I was writing this essay while on a trip with 56 Junior High students. One of the struggles of adolescence is to figure out how we fit into the group. Who is my "in group?" And what do I need to do to fit in? Building a social identity is part of adolescence and because humans are social we can't meet any of our basic needs without a social life.

I think this means that having a stable sense of identity is, perhaps, key to survival. Therefore I think we absolutely need to take on identities and build the relationships necessary to become part of interdependent groups. The issue I am discovering is when the way we take on an identity is harmful to others who hold that identity.

This brings me back to the Junior High students I work with. They are learning about being part of a community. There are rights and responsibilities. You need both.

I think middle class white US culture is largely separated from identities based on responsibilities, which might be why our environment is so in trouble and our communities have so many people in distress.

Frankly, I am not sure what to think here. Thanks for reading and I look forward to reading more of your work, too!