Identity

Identity = "The set of behavioral or personal characteristics by which an individual is recognizable as a member of a group"

Well, by that way, we will deduce that identities is a story about "similarities" between people.

Let's look at how people introduce themselves. If you ask to someone in the street in your country : "Who are you ?" he will probably begin by his name. But if you ask for some more extra information, he will probably talk about his job.
But let's look at an other context, like an international context. During the beginning of my exchange student semester, I asked to some people who are they, and generally answer "I'm X from Y"

Why do people answer differently in different situations ?

I guess it would be stupid that I answer from which country I am to someone also from France, ok. But I think by enunciating your identity, you also enunciate your desire to be part of a group (to integrate a group) if you are not yet.
But we also enunciate it to underline the difference we have with the other. If you say "I am from France", it also means "I an from France, and you are not"

But anyway, we have to differentiate group identity from personal identity.
I think we have different identities regarding to the situation we are acting at this moment.
For example, during a manifestation of blue collar, all people will claim their common identity of blue collar, they will all act in the same way, and all agree on the question "Why are they there ?". But if you are going in the company, they all will act in a different way, claiming their "personal identity"
Consequently we claim our group identity in an external context (as I will claim that I'm French in Finland", but in one group, we will claim our personal identity (or our other group identity)

I think the personal identity is an accumulation of all our group identity and our characteristic which make us unique (take a look on "My identities", the next article)

Identities can be made of : country, city, district, family, friends, sport, music, association activities, school, university, behavior and so on...

Please take a look on this movie scene (from the movie "The 25th hour") interpreted by Edward Norton. By hating everyone in New-York, the man shows us how much identities and culture can coexist in a city :