1.3 - Identity

Question 1

What is identity?

Answer 1

It is often defined as how you see yourself, but it is affected by how others see you (“social identity”). Identity is a product of all of the experiences a person has had through socialisation with the family , peers, education, religion (etc).

Question 2

What is a hybrid identity?

Answer 2

A hybrid identity is a mixture of two or more influences. It is common in second and third generation immigrants?, E.G. Brasians.

Question 3

Hybrid identities - NAYAK

Answer 3

Used the term ‘white wannabes’ to describe white British males who are influenced by black hip-hop culture, E.G. Ali G.

Question 4

Ethnicity - GILROY

Answer 4

‘Black Atlantic’ describes young black people who aren’t rooted in the UK or their country of origin but a shared experience of racism transcends into a ‘black’ identity.

Question 5

Ethnicity - HEWITT

Answer 5

There is a white blacklash against multiculturalism as they have perceived positive discrimination in favour of ethnic minorities.

Question 6

Ethnicity - DAWNEY

Answer 6

Racism against European migrants existed in the rural community where there was a perceived threat and fear of number that was not necessarily true.

Question 7

Resistance - CASHMORE & TROYNA

Answer 7

Ethnic minorities turn onwards and seek support from their own ethnic community so religion and culture is strengthened.

Question 8

Hybridity - BRAH

Answer 8

British Asians are cultural code-switchers and participate in aspects of British and Asian culture.

Question 9

What is national identity?

Answer 9

The identity of a whole country.

Question 10

National identity - ANDERSON

Answer 10

A nation is an ‘imagined community’ because members will never meet each other, but socially construct an identity, E.G. Flags.

Question 11

National identity - KUMAR

Answer 11

English find it difficult to say who they are as a quest to expand ‘Britishness’ diluted Englishness.

Question 12

Changing national identities - SARDAR

Answer 12

Many of the old divides (E.G. East VS West) have broken down so the work is in a global identity crisis.

Question 13

Responses to globalisation - HALL

Answer 13

1) CULTURAL HOMOGENISATION - all countries become similar and accept a global culture.
2) CULTURAL HYBRIDITY - they take in some parts of global culture as well as their traditional culture.
3) CULTURAL RESISTANCE - they resist global culture and protect their local heritage and become nationalistic.

Question 14

Biological view of gender - WILSON

Answer 14

Men need to be promiscuous and women should stay faithful to their partner in order to reproduce.

Question 15

Functionalist view of gender - PARSONS

Answer 15

Women have an ‘expressive role’ which is natural and involves childbearing.
Men have an instrumental role, that of breadwinner and protector.

Question 16

Social construction of gender identities - HEY

Answer 16

Female peer groups are deeply rooted in patriarchy and expectations of how girls should be.

Question 17

Social construction of gender identities - MAC AN GHAILL

Answer 17

Schoolboy’s main source of identity is hyper-masculinity’. Makes them into ‘macho lads’ who value the 3Fs.

Question 18

Gender role socialisation in the family - OAKLEY

Answer 18

1) MANIPULATION - encouraging behaviour that is seen as stereotypically acceptable for that gender. E.G. Encouraging boys to get muddy.
2) CANALISATION - channelling children’s interests through toys and games. E.G. Dolls for girls.
3) VERBAL APPELLATION - giving children nicknames, E.G. ‘Soldier’ for boys.
4) DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES - encouraging children to participate in activities that reinforce stereotypes, E.G. Girls help their mother in the kitchen.

Question 19

Changing female identities - JACKSON

Answer 19

Discovered ‘ladettes’ who spent time drinking, smoking and swearing in order to be popular.

Question 20

Changing male identities - MAC AN GHAILL

Answer 20

WC men have lost their ‘breadwinner’ identity.

Question 21

Changing male identities - CANAAN

Answer 21

Question employed and unemployed WC men. Unemployed men said having a job was the most important thing and felt emasculated due to their unemployment.

Question 22

Social class & Capital - BOURDIEU

Answer 22

CULTURAL CAPITAL - knowledge and advantages that a person has which gives them higher status.
ECONOMIC CAPITAL - economic resources (cash, assets)
SOCIAL CAPITAL - resources based on group membership and networks of influence

Question 23

Upper class - MACKINTOSH & MOONEY

Answer 23

The upperclass are invisible due to social closure, meaning their lives are separated from the rest of the population. E.G their children go to hunting or take part in hunting.

Question 24

Middle class - FOX

Answer 24

There are ‘upper middles’ ‘middle middles’ and ‘lower middles’ to show the differences within the middle class. Thus, it is unlikely that the middle class shares a common experience.

Question 25

Working class - HUTTON

Answer 25

The decline in trade union memberships and the manufacturing sector and the dispersal of WC communities has eroded WC identity.

Question 26

Working class - SKEGGS

Answer 26

WC women felt humiliated but the ways others judged and dismissed them so put effort into changing their appearance, leisure activists and home decorations.

Question 27

The Underclass - MURRAY

Answer 27

Over-generous benefits develop a culture where they do no take responsibility for their actions and expect to be looked after by the state.

Question 28

Changing class identities -PAKULSKI & WATERS

Answer 28

We are defined by what we buy, not what we do.

Question 29

Changing class identities - OFFE

Answer 29

Fewer individuals share a common experience of full-time work.

Question 30

Strong class identities - MARSHALL

Answer 30

60% of the sample said they belonged to a social class.
90% could place themselves into a social class.
75% believed people are born into a class and it is difficult to love from there.

Question 31

Weak class identities - SAVAGE

Answer 31

Few people thought Britain was a classless society.

Question 32

Sexuality - WEEKS

Answer 32

Sexual identity is more significant for those who are not heterosexual.

Question 33

Sexuality - McIntosh

Answer 33

There is a homosexual role in western culture where certain characteristics (effeminate mannerisms, higher voice, attention to appearance) occur. The male fulfils these characteristics when he accepts the label of ‘homosexual’ therefore, the label creates the behaviour.

Question 34

Sexual identity - WEEKS (2)

Answer 34

Sexual identification is complex. People identity themselves as gay but do not engage in same-sex activities, but some people have same-sex activities but do not identify themselves as gay. E.G. Rent boys (REISS)

Question 35

Sexual identity - PLUMMER

Answer 35

There is a ‘homosexual career’ where a male accepts the label of ‘homosexual’ and then seeks out others and joins a subculture where stereotypical homosexual characteristics are the norm.

Question 36

Sexual identity - RICH

Answer 36

Women’s sexuality is oppressed by a patriarchal society through marriage, rape and sexual objectification of women. ‘Compulsory heterosexuality’ describes how women are socialised into a heterosexual role, ensuring their availability to men.

Question 37

Changing views on homosexuality

Answer 37

1) in March 2014, same-sex couples could legally marry.

2) the 2014 commonwealth games were presented by John Barrowman and Karen Dunbar who are both openly gay.

Question 38

Childhood - POSTMAN

Answer 38

Spread of literacy allowed adults to shield children from sexuality and death and disease, which created the ‘innocent child’.

Question 39

Youth - MEAD

Answer 39

‘Storm and stress’ associated with youth is culturally specific.

Question 40

Young adulthood/middle age - BRADLEY

Answer 40

Has a higher status than youth or elderly because they are the people running the country and hold the power at work. Also associated with negative times (‘mid life crisis’ and ‘empty nest syndrome’).

Question 41

Old age - CORNER

Answer 41

Language used by older people to describe their identity was mostly negative and concerned with being dependent and a burden on society.

Question 42

Old age - HOCKEY & JAMES

Answer 42

INFANTILISATION - old people have lost their ‘parenthood’ status and become vulnerable and needing care.

Question 43

Changing age identities - FEATHERSTONE & HEPWORTH

Answer 43

Media images of ageing can create new identities. Also there is popularity with retro fashion and there are comeback tours.

Question 44

Disability - What is the “Medical Model”?

Answer 44

Disability is a medical problem which causes limitations. This leads to a ‘victim-blaming’ mentality where the problem is with the disabled individual, not society.

Question 45

Disability - SHAKESPEARE

Answer 45

Disabled people are socialised into seeing themselves as victims, this is a ‘victim mentality’.

Question 46

Disability - What is the ‘social model’?

Answer 46

There are social and physical barriers that exclude disabled people (E.G. Design of buildings). The blame is therefore on society and it implies that disability is a social construct.

Question 47

Disability - INTERACTIONISM + master status

Answer 47

The label ‘disabled’ carries a stigma that leads to a master status. This means it becomes the defining characteristic by which the individual is judged.

Question 48

Disability - GILL

Answer 48

If you become disabled later in life, it is difficult to reconcile your identity. This is because you previously felt pity/fear for the group so you turn those feelings into yourself.

Question 49

Disability - ZOLA

Answer 49

Vocabulary used to describe disabled people is discriminatory (“de-formed”, “did-eased”, “in-valid”).

Question 50

Disability - Learned Helplessness

Answer 50

Disabled people believe they are incapable of changing a situation so fail to take action to help themselves. Policies such as segregated schooling may have created this.

Question 51

Disability - MURUGAMI

Answer 51

Disabled people have the ability to construct a self-identity that accepts impairment but is independent of it. So they see themselves as a person, and their disability is one of their characteristics.