SGO: Self and Identity

Identity is the way we define ourselves in relation to other things within a culture. For example, one's economic status is defined as upper, middle, or lower class. This connotes that one is comparing and defining one's own social status with that of others within the same culture.
Self is the way we think of ourselves. In some cultures, like the American culture, one thinks of oneself egocentrically, as separate from the construct of society. In other cultures, like the Japanese culture, one defines oneself as sociocentric, as part of a social network.

In a continuation school, establishing one's identity is extremely important.
The first step to establishing one's identity is one's clothing. The style of one's dress usually dictates what kind of music you listen to. What kind of music you listen to dictates which clique you end up in.
Another step is to establish your position on gangs. Whether you are part of one, whether you are not part of one. Whether you readily accept them, whether you do not readily accept them. Lastly, which gang you belong to and what area's you represent. The latter is usually expressed through wearing colors and random tagging using letters and numbers.
As in most high schools, the students define themselves in a way as to let the world know who they are at a glance, thus appearance begins to become very important. The right clothes and the right attitude can allow a student to penetrate almost any clique.
Students who are in gangs tend to think of themselves in a more sociocentric way, going as far as to make sure they express their gang colors and symbols in every way possible. Other students tend to think of themselves more egocentrically.
It is interesting to note that students who are in gangs tend to butt heads with students that are in other gangs. Meanwhile, students who are not in gangs tend to butt heads on a more individual level.
These separations may not be very apparent at first, but if one looks closely, especially during events such as school assemblies, the students will clearly separate themselves according to these groups.

The students do not separate themselves in this way due to some sort of internal instinct, but because they are trying to find their place in a cultural construct by defining themselves according to their surroundings.

Culture plays a huge role in defining who we are. We tend to look at ourselves in relation to the world around us. This becomes especially important in our teenage years when we are learning to branch out and experience more of the world. The students at this school define themselves in the environment offered to them. Some choose a more risque path, while others choose a more traditional path. The way one thinks of oneself tends to influence one's identity as well. If one thinks of oneself in a sociocentric way, then one's decisions depend on the culture that he or she is a part of. If one thinks of oneself in a egocentric way then his or her decisions are based on individual needs, apart from their culture.