Sociology 1.3: Understanding Social and Gender Identities

Social identity

Collective or group identities applied to important roles.

Social class

A measure suggested by Crompton (2003) that can define simple class groupings, such as working, middle, and upper class.

Traditional working-class identities

Identities that are fixed around manual work and the manufacturing industry.

Upper-class Identities

Identities based on the landed aristocracy and the business elite, characterized by historic ownership of land and significant wealth.

Landed aristocracy

A small group whose traditional source of power is its historic ownership of land and political connections to the monarchy.

Business elite

A major section of the upper class characterized by great income and wealth based on ownership of significant national, international, and global companies.

Middle-class identities

Constructed around a range of occupational identities including professionals, managers, intellectuals, consultants, and routine service workers.

New working class

A group that retains a strong sense of 'being working class' as suggested by Devine (1992).

Age cohort

The group of people who move together from one age to the next.

Gender Identities

Roles and characteristics society associates with each sex, as explained by Connell and others in 1987.

Hegemonic Masculinity

Traditional ideas of what it means to be a man, including physical traits like strength and mental traits like leadership.

Emphasized Femininity

Describes how women have traditionally been seen, often shaped by their support of men's roles.

Subordinate Masculinities

Lesser forms of masculinity, including men who do not conform to the stereotypical 'tough guy' image.

Subversive Masculinities

Masculinity that goes against the usual idea of being 'manly', such as a serious student focused on academics.

Complicit Masculinities

Men who take on roles traditionally seen as feminine, such as sharing household chores and childcare.

Marginalised Masculinities

Men who feel left out of traditional family roles, often due to long-term unemployment.

Contingent Femininities

Identities influenced by men's beliefs, actions, and desires.

Normalised Identities

Roles women learn to take on that are supportive or secondary to men, such as being mothers or partners.

Sexualised Identities

Identities shaped by how men view women, often seeing them as objects for men's desires.

Assertive Identities

Identities showing that women are starting to change their roles in society.

Girl Power Identities

Focus on having fun and the importance of female friendships, often excluding older women.

Modernised Femininities

Identities for older women who find new power in work and family life, desiring freedom and personal expression.

Ageing Femininities

Identities allowing older women to be stylish, active, and feel good about themselves.

Autonomous Femininities

Involve women competing with men on their own terms, often well-educated and career-focused.

Ethnicity

Different from race; involves various cultural differences such as religion, family structures, beliefs, values, and norms.

Minorities and Ethnicity

Identity is ethnic for everyone because we all come from different backgrounds, affecting how we are perceived.

Class identity

Becoming increasingly fluid, based on an individual's ability to choose who they are or want to be.