2.3: What Influences Our Social Identity Notes:

SOCIAL IDENTITY

Age:

• Childhood, youth, adulthood, old age → each stage has different roles/status.

• Impacts expectations (e.g. respect for elders, youth stereotypes).

Gender:

• Shapes roles and opportunities (masculinity/femininity).

• Patriarchal societies may restrict women’s identity.

Ethnicity:

• Shared culture, language, traditions.

• Can be a source of pride or discrimination.

Social Class:

• Based on income, occupation, education.

• Influences lifestyle, opportunities, and group identity.

Impact

• Each aspect affects individual behavior (how people act) and social identity (how groups are seen).

• Different societies emphasize aspects differently (e.g. caste in India, race in US, class in UK).

THE DIGITAL SELF AND ONLINE IDENTITIES

Positive impacts:

• Express identity freely (blogs, social media).

• Connect with communities globally.

• Create multiple identities (avatars, profiles).

Negative impacts:

• Cyberbullying, trolling, online harassment.

• Pressure to conform to online trends.

• Fake identities → confusion, insecurity.

GLOBALIZATION:

Influence on Identities

• Cultural defence: groups protect traditions against global influence.

• Hybrid identities: mixing local and global cultures (e.g. British Asian).

• Homogenization: cultures become more similar (global brands, media).

Positive & Negative Impacts

Cultural diversity:

• Positive: wider choice, tolerance.

• Negative: tension, loss of traditions.

Multiculturalism:

• Positive: coexistence of cultures, enriched society.

• Negative: segregation, conflict.

Global culture:

• Positive: shared values, global belonging.

• Negative: dominance of Western culture, loss of local identity.

POSTMODERNIST VIEWS OF IDENTITY:

• Identity is chosen, not fixed.

• Digital identities: individuals create multiple online selves.

• Consumption patterns & lifestyle: identity shaped by what people buy, wear, watch.

• “Pick and mix” society: people select elements from different cultures/lifestyles to build unique identities.

NOTES DONE BY FARIDA SABET

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE PREVIOUS TOPIC

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE NEXT TOPIC

CLICK HERE TO GO BACK TO THE NOTES MENU

Didn’t understand something?

Ask your question down below and we'll answer it.