Identity mindmap

Identity mindmap

1. What is identity?

   • Personal identity
     • A way of identifying yourself through personal aspects e.g. your name
   • Social identity
     • Is how your sense of identity is developed by the way others see you.

2. How is it formed?

   • Primary Socialisation
     • The first type of socialisation that happens, this occurs in the family
   • Secondary Socialisation
     • The second type of socialisation that occurs, this happens through education and the media etc

3. Social variables - CAGES

   • Class
     • The upper class, the middle class, the working class
     • When judging someone on their social class you would take into consideration; their income, possessions, lifestyle and norms and values etc
     • Views on class
       • Feminism
         • Gender inequality; women earn less and gain less power than men.
           • Working class women perform unpaid labour such as running a household
       • Marxism
         • Conflict between social classes caused by power
           • Upper class benefitted most
       • Functionalism
         • Society benefits everyone of all social classes
           • Needed to make society run smoothly
       • Postmodernism
         • Norms and values are always changing, equality is improving.
           • The rise of gender diversity
     • Theorists
       • Parsons (1995)
         • Females have an expressive role in the house, whereas males have an instrumental role.
       • Mac an Ghail (1994)
         • Focusing on hyper masculinity among males
         • This includes policing their own and others sexualities, noting the clear insecurity of the working class man as their identity as the breadwinner and the masculine figure is lost.
       • Jackson (2006)
         • Women adopting laddish- a form of masculinity. These women labelled as ladettes perform risky duties like drinking and smoking.
   • Age
     • Seen as a stage in the life course; childhood, youth and adulthood. These are socially determined and structured.
     • Views on class
       • Feminism
         • Women are largely judged by factors such as age.
           • Society favours young or young looking women
       • Marxism
         • Ageist conflict is necessary
           • Adults have the most power and benefit most whereas children are negatively treated
       • Functionalism
         • Age has no relation to social benefits
           • Adults and children will remain to be treated differently to benefit society.
       • Postmodernism
         • Young people are taking over and possibly taking advantage of their education to be taken more seriously
         • Technology is advancing by young people
     • Theorists
       • Postman (1982)
         • The creation of the innocent child
           • A rise of parents protecting their children from dangers such as sexuality and death
           • As technology is emerging the innocent child figure is disappearing
       • Featherstone and Hepworth (2005)
         • The media can positively and negatively change attitudes of ageing.- more positive images occur as the population is ageing
           • This is shown through retro fashions being mimicked in today's society
   • Gender
     • Being male or female- this is said to have a huge effect on how people view you
     • This links to the gender roles put in place within society for both genders. - being feminine and masculine.
       • As society evolves the gender roles begin to become less relevant.
     • Gender roles have changed over time- women were previously the housewife role and men being the breadwinner, however women are more focusing on their careers
     • Views on gender
       • Feminism
         • Gender equality doesn't exist, society is patriarchal
         • Secondary socialisation cam be harmful to women (causes body image issues.)
       • Marxism
         • Pop culture distracts society from gender inequality
           • Conflict theory- gender inequality is necessary
         • Society benefits those in power (in a patriarchal society) males benefit most.
       • Functionalism
         • Society benefits everyone in different ways- no matter their gender.
         • Gender roles are vital in society, with the roles it allows society to run smoothly.
       • Post Modernism
         • Norms and values in gender are always changing- equality is improving
         • Gender diversity is widely emerging, altering gender roles.
     • Masculinity
       • 2 types
         • Aggressive masculinity
           • Socially desirable aggressiveness, desired by working class
         • Hegemony masculinity
           • Socially desirable masculinity, desired by middle class
     • Theorists
       • Parsons (1995)
         • Functionalist- gender is natural and reinforced
   • Ethnicity
     • Ethnicity relates to culture and how we all have an ethnic identity.
     • As society develops there becomes a range of cultural characteristics that make determining ethnic identity more complex.
     • Views on ethnicity
       • Feminism
         • Supporting equality of all females- ethnicity should not divide them.
       • Marxism
         • Ethnic conflict is needed when there is equality.
           • The ideal ethnicity - which in most western countries is white people would be given the most power and benefits in society
       • Functionalism
         • Society benefits all ethnicities
         • Certain ethnicities should remain unequal to keep society running smoothly
       • Postmodernism
         • Equality is slowly improving
           • The creation of international movements for equality- Black Lives Matter
     • Theorists
       • Hewitt (2005)
         • Studied the negative perception of multiculturalism.
           • White working class people were noted to defend their ethnicities from ethnic minorities
       • Winston James (1993)
         • Experience of racism unified identities of African- Caribbeans
           • Their unified culture adopted the label "black" to prevent racism in the UK
   • Sexuality
     • Society and especially the media seem obsessed with images relating to secuality.
     • Feminists in particular are concerned with the way in which women are portrayed through their sexuality.( As sexual objects for men to objectify.)
     • Views on sexuality
       • Feminsim
         • Heteronormativity is still the norm, women are sexualised for men in the media- pornography and prostitution.
           • Linked to domestic violence and rape in society.
           • Women are objectified and treated as products of an orgasm
       • Marxism
         • heterosexuality is the norm because it serves capitalism
           • It reproduces children to become workers to later exploit.
         • Society is distracted by popular culture
       • Functionalism
         • Roles ensure society is running smoothly , this includes the role of heteronormativity
         • The traditional nuclear family is believed to be best.
       • Post-modernism
         • Sexual diversity is establishing among society
         • Media starts normalising homosexual relationships
     • Theorists
       • Rich (1980)
         • Womens sexuality is oppressed by the patriarchy, this is by objectification
           • Women take part in a compulsory heterosexuality, they are socialised into heterosexual role for men, lesbian identity is erased or seen as a threat to males or again objectified.
       • Weeks (1991)
         • "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 attracted to