Parenting and families
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Radical love: how my trans child changed my identity as a mother
My child grew into a new version of himself – as all children do – and I wondered about my new role. Anger helped me grasp it
by Patricia Martin
Values and beliefs
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What a dream helped me see about the politics of sovereignty
A moment of insight captured the danger in our widespread ‘sovereigntism’ – and how we ought to relate to each other instead
by Rupert Read
Identity
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You have multiple ‘social identities’ – here’s how to manage them
As social beings, our identities are bound up with different groups – here’s how to juggle all the various hats you wear
by Anna K Zinn
Place
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The divided self: does where I live make me who I am?
At home in Delhi, I am a more social, interactive person. A quiet balcony in Frankfurt gave me space to be by myself
by Anandi Mishra
Identity
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I rebuilt my self-esteem by changing the story of who I am
I once clung to a dubious family legend to help me cope with a difficult childhood. I’ve since found a better story to tell
by Patricia Olsen
Neurodiversity
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Essentialism is insidious – but it might also be helpful
Stereotypes are obviously bad, but believing you share an essence with others could help people who feel marginalised
by Ariana Orvell & Alexa Lebrón-Cruz
Disability
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Blindness transformed my social world, and I changed with it
One of the biggest challenges in becoming blind late in life has been overcoming sighted people’s negative assumptions
by Jeffry Ricker
Cultural diversity
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Cultural differences are far more nuanced than East vs West
It’s simply not the case that ‘Eastern’ cultures are relationally-minded, while ‘Western’ societies are individualistic
by Matt Huston
Race and ethnicity
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If racial identity can be fluid, who changes their race?
Understanding how individuals change their self-described race helps us decode racial dynamics in the US and beyond
by Alexander Agadjanian
Stigma and taboo
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It’s a fraught choice: come out, or conceal yourself?
For those who face the threat of prejudice, the possibility of concealing their identity means weighing up conflicting goals
by Joel Le Forestier
Mental health
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How a feeling that you belong could protect your mental health
Research on young adults at a time of social transition highlights the significance of feeling that you belong to a group
by Janine M Dutcher & Amber Quinn
The self
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What does it take for someone to become a ‘different person’?
What does it really mean when you say of an individual that they are so transformed as to be a ‘different person’?
by John Schwenkler