Identity Flashcards
What is personal identity?
How individuals define and see themselves
What is important to them
Things that give them unique and individual characteristics
Self concept
Passport, national insurance, DNA, fingerprint, signature
History, friends, relationships
What is social identity?
Defines individuals in relation to the social group they identify with
The behaviour expected from them in their social roles
Shared with others
Which factors shape identity?
Class, nationality, gender, location, ethnicity, sexuality
How does gender affect identity?
Gender role socialisation
Different gender expectations are passed on throughout generations
Gender difference between males and females is a result of societal expectations
Femininity and masculinity are socially constructed
What are gender codes?
Coding that separates the genders.
Colour code, appearance code, toy codes, play codes, control codes
How does the media sexualise women?
Pornography, sexualisation of women in video games and music videos, emphasises the importance of appearance
How does age affect identity?
Age restrictions control where we shop, the books we read, films we see, music we listen to, activities we take part in
Different norms and values are associated with different ages
In what way is age a social construct?
Age and status varies within societies
In the UK older people may lack status, in some societies eg Asian elders have high status.
In Medieval times, age was not related to separate status.
Majority of youth in WW2 left to go to war
How does Stanley Cohen address age and identity?
Postwar, youth culture started to emerge and was demonised. This resulted in more deviance because the youth wanted to associate with their roles and play along. Young people are viewed as a social problem
