Section A: IDENTITY

Question 1

Identity

Answer 1

The way you see yourself and how you are seen by others.

Question 2

Personal Identity

Answer 2

How a person distinguishes their identity as separate to those of a similar group.

Question 3

Social identity

Answer 3

How a person gains a sense of identity from the groups which they are a part of.

Question 4

Aspects of identity

Answer 4

A person’s identity is amde up of a number of different aspects of identity which have a crucial effect on how we see ourselves (class, age, gender, ethnicity)

Question 5

Social class

Answer 5

Broadly the economic and social group which someone belongs to.

Question 6

Cultural capital

Answer 6

The knowledge and skills that a person has.

Question 7

Social capital

Answer 7

The personal and professional connections that a person has.

Question 8

Economic capital

Answer 8

The money and resources that a person owns.

Question 9

Social construction

Answer 9

Something that is socially constructed if it depends on the society in which a person lives. (E.g. gender is socially constructed because different societies have different gender roles).

Question 10

Ethnicity

Answer 10

A socially defined category of people who identify with each other based on common ancestral, social, cultural or national experience.

Question 11

Hybridity

Answer 11

Refers to when a person’s identity is made up of several different cultural influences.

Question 12

Nationality

Answer 12

The shared cultural identity of people from a particular country.

Question 13

Liberal feminist ideas about identity

Answer 13

Women learn traditional gender roles through gender role socialisation (oakly). This is learned through imitation, canalisation, verbal appellation., etc…

Question 14

Marxist feminist ideas about identity

Answer 14

The role of women within the family as homemakers and mothers benefits capitalism (Benston). As such, the ruling class are invested in ensuring that women develop identities based on the promotion of familial responsibilities.

Question 15

Radical feminist ideas about identity

Answer 15

Gender identity is constructed based on patriarchal ideology. This is the idea that men are superior to women.

Question 16

Postmodernist ideas about identity

Answer 16

Argue that we play an active role in constructing identities, drawing inspiration from different areas and adopting certain aspects of identity.
Several theorists ideas about identity can be used to support this.

Question 17

Gender identity
The biological view

Answer 17

Wilson argues that any differences between men and women in regard to gender result from natural biological difference.

Question 18

Gender identity
The functionalist view

Answer 18

Parsons argued that there are natural differences between men and women but these were reinforced through socialisation. Men more suited to the instrumental role as the breadwinner whereas women are suited to the expressive role.

Question 19

Gender identity
Gender is socially constructed

Answer 19

Gender identity is based on the society a person is raised (mead)

Question 20

Social class and identity

Answer 20

Plays a significant role in the construction of identity The class someone is born into will have a strong impact on their aspirations and personality.
Social class first developed by Karl marx.

Question 21

Social class and identity

Answer 21

Plays a significant role in the construction of identity The class someone is born into will have a strong impact on their aspirations and personality.
Social class first developed by Karl marx.

Question 22

Gender
Sue sharpe

Answer 22

Women in 70s focused on childraising and family, women in 90s focused on career.

Question 23

Gender
Mac and Ghaill

Answer 23

Male peer groups instill traditional masculinity at young age. Argued importance is placed on 3 F’s - fighting, football, f****.

Question 24

Spencer et Al
Ethnic and hybrid identities

Answer 24

Found white Eastern living within the UK do spend a great deal of time socialising with British people. Social closure.

Question 25

Margaret mead
Age inequalities

Answer 25

Argued that the storm and stress associated with youths was socially constructed and does not necessarily exist in all societies.

Question 26

Ann Oakley
Gender

Answer 26

Ann Oakley Liberal feminist argued that children are socialised to accept and adopt certain expectations of gender. These expectations are learned through imitation, canalisation, verbal appellation.

Question 27

Winston james
Ethnic inequalities

Answer 27

Argued black people within the UK have created a shared identity despite being from range of different cultures. He points out that black people from different part of the caribbean will have very different cultural heritage to each other let alone cultural differences between people from the carribean and Africa. There becomes a shared black identity due to experience of racism.

Question 28

Weeks
Family diversity

Answer 28

Weeks wrote extensively about the idea of sexuality. He argued that sexual identification was a strange thing and that it is not as significant to a person’s identity if they are not part of the minority group. He noted that few would describe themselves as heterosexual when asked to introduce themselves but saying “I am gay” makes a statement about being a part of a community. Weeks et Al also argued that same sex families are seen as families of choice by those who are a part of them.

Question 29

Social class identity

Answer 29

Bourdieu- three fors of capital (cultural, social and cultural)
Bowles and Gintis- class and education- hidden curriculum.
Mackintosh and Mooney- key feature of UC is invisibility.
Skeggs- WC women worry they might be judged by MC
Weber- predicted middle class would grow and diversify.
Fox- upper middle, middle middle, lower middle.
Saunders- consumption rather than class defines identity today.

Question 30

Gender identity

Answer 30

Oakley- men and women are socialised into their roles.
Mac and Ghaill- male peer groups focused on 3 fs
Jackson- ladettes
Wilkinson- genderquake
Sue sharpe- change in girls aspirations
Connell- different forms of masculinity (hegemonic, subprdinate and marginal)
Hey- female peer groups police each others behaviour.

Question 31

National identity

Answer 31

Kumar- english identity has been diluted by colonial attempts to expand British Ness.
Halsey- americanisation
Sardar- argues that as a result of globalisation, old divides have weakened and to strengthen national identities, we must embrace cultural diversity and our common humanity.

Question 32

Ethnic identity

Answer 32

Ghumann- tradition, religion and family important in the upbringing of secon generation Asians in the uk.
Gilroy- black identity occurs as a result of shared racism.
Winston james- black identity
Spencer et al- social closure
Dawney- evidence of racism against European spent relatively little time socialising with British people, suggesting that British people operate social closure from immigrants.
Jacobson- young Pakistanis adopting a strong Islamic identity as a response a social exclusion in Britain.

Question 33

Hybrid identity

Answer 33

Johal- identified that there existed a brasier identity in which they took aspects from their parents and grandparents culture and aspects of British identity.
Nayak- used the term white wannabes to describe British men who are influenced by black hip hop culture.

Question 34

Age identity

Answer 34

Postman- the concept of childhood only emerged as the spread of literacy enabled adults to better shield children from various aspects of adult life.
Mead- the storm and stress associated with adolescence is culturally specific and therefore socially constructed.
Bradley- middle age have a higher status than other age groups. These people run the country and hold power at work.
Corner- old people have been socialised to view themselves negatively often seeing themselves as a burden.
Featherstone and hepworth- the media portrays a negative view of ageing but as the population ages, this may improve.
Polemus- youth is a time for experimenting and shipping at the “supermarket of styles.”

Question 35

Disabled identity

Answer 35

Medical model- disability is merely a medical issue, focuses on limitations kf those living with disabilities.
Shakespeare- argued that disabled people are often socialised into seeing themselves as victims and disability becomes an excuse for personal failures.
Social model- people with disabilities are limited not by their own disabilities but by societies lack of provision for them.

Question 36

Sexual identity

Answer 36

Weeks- notes few would describe themselves as heterosexual but saying “I am gay” makes a statement about belonging to a community.
Weeks- sexual identity is strange pointing to people who engage in same sex activity without identifying as homosexual and people who participate I the gay community while not having same sex relationships
Macintosh- argued that the homosexual role involved certain expectations or cultural characteristics.
Quinn- studied same sex relationships and found that in many native American tribes same sex marriage was celebrated.