One’s identity is who or what a person is and how they are perceived by themselves and others. Your identity defines who you are and where you fit in. It is a self-representation of your interests, relationship, social activity and much more. Some believe our sense of identity and belonging is shaped by various factors, including our experiences, relationships, and our environments. Conversely, others believe that personality is shaped by nature, and that one is defined by their biological characteristics and hereditary traits passed down from previous generations. Nevertheless a combination of both nature and nurture shapes us throughout life. For a majority of the population their journey to find their identity and belonging can often …show more content…

Sandra has an extremely difficult relationship with her family predominantly because of her skin pigmentation and the views of others in the community. As Sandra starts to relate and associate with the coloured community in South Africa, her relationship with her father in particular, deteriorates rapidly. This shows how when one relationship fails and other blooms and shapes your identity in a different way. Relationships don’t necessarily have to be formed with people but with whole communities also. Local community as well as country, nationality and race all have major contributions towards the make of the personality, traits and characteristics of humans. The place where one is raised or brought up is arguably the most important place of your life. As aforementioned, Sandra Laing was born coloured into an Apartheid South Africa. Her life would have been much different if she had been born into a family in modern Australia, where Apartheid practices are outlawed. Your place of birth also defines your socioeconomic class. The first question asked when meeting someone is, where are you from? Many may argue that it is just polite conversation, but in actual fact it is a subconscious judgement of personal character. All of these contributors build