining the group in which this person is drawn from. In this regard, I have learned through this course that the identity of an individual does not necessarily mirror the identity of the group in which such a person is drawn from. In studying different elements of gender and social construction, Haslanger observes that the social construction of a particular society is highly responsible for shaping its identity (Haslanger 18). However, such ideas and perception that emerge as a result of social construction only exist within the social environment in which they are constructed and can easily be changed and transformed, thus undermining their capability to define the identity of every element within them. From example, from a feminist point of view, men always seek to oppress women in society. However, this approach to defining the identity of men is flawed since they are men who have a high respect for women in society and honors their right. Therefore, defining the identity of such men as oppressive would be incorrect. With this in mind, I have further realised that I would be doing a wrong thing if I expect certain people in society to behave in a certain way. For example, I realised through this course that setting specific expectations on the behaviour of men and women in society would be inappropriate since different men and women behave differently depending on different aspects such as cultural and social background, as well as aspects such as location and context.
同样，我对身份的概念也发生了变化，因为我不能再通过考察一个人所来自的群体来用一般性来定义一个人的身份。在这方面，我通过这门课程了解到，个人的身份并不一定反映出这个人所来自的群体的身份。在研究性别和社会结构的不同要素时，哈斯兰格观察到，特定社会的社会结构对其身份的形成负有高度责任（哈斯兰格18）。然而，由于社会建设而产生的这种想法和看法，只存在于它们所处的社会环境中，很容易改变和转变，从而削弱了它们界定其中每一个要素的特性的能力。例如，从女权主义者的角度来看，男人总是试图在社会上压迫女性。然而，这种界定男子身份的方法是有缺陷的，因为他们是在社会上高度尊重妇女并尊重其权利的男子。因此，将这些人的身份定义为压迫性的是不正确的。考虑到这一点，我进一步意识到，如果我期望社会上的某些人以某种方式行事，那我就错了。例如，通过这门课程，我意识到对男性和女性在社会中的行为设定具体的期望是不合适的，因为不同的男性和女性根据不同的方面（如文化和社会背景）以及不同的方面（如地点和背景）表现不同。
The transformation of my conceptualisation of identity was influenced by different readings and lecture materials. To begin with, the reading, Identities, by Peter Jackson, played an instrumental in helping me realize that identity is not static but rather dynamic depending on different aspects such as context and location. Similarly, the reading, Gender and Social Construction: Who? What? When? Where? How?, by Sally Haslanger, was instrumental in helping me realize that social construction in a particular culture plays a critical role in influencing how people in such a culture perceives identity.
我对身份概念的转变受到不同阅读材料和讲座材料的影响。首先，彼得·杰克逊（Peter Jackson）的《身份》一书帮助我认识到身份不是静态的，而是动态的，取决于不同的方面，如背景和位置。同样，阅读、性别与社会建构：谁？什么什么时候哪里怎样萨莉·哈斯兰格的作品，有助于我认识到特定文化中的社会结构在影响这种文化中的人们如何感知身份方面起着关键作用。
Through this reading, I realized that the way I conceptualise other people’s identities could be wrong, especially when such conceptualisation is influenced by my social and cultural background. Apart from these readings, the lecture materials that influenced the transformation of the way I conceptualise identity include Week 4 – Lecture 8, Identity – L1 2018, and Identity – L3 2018. Note that these lecture materials plays a critical role in helping me understand different aspects that influence identity such as context, social construction and culture among other factors. Importantly, these lecture materials complemented the reading materials, thus widening my horizon as far as my perception towards culture was concerned.
通过阅读，我意识到我对他人身份的概念化方式可能是错误的，尤其是当这种概念化受到我的社会和文化背景的影响时。除了这些阅读材料外，影响我对身份概念化方式转变的课堂材料包括第4周–第8课、身份–L1 2018和身份–L3 2018。请注意，这些演讲材料在帮助我理解影响身份认同的不同方面起着至关重要的作用，如背景、社会结构和文化以及其他因素。重要的是，这些演讲材料补充了阅读材料，从而拓宽了我对文化的认识。
In conclusion, whereas I joined this class with the perception that identity is static and that people ought to behave in a particular way as a way to affirm what I perceived as normal and as such, the true identity of a person, this has since changed. Notably, through attending lectures, and studying lecture notes and reading materials, I have realised that the identity of a person is influenced by the context in which such a person is located, the relationship he or she had with the people in such an environment, and the social construction of both the person in question and the people around him or her. Importantly, after going through this course, I feel I am less judgemental, and I no longer define people’s identity based on my expectations or standards.
总之，当我加入这门课程时，我认为身份是静态的，人们应该以一种特定的方式来确认我所认为的正常的东西，也就是一个人的真实身份，这一点已经改变了。值得注意的是，通过参加讲座、学习课堂讲稿和阅读材料，我意识到一个人的身份受到其所在环境的影响，以及他或她与环境中的人的关系，以及当事人和周围人的社会结构。重要的是，在完成这门课程后，我觉得我不再那么挑剔了，我不再根据我的期望或标准来定义人们的身份。