Gender studies, which posit the idea that gender is a psychological state rather than a fixed biological perspective, provide a basis for identity formation based on sexual identity. It identifies gender issues from multiple perspectives, most famously identifying cultural issues from the female perspective, male perspective and homosexual perspective. The range of ideas within gender studies also provides answers to many of the difficult questions faced by youth such as the social pressures of youth discovering their sexual identity, questioning how their sexual identity should influence them and providing comfort to readers experiencing this pressure.
Feminism is both the parent concept of gender studies and its largest subcategory. It examines the social role of women, both in a family and on a larger economic platform. Further, feminism has a long history of supporting ideas centered on gender equality and establishes an academic foundation for young women to study the history of their gender throughout the world. It provides a strong foundation for women to form and support their own gender identities and demonstrates the struggle that women have gone through historically to do the same. Additionally, many women identify themselves as feminist, an identity formation that supports independence as a specific gender identity.
Existentialism, a philosophical premise that supports identity formation through personal identification, acts as both a formative process for identity formation as well as providing a philosophical identity for individuals who identify themselves as existentialists. Inherent in the philosophy of existentialism is the idea of free will, self-defined meaning and personal responsibility. Through existentialism, you would form your own identity based on your beliefs, ideals and experiences, responsible to yourself for defining your truth.
The identification by culture is a fundamental part of the process of identity formation, providing historical and cultural substance from which individuals can design their own identities. A wealth of literature assists this process by allowing individuals to read and study their cultural background from numerous points of view and during multiple historical periods.