Identity (how you are shown in society and seen by others)

Identity (how you are shown in society and seen by others)

1. gender

   • a social construct, created to set lables, norms and values to a person because of their biological sex.
     • men need to be manly , the bread winner, and the protector
     • women are made to be kind caring and maternal because they are needed to be mothers.
     • these norms and values have been labelled 'gender roles' and the definition of gender roles has changed over time
   • feminists
     • feminininty was linked to the role of the house wife.
   • women reproduce, maintan and support capitalism.
     • by having children, by providing them children with the norms and values of capitalism
   • marxism
     • popular and mass culture distract society from gender inequality
     • conflict theory; gender inequality is necessary
     • society benifits those with power; in a patriarchal society, that would be males getting the benifits.
   • Functionalism
     • society benefits everyone in different ways, no matter their gender
     • gender roles are vital in society; they ensure that society id run smoothly and at its best.
   • post modernism
     • norms and values in gender are always changing; equality is improving.
     • gender diversity (the rise of transgender and non-binary identities) is becoming visible; altering modern days gender roles.
   • masculinity
     • Aggressive masculinity
     • hegemony massculinity
       • middle class massculinity
   • labelling theory
     • gender roles are to be followed
   • studies
     • parsons
       • *females have an 'expresive role' in family; natural but reinforced by socialisation
         • Males have an 'instrumental role' in family ; natural but reinforced by socialisation
           • These roles are considered funtional for society and family
     • Mac An Ghail
       • focuses on 'hyoer - masculinity' among males
         • this includes policing their own and others sexualities
           • nothing the insecurity of working-class men(labbled, the crisis of masculinity) aa theor identrity as breadwinner is lost
     • Jackson
       • women adopting 'laddishness' - a form of masculinity
       • these women, labelled 'laddettes', performing risky acts such as smoking, drinking, swearing and being a disruptive person
       • they fear they might be seen as uncool and ended up popular if they do not take part in such activities

2. sexuality

   • feminists
     • point out how women are portraied through their sexuality, as sexual objects to fantasise about
     • hetronormativity is still the norm
   • homosexuality
     • becoming more accpeted now
       • looking glass self
         • many non hetrosexual individuals still think that how they would be percived by other is in a negative view.
         • young individuals would examine how others uses their sexuality relevent labels such as 'gay' (if they identify as such) with that meaning
           • if the meaning is negative, they wold think of that aspect of themselves negitivley
     • used as a way to identify, represents a person
   • a lable given due to who, on a category of gender, one would find sexually or romantically attractive
   • marxism
     • society is distracted by popular culture; distracts frm the issues with on- hetronormativity
     • cconflic theory; hetronormativity versus diverse sexual orientations.
   • functionalism
     • roles ensure society running smoothly; this can include the role of hetronormativity
     • the tradition nuclear family (one mother, one father) is believe to be the best type of family
   • post modernism
     • sexual diversity establishing among society
     • hetronormativity is breaking down; more rights to no-heterosexual individuals
     • media stars normalising homosexual relationships
   • labelling theory
     • due to hetronormativity, people who are 'out' as non homosexual are given a label of being 'gay' or 'homo'
       • this can been seen as a negative label and can become their master status, they would only be recognised by their sexuality.
   • impresion management
     • many homosexual individuals would either conform to their social stereo types or hide them if they were to relate to such
       • if they are not 'out' they would create a fake persona in society ( their front religion) and only acknowledge them true self in private (their back religion)
   • STUDIES
     • weeks
       • sexual identification is a strange thing
         • sexuality is more complex than other aspects of identity
       • people may or may not participate in sexual activity with those they are sexually attrcted to
     • Rich
       • womens sexuality is oppressed by the patriarchy
       • This is by objectification and sexual violence/rape
       • women took part in 'compolsary hetrosexuality' ; they are socialised into hetro sexual role for men
       • lesbian identity is erased; it is seen as a threat to males
     • Mcintosh
       • claiming that homosexual men fill a 'homosexual role' in western cultures
         • homosexual males are given certain stereotypes on their characteristics ( higher pitched voice, increase in vanity,ect)
           • males who were openly homosexual were shown to have few or all characteristics stereotyped

3. age

   • can give status and power
   • given titles
     • childhood
       • constructed as a period of innocence
     • youth
       • 12-15, transition from childhood to adult hood, some cultures do not recognise this transition.
     • adulthood
       • characterised with carrer and family
       • independance
     • old age
       • aging bodies are represented as ugly in the uk, giving elderly people this idea of ugly to identify with.

4. class

   • measured through income, possesion, house, lifestyle, holidays, television, dress, accent, norms and values and occupation
     • effect how people see them self and how others see them as it gives a sense of power or status
     • can now be defined by what we buy not what we do
     • children would live under their parents class untill they started to earn a living themselves
   • marxism
     • conflict between social classes caused by power
     • society benefits rich and powerfull; this would mean the upper class
   • generates expectations of behaviour
   • a social system, used used more decades ago that seperated people due to the different class levels

5. ethnicity

   • national identity
     • expressed through supporting your national team, taking pride during the national anthem or carring your national flag.
   • hybrid identity
     • someone's sense of who they are.
     • a mixture of two or more influences
       • eg. an individual may have an identity as British but also Muslim. their identity is a hybrid of both British and Asian ethnicity.
   • made up of religion, language, where we live, ethnic origin, skin colour and so on.

6. culture is a way of life, it is looked at because it is an individual experiance.