the self- culture and identity

What is identity?

The characteristics by which a person is recognisable

Includes how we see ourselves+ how others see us

Split into personal identity (internal) and social identity (external)

Mead ‘I’ and ‘Me’ theory

• I = inner self, how we see ourselves

• ‘Me’= social self, how others see us/ how we act publicly

Self identity

• our own view of our strengths, weaknesses, status ad worth

• Links to interactionist views- we shape it through social interaction

Structure vs action debate

• structure= identity shaped by social institutions (class,gender etc)

Fun

Functionalist view of identity

• parsons : identity formed via socialisation+ meritocracy

• Ascibed status (born into) vs achieved status (earned)

• Merton: institutions have manifest and latent functions

Marxist view of identity

• identity tshaped by capitalism and class relations

• Alienation: workers disconnect from products and eachother

• False class consciousness= people uaware of real economic position

• Culture is used by ruling class to maintain power via ideology

Neo-marxism: Gramscis hegemony

• Ruling class dominance appears like ‘common sense’

• Hegemony= ideological control over values beliefs

• Organic intellectuals=working class leeaders who challenge hegemony

Feminist view of identity

• identity shaped by patriarchy

• Oakley: gender socialisation through canalisation and mainpulation

• De beauviour: women internalise male- defined identity (like false class consciousness)

• Male gaze caes distorted female identity

Criticims of struturalism

• too deterministic: individuals have more agency than suggested

• Giddens: structuration= balance between structure and action

• Real identity= partly shaped by institutions, partly by self

Social action theorists

• agree identity is social construct, but emphasise agency

• We shape identity through interaction, not just strucure

Berger+ Luckmann: social constructionism

• reality and identity is created through social interactionism

• Identity= dynamic, not fixed- were always reshaping it

Childhood analogy

• childhood varies by culture/ time= proves identity is socially constructed

• Identity is like childhood, is not natural- its shaped socially

Cooley- ‘the looking glass self’

• we develop self -image based on how we think others see us

• We imagine how we appear to others > judge that appearance > develop a self concept

• We become who we believe others believ us to be

• Social interaction= mirror for our identity

Becker- labelling theory

• labels- e.g troublemaker, can become master status

• People inernalise labels and behave accordingly

• Labelling impacts educatin and crime

• Individuals may reject labels > agency still exists

Goffman - presentation of the self

• identity= perfomance

• Front stage= social/publioc life > performace, impression managment

• Backstage= private life> relaxed, true self

• We present an idealised self and manage audince impressions

• Role conflict= juggling multiple identities

• Role distance= ga between performed identity and private identity

Shared theme across interactinists

• identity= built through interactions

• Individuals are active agents with some control

• Identity isnt fixed- i is fluid and negoiated

Post modernist views on identity

• Identity = fluid, chosen – no longer fixed by class/gender/etc.

• Individuals pick and mix identities from cultural marketplace

• We are consumers of identity, constructing ourselves via choices

Baudrillard- consumer identity

• Identity = what we buy

• We are defined by symbols & brands, not production (contrast Marxism)

• Commodity consumption replaces social roles

Postmodern identity= hybrid self

• No single fixed identity – we have multiple shifting selves

• Identities like gender, sexuality, and ethnicity can be chose

• Identity is performed and selected, not inherited

Interactionist critiques

• Highlights individual agency & micro interactions

• But limited usefulness for solving social problems (too individual-focused)

• Lacks macro perspective on power and inequality

Post modernist critiques

• May overstate choice – not everyone has equal freedom to choose identity

• Ignores how structure still limits identity (e.g., income, class, discrimination)

• Risk of implying identity is just style or branding