Age and Identity

Start with approaches to age

Begin with the mind map Age Identity, which introduces chronological age and age as a stage in the life course. It gives you a way to organize your reading before exploring how society shapes ideas about age.

Next, look at Age identities key concepts. It considers the social construction of age, including expectations about how someone of a particular age should behave. Compare that approach with the mind map Age and Identity, which also covers youth, older age and the question of whether age is biological or shaped by culture and society.

Explore youth and socialization

The mind map Age Identities and Socialisation includes youth identity and the family. Use it to explore how relationships with parents feature in discussion of young people's identities. Another mind map on youth describes it as a socially constructed transition from childhood to adulthood.

The notes on age identities ask why age can be a dimension of identity and disadvantage. Read them alongside the maps to see how age categorization is discussed.

Practice with maps and flashcards

After reading a map, try explaining its main ideas without looking. Then return to the map to check what you included. The Age Identity flashcards list names associated with the topic, giving you another way to practice recall.

There are no quizzes on this page, so the flashcards and mind maps offer different ways to study the listed material. Teachers can also use the resources to select ideas for discussion.

Place the topic in context

Age and Identity is a section of the Identity unit in Sociology. As you study, use the resources to consider how age is presented as a part of identity. Choose a map and a flashcard deck to explore together.