social construction of identity Flashcards

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1
Q

historical view of identity

A

premodern societies - up to 15th - god given identities - position you were born into - reflect will of god

enlightenment/ early modernity - 16th-18th - distinct, rational identity, Descartes - I think therefore I am

industrial / urbanisation - 19th to late 20th - centred, fixed identity - increasingly complex society - organisations and structures - tried with class, religion, occupation

late modernity / postmodernity - late 20th to now - fluid - fragmented identities - unstable - choice

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2
Q

socially constructed

A

interactionism - we create identity through impression management - manipulate others impressions of us to prevent social stigma \

postmodernism - identity through consumption, leisure, cultural products and symbols - create and re-create our identities

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3
Q

socially caused

A

marxism - governed by class inequalities

feminism - governed by gender relationships

functionalism - governed by cultural values that exist in the system

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4
Q

criticisms of structural views on identity

A

interactionists - view of identity is determinists and fails to acknowledge active role played by individuals in constructing their identities

postmodernists - view is no longer valid - structures on which it is based no longer exist

neo-marxist - structure and action are in play when understanding how an individual identity is created

structuration theory - action takes place within a structural framework

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5
Q

marxist views on identity

A

identity socially caused by social class - social inequality and identity - fixed

ruling class impose identities on working class through agents of socialisation - transmit dominant ideology and teach us what identities are suitable for our class

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6
Q

marxist rval

A

other sources eg gender more important

neo-marxists - traditional marxist view does not allow for resistant identities

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7
Q

feminist views on identity

A

identity socially caused by gender - fixed - agents of socialisation transmit patriarchal ideology - teaches us what identity suitable for our gender

Oakley - gender role socialisation

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8
Q

feminist eval

A

criticised for focusing on gender to the exclusion of other social statuses

difference feminism - other sources of identity and inequality are more important eg ethnicity ad sexuality

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9
Q

postmodernist views

A

modernist views are outdated

culture too fragmented to influence identities - social institutions have diversified and lost power

complete freedom in construction - consumption and leisure

Clarke and Saunders - we are what we buy

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10
Q

postmodernist eval

A

overemphasise fragmentation of society and blurring of divisions between social groups

inequalities between social groups continue to exist

social position remains key source of identity

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11
Q

interactionist view

A

3 types - personal, social and the self
personal - how you feel uniquely from others eg name, signature
social - personality that associate with social roles or groups
self — internal sense of identity

mead - self - children develop sense of themselves - interaction with others - begin to see how people respond and develop

cooley - looking glass self - image is reflected back to us like a mirror

goffman - impression management
3 forms of stigma - physical defects, personal weaknesses, social stigmas

becker - labelling

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12
Q

postmodernist eval

A

goffman - identities constructed - we can negotiate

overstating degree we have control over identities - even those without obvious stigma may have limited control

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