'Who are we' is undoubtedly one of the most common, simple and yet most important questions you could ever ask yourself. Its importance derives from the fact that the set of answers we could give or obtain converge to form our identity as individual members of human society. Some of the answers to this question might be things we have always identified with, our name, gender, race or ethnicity, others might be things we have been associated with throughout our lives, such as our profession, our social interests lesson or even our hobbies. Some we may consider more important or central in defining who we are, while others we will perhaps mention only in passing. Furthermore, the answers themselves may change over time: some may disappear entirely, while new ones may emerge. This essay will examine the difference between two types of identities that these responses define, as well as the relevance of this distinction in social study and social policy. Throughout his life as part of society, an individual goes through a continuous process of interaction with other members of that society. This socialization process presents itself as an essential factor for the definition of an individual's identity through the internalization of these interactions, that is, "the immediate apprehension or interpretation of an objective event as expressive of meaning, that is, as a manifestation of the subjective processes of others that it thus becomes subjectively significant” (Berger and Luckmann, 1972, pp.149-150). Berger and Luckmann (1972) define two distinct phases in the socialization process, primary and secondary socialization, the first and most important taking place in an individual's early childhood years... middle of paper.... ..72 . Sex, gender and society. London: Maurice Temple Smith LTD.Olyslager, F. and Conway, L., 2007. On calculating the prevalence of transsexualism, WPATH 20th International Symposium [pdf]. Accessed at:http://transgenderkenya.com/prevelance.pdf [Accessed 13 November 2011].Shaw, K.L., 1987. Occupational Change, Employer Change, and the Transferabilityof Skills, Southern Economic Journal, [online]. Accessible at: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1058765 Stoller, R., 1968. Sex and Gender: On the Development of Masculinity and Femininity. New York: Science House.Veale, J. F. (2008). The prevalence of transsexualism among New Zealand passport holders, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, [online]. Available at: http://www.jaimieveale.com/publications/prevalence.pdf [Accessed 15 November2011].