Topic 5: Identity Flashcards
What can identity link to?
Gender, sexuality, race, education achievement etc.
What was Robert Young’s (2012) reason for the existence of neds and chavs?
Structural: Social structures and decline in unskilled work has led to these rejection of school values.
Agency-based: Individuals create identities through active choices.
In his study of 22 Scot schools, did Young believe Structural or Agency explanations to be better?
He asked them about what they got up to as well as their family life and social class.
He found that “Neds” were usually males from deprived backgrounds but that many affluent girls actually CHOSE the lifestyle because it’s seen as cool.
Thus, structural factors are important but pupils actively chose the identity.
Why can a focus on identity be better than labelling and SFP?
It is not as narrow.
Thus, it can help to link internal and external factors; recognise that students aren’t all neatly divided into subcultures; show how social divisions interact within schools.
What is a negative of this complex and broad approach?
It is more difficult to identify direct ways that discrimination and labelling limit the achievement of some groups.
