IDENTITY - Socialisation, Culture & Identity Sociology - Paper 1

The Concept:

Someone’s identity is the sum of all their socialisation
A product of all of your experiences
Self-identity = how you see yourself
Social identity = How others see you
We internalise all the social expectations put on us - see how we are meant to behave and adjust to it
Identity is formed by all aspects of socialisation
Some argue that identity is imposed on you and fixed-in by your ethnicity, nationality, gender etc
Others say that it is a more fluid and active process
Modern-day identities are constructed by ourselves as we can get ideas from the media and choose who we want to be and what statement to make.

Aspects of Identity:

Anyone’s identity is made up of different aspects that define how they see themselves and how others see them
The importance of each aspect will vary from person to person - e.g. a homosexual person may consider their sexuality a more important aspect than a heterosexual person would.
Another example; looking attractive may be more important to females than males
When considering each aspect, consider how it will intersect with others to form an identity.

Hybrid Identities

Ethnicity:

People find a sense of cultural awareness, people find identity within the groups that share a history or heritage
Intersects with other aspects of identity
HYBRID IDENTITIES - cross between two or more influences, mostly in nationality and ethnicity
CHANGING ETHNIC IDENTITIES - postmodernists argue that in a globalised media- Saturated society, IDENTITY IS A CHOICE, identity is becoming less clear-cut and significant

Ethnicity & Identity Studies:

Ghumann- 1999

-tradition, family values & religion plays an important part in second-generation British Asian upbringing.

-socialised into the extended family so as to emphasise loyalty

Gilroy -1993
-Sardar 2002- changing identities
-the world is in a middle of an identity crisis
-East VS west
-Capitalist vs Communist
-Struggle to find a british identity
-globalisation becoming normthe identity of young black people
-shared experiences, racism and powerlessness transcends into a shared 'black' identity
Derrington & Kendall 2004/ Song 1997/ Francis & Archer 2005
-different aspects of identity
-all studies show that the challenges and influences of growing up as a minority ethnic group have an impact on an individual’s identity
Jacobson 1997

-young Pakistanis are adopting a strong Islamic identity

-Response to social exclusion from white British society

-strong Muslim identity gives them stability

Neighbourhood Nationalism- Back 1996
-study of two council estates in London
-found cultural hybridity
-white youths were attracted to black culture, just as blacks were attracted to white culture
-developed a shared identity based on mixed culture
Nayak -2003
-'white wannabes' are british males who take on black hiphop culture e.g ALI G
Modhood - 1997
-'Asians' includes many different nationalities and
religious groups

Nationality:

National Identity = The feeling of being a part of a bigger community- the identity of a country gives pride, purpose and meaning

Nationality & Identity Studies:

Sardar 2002- changing identities

-the world is in a middle of an identity crisis

-East VS west

-Capitalist vs Communist

-Struggle to find a British identity

-globalisation becoming the norm

Anderson 1983

-argues that a nation is an imagined community

-National identity is socially constructed through symbols like the flag, anthem & rituals

-facilitated by newspapers and books which created a national language

-for example, British people reported as more important than others

Stuart Hall 1991- responses to globalisation
-countries react to globalisation in 3 ways:
- Cultural Homogenisation- accept the global culture, and all countries become more similar
- Cultural Hybridity-take in some parts alongside their own and develop new culture e.g. Bollywood
- Cultural Resistance- Reject mass culture therefore strengthen own culture

Gender:

There is no longer a clear definition of what is masculine and what is feminine- it is fluid and changing
Has a significant impact on our identity especially if we live in a patriarchal society
Wilson 1975 - the need to reproduce makes men promiscuous and women more nurturing
CHANGING IDENTITIES - evidence shows British gender norms are changing
Functionalists believe norms are socially constructed and reinforced by society, they serve the family
Feminists believe that norms are constructed by patriarchy but other agencies influence it

Gender & Identity Studies:

Oakley 1981 - gender role socialisation in the family

Manipulation- encouraging behaviour that is seen to be for that gender e.g. encouraging dirty adventure boys and discouraging the same from girls
Canalisation - parents channelling toys, games & activities by gender
Verbal Appellation- giving children nicknames that reinforce gender expectations e.g princess
Different Activities - family encourage help around the home in gendered activities e.g. girls help mum bake

Ladette- Jackson 2006

a term used for women who has stereotypical personality traits and habits of a man and defy female ones

Mac an Ghaill 1994 - crisis of masculinity

-insecurity felt by working-class men
-loss in the breadwinner identity
-decline in male industry caused crisis of masculinity

Hey - 1997

-studied friendships among teenage girls
-norms of female behaviour is deep-rooted in the patriarchy

Mac an Ghaill 1994 - 3 Fs

-boys learn to be men within peer groups
-peer groups police sexuality
3fs of hypermasculinity
-fighting, football and f*cking

Social Class:

Social Class = a group of people who share a similar economic and social situation
People in the same social class develop the same norms, cultures and values
Some argue that class is dead but it is a very significant aspect of people’s identity
Class can be seen as a product of socialisation - starts in the family, related to cultural characteristics such as education, occupation, lifestyle and interests

Judging Social Class:

Can be judged by many factors including…

money/income
possessions
house - type, size, area
lifestyle, leisure, hobbies
holidays
television viewing habits
dress / style
accent / speech
norms / values
occupation - the most traditional way to measure class

Class in the UK is divided into upper class, middle class and working class but defining these is not easy - not everyone will identify with a class and recent sociologists have discovered classes such as the ‘super rich’ and the ‘underclass’.

==Upper Class:==

Traditionally have inherited wealth
May send their children to boarding schools, socialise at exclusive places and enjoy activities that are inaccessible to the majority population such e.g. hunting, ballet, opera
Can be argued that this group’s population is decreasing along with power now that the ‘super rich’ are more significant. The super-rich earn their money through achievements not inheritance e.g. Lord Sugar

Middle Class:

Seen as the majority population
Traditionally associated with people in professional or managerial careers
Likely to be university educated and own their own homes
Access to home ownership and uni education has increased so these features are more common in the general population
Fewer people in manual jobs and trade
Middle class is very diverse
Wide variety of incomes, attitudes and lifestyles
Likely to be a big difference between public-sector professionals and private sector professionals, e.g. nurses and teachers vs lawyers and bankers.
Unlikely that everyone in the middle class would share a common experience and identity

^^Working Class:^^

Mackintosh & Mooney (2004) - a key feature of the upper class is their invisibility, they operate social closure meaning that their education, leisure time and daily lives are separated from the rest of the population

Fox (2004) - discusses ‘upper middles’, ‘middle middles’ and ‘lower middles’. Highlights the differences within the classes.