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Identity

Participants in a parade carry large balloon structures spelling “LOVE” in bright colours, with spectators in the background.

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

A man is seen through a windowpane with blurred people and autumn foliage shown in the reflection.

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

A display of various hats, including a red floral hat, a black hat with a coloured brim, a blue hat, and a beige lacy hat, shown on stand in a shop window. A blurred street with a bicycle is visible outside.

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

A young woman in a contemporary apartment is reflected but partially obscured in the plate glass windows

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

Painting depicting pioneers with covered wagons and oxen travelling through a valley, with mountains, a river, and people on horseback in the background.

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

A smiling neurodiverse child holds a red balloon. In the background people hold balloons of various colours

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

As a man holds open one side of a double glass door, another man opens the other side. The glass in the doors is almost opaque

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

Two men near a graffiti-covered wall with chipped paint, one standing and gesturing, the other sitting on the pavement.

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

Crowd celebrating with vintage car, confetti, and food in foreground; reflections in glass show people, decorations, and American flags.

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

Two men walk along a busy street at night with cars and bright streetlights in the background.

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

Silhouette of a person using a phone, leaning on a railing under trees with a building in the background.

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