Sociological Theories of Identity
Jan 16, 2016
Sociological Theories of Identity
- The idea of personality comes from the Ancient Greek Theater.
-The term “personality” derives from a Latin word “persona” and is itself an adaptation of an Etruscan word which designated a mask.
- In the Ancient Greek Theater the mask represented a character with psychological features.
- This character should be immediately recognized by the audience as soon as he appeared on the stage. These characters were a real symbolism for the Citizens.
Examples of Ancient Greek masks from Louvre Museum
Old Woman MaskEnd of IVe siècle B. C.
Peasant Maskapprox. between 300 and 280 B.C.
Material : Terracotta
Bearded Mask (pornoboskos or
procurer)IIIrd - IInd century B. C.
Dionysos MaskYoung Man Mask
IInd – Ist century B. C.
Young Man Mask(« effeminate soldier »or « blond young
man »)About 150 B.C.
House of Atreus
The 2 families represented in the Ancient Greek Theater
House of Labdacos
Plays acted during :
-Dionysia = March
-Lenaia = DecemberCelebrating Dionysos
Chorus Comments about the events
-History of the Greek City
- rules and duties to be respected by the citizens
The Chorus represents citizens
The actors represent the divinities and some other secondary characters of the story
The plays show what happened to the famous characters when they didn’t follow the prescription of divinities
aim sanctimonius = give an example to the citizens
Ancient Greek Theater is cultural and religious
Personality is something :
closely interrelated to a group for instance the community
it is directly related to a set of characteristics
it depends on a rule
which iself depends on :
a position in the city
the relationships engaged toward protagonists
age, sex…
Sociology Many theories using the concept of identity or giving definition of identity
Link between identity and personality :
The identification :
To a group = whish to belong to a group
To a character = parents, friends, teachers, famous persons…
To an ideal = features corresponding to what we suppose to be necessary, or commendable… good/bad, beautiful/ugly, loveable/abhrorrent…
All that is also :
closely interrelated to a grouprelated to a set of characteristicsdepending on a rule
Main differencies between sociological theories of identity :
one point of view first considering social pressures
a second point of view considering individual’s social actions
Both of those 2 approaches can be seen on three main points of view :
macro-sociological considering institutions, norms and laws prescribed…
meso-sociological considering middle groups,
relations between them
between those groups and institutions,
rules, organizations, conventions…
micro-sociological considering individuals and their relations with groups, institutions, with the rules, the organizations, the conventions, the laws, the norms, etc. and how they can change or influence them
2 principal approaches - a process of evolution
Society
Institutions
Superstructures(Political institutions, Laws, Religion, Philosophy, Ethics
and Morals,
Substructures(Social relationships, Social
classes, …)
Individuals
Middle groups
Small groups
Social links under different levels of consideration
According to the points of view and the approach :
More or less power is supposed to be possessed by Institutions, or Groups, or Individuals
More or less choices for individuals to move in society
Historical process of construction of sociological theories
(Paradigms)
Historical process of societal evolution
(Economy, Politics,Thought…)
Production relationships Constraints
(Subtructures) (Superstructures)
Capitalism, IndustrializationCapitalism, Industrialization
Social classes (Marx)
Erosion of Social Conscious
Mass Production and consumption
Mass Education
Individuality
Theories of middle and small groups
Micro sociology
And theories of « actor »
Three interpretations of the process :
-Karl Marx Revolution process from capitalism to communism
As liberation from high class domination
-Max Weber Rationalization process from Community to Society
Gemeinschaft // Gesellschaft
change of social relationships
constraints to contract
- Norbert Elias Civilization process from collective forms to individualised forms
symbolic forms of identification
(Ourselves//Myself)
What does-it mean concretely ?
Individual forms and conceptions
« I, Me, Myself… »
Domination of private or individual illustrations
Domination of« Individual » processes of socialization
Individual Identifications and Identification to Individual forms
(persons, « individual » constructions…)
to
Collective forms and conceptions
« We, Us, Ourselves… »
Domination of collective illustrations
Domination of Collective processes of socialization
Collective Identifications and Identification to collective forms
(groups, classes…)
From
Roughly, two opposite considerations :
A strong social belonging
The Individual’s identity is only determinated and prescribed by
the collective wish
complete subordination to social code
no transgression admitted
any deviant has no choice but suicide or voluntary exile
Social relationships based upon negotiation or special interest
The Individual’s identity is determinated by values consciously
selected
social and individual codes depend on rationality
some transgressions are admitted
deviants can create some changes in social habits
Those 2 forms are supposed to correspond to an historical evolution from « primitive societies » to « modern and
advanced sociology »
This rough opposition has been abandoned
because it didn’t reflect the reality
Forms of identification are mixed :
- part of collective prescriptions and identifications
- and part of individual considerations and identifications
But Identity is constructed by several steps which represent different process, or different phases of socialization
Sociology generally distinguishes 2 forms of socialization :
- Primary socialization mainly by family and relatives during childhood
- Secondary socializations different places and moments : shoolship, friendship,
work, other relationships such as neighbourhood, associations, sport and leisure, politics commitment…
So, many symbolic summons and injunctions
are transmitted by those places, means, institutions
What does-it mean for the individual’s identity ?
Which symbolic forms, for instance, can be considered as an injonction in modern European societies ?
-Fashion, for instance is not a duty, a law or even a rule.. But it is not possible to avoid it completely…
- Language : could you use any level and any style of language ?
-Ways of being, of walking, of speaking, of standing, of behaving, of dressing speak about you and your social belonging
Those elements = habitus concept from Pierre Bourdieu
Identity = social construction
• Personality usually considered as an intimate issue
• Combining different psychological features• For instance :
Way of speaking, walking… Values mainly influenced by tastes Tastes influencing choices Temper
• Elements which are considered as natural
• Those elements enter in the definition of habitus and they are considered by sociologists and anthropologists as :– Social families, groups, institutions– Cultural main cultures and subcultures– Historical moving in time and historically
constructed
A typical example of something
considered as naturalDirectly linked with – Personal and individual choices – Unavoidable = no control possible
Love/union= wife/husband choice
In fact, marriage is a social matter
• The idea of a natural choice is constructed upon the myth of romantic union
• In the Ancient monarchies existed a real• spatialisation on unions
Sociologists usually that unions are still
homogamies
In the same circles • People choose according to : values for instance • They often meet at
– Work – School/university– Parties organised by friends – Weddings
• So, they still meet persons who – Look like them– Have the same values, habits– Frequent the same places
• Furthermore what constitute habitus is a social element of judgement to choose relations, friends and wife/husband
• The way women/men speak, the way they walk, their dressing habits, their leisures, their knowings…= social codes translated consciously or
unconsciously
In vocational guidance how does it work?
• Same process
• Choose profession/training according to social criteria depending on :– Families positions in society– Examples of different professions– Historical changements
What else?
• Sex/Gender for instance
= discrimination criteria
Society organised upon
sexual division of WorkMen = production / outside / hunting, building…
Women = reproduction / inside / « care »
Going against = transgression / deviance
From their identity
Social and historical constructions
always disappear
behind a principle / a process
of essentialisation
2 main dangers for coaching :
• Essentialisation / naturalisation of tastes wishes / choices…
• Too much attention to social origins
– Notion of « social handicap » (sex, social class, ethny)