culture and identity Flashcards
what is identity?
the concept of how we view ourselves and how others see us
what are some things that can influence an individual’s sense of identity?
- gender
- family
- ethnic group
- friends
- sexual preference
what is personal identity? (woodward)
( Woodward) People become obsessed with the question “who am i?” and how they define themselves, their own unique information and the overall concept of their “inner me” and self concept
what is social identity?
This idea defines individuals in relation to the social groups in which they identify. It is also about looking at how these social groups differ from one another and what they mean to different individuals. It also focuses on the formation of social identities and how different characteristics arise depending on groups and what is expected of these individuals.
what is collective identity?
This is all about the identity of shared groups. It involves elements of both personal and social identities. It looks at the effects that social identities have on different individuals and how it individually affects them. individuals have a select amount of ways to identify.
what are multiple identities?
This is the idea that people have several identities rather than just one. They may draw on different sources of identity to form it around different circumstances.
what are stigmatised or spoiled identities?
(Goffman 1990) says this is an identity that is in some way undesirable, excluding them from full acceptance in society. They may be ridiculed in some ways or be left out on certain things that give them full appreciation in society. Having stigmatised identity in society means that attempts to present as normal will fail. “Stigma is a process by which the reaction of others spoil normal identity”
how are identities socially constructed?
- constructed by social institutions , education media and religion
- power relations help construct identities - dominant groups impose their identity on others which can lead to marginalization or stigmatisation of others
-self perception and agency - we construct our own identities - resisting or challenging social norms and values to form a self concept that aligns with self beliefs - how you react to the world, see yourself and how others see you
-your identity is totally bounded by what others say - identity is capable of changing
- identity is all about changing and progressing
What did Jenkins (2008) argue?
“identity involves knowing who we are, knowing who others are, them knowing who we are, us knowing who they think we are and so on”
Why is identity NOT the same as personality?
Identity is something that you give yourself. It has to do with what you stand for, morals, values, etc. It is who your are physically and legally. Personality is the way in which you portray or “live in” your identity
What did Lawler (2004) argue?
emphasises that identity depends on our assessment of others – who is similar and different to us.
what is master status?
the social position that is the primary identifying characteristic of an individual. examples include race, age, ethnicity, occupation, and sexual orientation
What did Lawler (2004) argue?
emphasises that identity depends on our assessment of others – who is similar and different to us.
Lawler suggests that life is a story and our identity is the character we wish to be in that story.
Parsons (1951) - primary socialisation
argues that primary stage turns new born babies into social beings where they learn skills required to live and function in society
Becker (1963) - master status
argued that we all have a MASTER STATUS. A dominant identity that overrides all other aspects of a persons identity i think it depends on who you are with
Baumeister (1986) - social roles and primary socialisation
primary socialisation provided children with an identity, a young child has no other role apart from that within the family. During primary socialisation many children successfully learn how to act in society and social roles play an important part in providing children with a framework for behaviour
Morgan (1996) - socialisation and conformity
suggests that a great deal of socialisation is concerned with social control and encouraging conformity. He uses the examples of parents using sanctions.
Norbert Elias (1978) - change of the impact of socialisation
argues that the process of socialisation has grown more influential throughout time, so that culture exerts a greater civilising influence over our behaviour now than in any other historical age. He refers to this as the “Civilising Process”
Althusser (1971) - education and the hidden curriculum
argues that education as an agent of socialisation is dominated by the hidden curriculum – a ruling-class ideology that encourages conformity and acceptance of the capitalist system.
what are the values of the working class?
The value of the working class is focused on gaining skills for employment. Harris (2005) suggests “The idea of gaining qualifications for work gets opposed, discredited and de-valued”.
- immediate gratification
- strong link to folk
- us vs them mentality
- lack of belief in social mobility
what are the features of the new working class?
become more privatised as a result of economic principles. This means that working-class homes have become more focused on their household, rather than working with the community.
Individualism rather than collectiveness is now the norm.
According to Zealey and Self, what percentage of the population is middle class?
60%
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According to Brooke’s (2006) what are the 3 main identities of the middle class
- according to Brooks (2006) was formed in opposition to working-class. Anyone who didn’t want the working class label identified themselves as working.
- They look down on the working-class. As Bourdieu (1984) put it “Social identity lies in difference, and the difference is asserted against what is closest, that which represents the greatest threat”.
- Social capital. “Catts and Ozga (2005) call the “social glue that holds people together in…communities and gives them a sense of belonging”.
According to Brooke’s (2006) what are the 3 main identities of the middle class
- according to Brooks (2006) was formed in opposition to working-class. Anyone who didn’t want the working class label identified themselves as working.
- They look down on the working-class. As Bourdieu (1984) put it “Social identity lies in difference, and the difference is asserted against what is closest, that which represents the greatest threat”.
- Social capital. “Catts and Ozga (2005) call the “social glue that holds people together in…communities and gives them a sense of belonging”.
summary of the middle class
- commitment to education
- less collective approach
- deferred gratification
- sense of superiority
what are the two majoring groups of the upper class?
- Landed aristocracy (those who own large estates of land) and 2. Business elite (those who hold prominent positions in business).
what are the main values of the upper class?
- focus on staying within the same class
- socialisation at private institutions
- higher levle of cultural capital
social class is still important:
- improtant at establishing identity
- many mechanisms revolve around it
- post modernists ignore the impact that capitalism has on those in the working and lower classes
social class is not important:
- other factors like gender and ethnicity are more influential
- post modernists say how capitalism has allowed social mobility
- because of globalisation, individuals are more individualistic
what are typical masculine stereotypes?
- sexual dominance → men are thoguh to be thinking about sex 24/7
- lack of concern with personal appearance → ridiculed for wearing makeup
- repression of emotions except when it comes to sport → men are told to “man up”
- independence and self reliance → financially stable, have their own house
- lack of domesticity → men do not clean or cook but are more likely to do DIY tasks
- task orientated → focus on work success
what are typical feminine stereotypes?
- sexually passive → thought to only have sex to please their partners
- major concern with physical appearance → expected to enjoy things like makeup, perfume, hair products
- expression of emotions → considered to be weak and cry over everything
- dependence ( on men) → need men to do things for them like heavy lifting
- responsible for cooking and cleaning → cook 3 meals a day, look after children
- people orientated → focus on maintaining relationships
four processes that influence gender identity during primary socialisation - Oakley (1972)
- Manipulation: boys and girls are encouraged to adopt behaviors regarded as appropriate or normal for their gender
-Canalisation: boys and girls are directed towards difference toys and games, boys may develop technical and sporting skills and girls may be encouraged to develop maternal roles, similar to their mother’s - Verbal appellations: boys and girls are exposed to different language and praised or punished for different things
- Differential activity exposure: boys and girls are exposed to do different activities by watching and imitating role models
how do teacher attitudes affect gender identity?
teachers traditionally encourage boys into science based subjects and girls are taught to be in people based careers, disruptive behaviour between each gender is treated differently as well
how do subject choices affect gender identity?
traditionally, parents will condition their child to take different subjects depending on their gender, you need to tell your child that their gender is not a serious factor in their subject choices and they should do something that interests them
how does the media influence gender identity?
- Gender roles between girls and boys of all ages displays gender stereotypes ranging from girls being expected to act as sex objects and be overly concerned about their looks, and men acting as the bosses and asserting dominance over females in relationship
- These stereotypes can be seen online from a young age, for example, when watching disney and cartoons
how do peer groups affect gender identity?
- Peers may discourage certain activities : for example a group of boys may encourage their male friend to date lots of women, but call their female friend a “slapper”
-Willis (1977):
-his study into working class boys who called themselves the “lads” constantly chased after girls and then dropped them, labelled them as “loose”, commended men for their relationships with women and hated on women who acted the same - This double standard helps encourage conformity to separate gender identities
what is the new man?
a man that wholeheartedly accepted equality in domestic life and believes in the equality in men and women beyond voting rights but every day life
what is the male gaze - Mulvey (1975/2009)
where women are exploited, especially in the media for the pleasure and benefit of men
what is heteronormativity?
the acceptance of the fact that in society, heterosexuality is the norm and any deviation from that is abnormal
what does Mort (1996) say about “meterosexual” men
the emergence of heterosexual men that are concerned with their appearance and use things like personal grooming
what does Mac an Ghaill (1996) say about hegemonic masculinity
claims that it may be experiencing a “crisis of masculinity” because of the decline in traditional industries adn the raise of unemployment, which can strip men of their identities
do young people have more freedom to express their sexuality?
- increase in representation
-still homophobic people
statistics about LGBT identities
- Only half of lesbian, gay and bi people (46 per cent) and trans people (47 per cent) feel able to be open about their sexual orientation or gender identity to everyone in their family.
- Almost one in five LGBT people (18 per cent) have experienced homelessness at some point in their lives.
- More than one in ten LGBT people (11 per cent) have faced domestic abuse from a partner in the last year.
when did homosexuality become legal?
in 1968 and only if you were 21 and older.
what is mass culture?
the culture of the masses, the excepted culture of the majority
what is folk culture?
traditional customs and practices of regional groups, often dating to the pre-industrial era
what is high culture?
culture of the elites in society - given value as it meets the tastes of those who are deemed to have cultural knowledge
what is low culture?
a term given to culture of masses assuming it has low value because of its audience
what is global culture?
idea that the process of globalisation has led to homogenous culture across the world
how can sexuality affect a person’s identity?
impacts who someone interacts with, how they express themselves and how they identify
what things have caused people to be more open about their sexuality?
- stonewall
- social media
- decline of religion
what things can stop people from being open about their sexuality?
- the male gaze
- heteronormativity
- stereotypes
- certain identities are spoiled identities
- social media
what is an ethnic identity?
one in which individuals assert their identity primarily in terms of the ethnic group and culture they belong. Often passed down through generations and can be emphasised by socialisation
Anwar (1998) and Ghuman (1999) - south asian family values
found that south Asian families emphasize the values of family obligation and loyalty, and a commitment to their religion which they instil into their children
Sewell (1998) - black identities
found that black identities were reinforced as young black students coped with racist teacher stereotypes of “black machismo” by forming peer groups related to black school subcultures
Sewell (1996) - media and black identities
found that many aspects of the macho black identity of young African Caribbean were derived from the media. media also enables minority ethnic communities to draw on the cultures of the origin
Fanon (2008) - white masks
many Asian identities have “white masks” identities at school or in other situations. these merged identities soon become a “hybrid identity” to help them fit into different communities
what is diaspora?
the dispersal of an ethnic population from its original homeland, while retaining the cultural and emotional ties to its areas of origin
Hall (1992) - merging of identities
suggests that ethnic identities are becoming harder to identify, with globalisation and diasporas merging to create “new identities”
what did Burdsey (2004) find out from conducting research?
found evidence of the consumption of designer clothes, recreational drugs, and other leisure activities among young British Asians that was once previously associated with young white and black males
what is hybridization?
all ethnic groups are drawing on a range of cultures to create either new hybrid ethnic identities
what are hybrid ethnicities growing?
ethnic identity is becoming more confused by new, predominately british-born ethnic minorities as more children are being born into inter-ethnic partnerships
what is nationality?
it is most commonly based on the place of birth or marriage but can also be achieved through naturalization, whereby people chose their nationality after meeting legal requirements
Barnes (1992): stereotypes of disabilities, particularly generated from the media
- dependant on others
- unable to contibute to society
- non sexual and no sex life
- unable to express themselves
- less than human
- maladjusted personalities
- to be made fun of, pitied or praised for coping with their disability
why is disability often a master status?
it is a lot harder to hide than things like sexuality and becomes the defining character of that individual
why is disability often a master status?
it is a lot harder to hide than things like sexuality and becomes the defining character of that individual
Shakespeare (1998) - disability as a social consturct
disability should be considered a social construct and that stereotypes in society about a “normal body “ is the main reason for disability existing
what does the social model of disability focus on?
the economic, environmental and cultural barriers that those with disabilities face
