Self, Identity, and Groups

Harvard FAS

Our sense of who we are permeates every aspect of life—it shapes where we live, who we feel connected to, which communities we join, whom we see as our enemies, and even how we vote. “Who am I?” This deceptively simple question—what William James called psychology’s most perplexing puzzle—is one we all confront. Answers might point to our traits or preferences (“I’m a social person”), our roles (“I’m a student”), or our group memberships (“I’m a Harvard student”), among others. This course…