Final answer:
Gender identity is one of the four aspects of identity highlighted by Erikson; it pertains to one's innate sense of their gender, which may differ from their assigned sex at birth, such as seen in transgender individuals.
Step-by-step explanation:
One of the four aspects of identity highlighted by Erikson is gender identity. Gender identity refers to a person's innate sense of being male, female, neither, both, or another gender, which may or may not correspond to their assigned gender at birth. For instance, transgender people have a gender identity that differs from the sex they were designated when they were born.
Gender identity is distinct from sexual orientation, which is the sociocultural identity associated with specific forms of sexuality. Sexual orientation includes identifiers such as heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, pansexual, and asexual, and is a durable aspect of a person's sociocultural identity. Likewise, ethnic identity is a complex aspect of identity shaped by factors such as geography, language, national heritage, and religion, and it influences various cultural practices.
The terms "masculine" and "feminine" often describe attributes associated with gender, though they can involve an interplay of both gender and biological sex. Furthermore, research suggests that individuals typically become aware of their sexual orientation in early adolescence.