social construction of identity Flashcards
historical view of identity
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
socially constructed
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
socially caused
marxism - governed by class inequalities
feminism - governed by gender relationships
functionalism - governed by cultural values that exist in the system
criticisms of structural views on identity
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postmodernists - view is no longer valid - structures on which it is based no longer exist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
marxist views on identity
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
marxist rval
other sources eg gender more important
neo-marxists - traditional marxist view does not allow for resistant identities
feminist views on identity
identity socially caused by gender - fixed - agents of socialisation transmit patriarchal ideology - teaches us what identity suitable for our gender
Oakley - gender role socialisation
feminist eval
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
postmodernist views
modernist views are outdated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
postmodernist eval
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
interactionist view
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
postmodernist eval
goffman - identities constructed - we can negotiate
overstating degree we have control over identities - even those without obvious stigma may have limited control