Personal and Social Identity

Syllabus:

Students will develop knowledge and understanding of the nature of the development of personal and social identity through the study of:

the development of personality, self-awareness and self-concept

Focus Questions:

Define the key concepts for this topic.
Identify two situations where you feel you portray two different version of you and explain why you do this.
Outline how personalities are categorised.

Understanding Identity

We often associate our identity with our ‘personality’.

Carl Jung identified that there are psychological types that group our personalities into 16 different types.

Personality Types

Isabel Briggs Meyers developed some tests that allow us to characterise these personality types according to whether we:

Are extraverted or introverted
Make decisions using logic or our gut feeling
Let our emotions or thoughts guide us

Activity:

Go to the website to the right and take the personality test.

Compare your results with your friends to understand your own identity a bit better.

I suggest you email a copy of your results to yourself so you can read it later on.

16 Personalities

In your book, answer the following:

Was your result accurate? Why? Why not? (4 sentences minimum)
Do you think it's possible to sum up personalities in to 16 different types? (4 sentences minimum)

Syllabus:

Students will develop knowledge and understanding of the nature of the development of personal and social identity through the study of:

the development of identity and the social self
the role of socialisation and the influence of agents of socialisation on the development of personal and social identity

Focus Questions:

Propose some of your identities.
Describe the 2 parts that make up our ‘sense of self’.
Summarise the different ways of viewing ‘personal identity’.
Analyse how socialisation and identity are related.

Identity and Socialisation

Activity:

In your exercise books correctly match-up the verb with the meaning.

Revision:

In your exercise books answer the following:

How are personalities categorized?
What do you think about the use of tools like the 16 personalities test?
What did you discover about your own sense of self last lesson?

Becoming 'me'

Academics have long tried to understand the process of developing our identities.

As we age, we develop deeper understandings of who we are.

Newborn babies don’t understand they are separate human beings.

Up until about 3 months of age they see themselves as an extension of their mother and believe they are the same person as their mother.

This is why babies don’t like being away from their biological mum and are often comforted just by her voice.

In your books:

Determine some of your identities by writing down answers to the following statement:

“I am…”

Discuss with the person next to you the following:

What did your answers to the statement reveal about who you think you are?
Think back to when you were in year 7. How many of these identities are new?
What about how you would answer that statement in 10 years from now?

I'll ask for some volunteers to share with the class.

Two Sides Of You

There are 2 parts to our sense of self:

Personal identity: the person who we think we are or aspire to be.

Social identity: the person we present to others based on what we think they want us to be.

Activity:

While watching the video on the next slide, summarise the different ways of viewing ‘personal identity’.

Socialisation

Socialisation is about learning to deal with the social world by gaining an understanding of rules and expectations for situations we find ourselves in.

E.g. walking down the corridor, we stick to the left.

This has been socialised into us as an expectation.

Socialisation can be divided into two categories:

Primary: knowledge we gain from our family.
Secondary: peers, media, religion, school, workplace influences.

The norms and expectations that we are socialised with form how we present ourselves to the world.

E.g. If you deliberately choose not to walk on the left side of the corridor, what does this say about your identity?

Socialisation is a process that will continue for our entire lives.

Whether it’s getting a new job, meeting a new group of people or joining a new sporting team.

We are always continually adjusting to suit new environments.

Therefore, we are constantly changing our identity or sense of self.

Working with the person(s) near you answer the following in your books:

How does our mood, circumstances, expectations or even medication affect who we are?
Compare the social expectations for a child, teenager, adult and elderly person.
How does socialisation change with each life stage?

Syllabus:

Students will develop knowledge and understanding of the nature of the development of personal and social identity through the study of:

the influence of each of the following on the development of personal and social identity:

family and kinship

Family & Kinship

Focus Questions:

Summarise the different types of families.
Explain why family structures have changed over time.
Justify how family size impact identity development.
Outline the ‘birth order’ theory.

Activity:

In your exercise books correctly match-up the verb with the meaning.

Revision:

What are the two aspects to our identity?
What two theories are their about personal identity?
How does socialisation influence identity?
Does socialisation ever end? Why/why not?

Family Types

As you’ve already learnt, our family play one of the most significant roles in shaping who we are.

This includes our parents, siblings and extended relatives.

In the pluralistic culture of Australia we have allowed many different types of families to form.

Use the following video to summarise the different types of families.

Questions:

Do you think our move away from the ‘extended family’ structure has been good or bad for identity development?
The idea of ‘family’ is a social construct. Why?

Birth Rates

The biggest change to family structures over time has been a decrease in size.

The current birth rate is 1.70 children per woman.

This is half the birth rate of the 1960s.

Answer:

How might family size impact the identity development of an individual? Provide examples to support your answer.

Birth Order

Social researchers have always studied whether the order your born impacts your characteristics.

Use the video to outline the ‘birth order’ theory.

Discuss:

Do you agree with the image above?

Generalisations:

While you might have identified with some aspects of that diagram, it is always dangerous to make generalisations like this.

Family size and structure have more of an influence than birth order.

Syllabus:

Students will develop knowledge and understanding of the nature of the development of personal and social identity through the study of:

the influence of each of the following on the development of personal and social identity:

Ethnicity and Culture

Ethinicity and Culture

Focus Questions:

Contrast the concepts of ‘ethnicity’, ‘race’ & ‘nationality’.
List the factors that determine our ethnicity.
Deduce how ethnicity and culture are related.

Key Verbs Match-up

Revision

What are some of the different types of family structures?
How has the idea of family changed over time?
How does family size impact our identity?
Does birth order matter?

Ethinicity

Ethnicity is not an easy concept to determine.

For example, what would you say your ethnicity is?

We find it hard to answer this as it’s difficult to describe what exactly ethnicity includes.

When we say someone is ‘ethnic’ what do you normally mean?

Who do we often describe as ‘ethnic’?

Activity:

Use the video to contrast ethnicity, race & nationality in your books.

Why do you think ‘race’ is no longer used or considered ‘old fashioned’?

What makes up ethnicity?

Language
National origin
Cuisine
Religion
Style of dress
Historical heritage

Considering these factors, in your exercise book write some thoughts in your book in relation to:
Why do you think it’s difficult to describe the ethnicity of an Australian?

Ethinicity and Identity

The ethnicity we identify with has a huge impact on how we view ourselves.

This is primarily through identifying people we feel we share similarities with. We shape our attitudes and behaviours to match those of the group so we are accepted.

E.g. If we share a familial heritage the same as someone else we consider ourselves ‘alike’.

Who remembers what ‘culture’ means?

Culture and Ethnicity

Our culture includes our beliefs, values, behaviours, interests, opinions… Everything that makes us us.

Culture is made from the shared beliefs and behaviours of our ethnic group that have shaped how we see the world.

Cronulla Riots

Activity:

How did the concept of ethnic identity shape the behavior of those involved?

Syllabus:
Students will develop knowledge and understanding of the nature of the development of personal and social identity through the study of:

the influence of each of the following on the development of personal and social identity:

Gender
Sexuality

Gender and Sexuality

Focus Questions:

Outline how gender and societal expectations impact our sense of self.
Examine how gender stereotypes impact our identity development.

Revision:

What is ethnicity?
How does it shape us?
How are ethnicity and culture related?
What observations did you make about the Cronulla Riots?

From our previous topic we learnt that gender is a social construct. What do we mean by this?

The Genderbread Person

Breaking-through-the-Binary-by-Sam-Killermann.pdf

While watching the video on the next slide, consider how society’s expectations of gender can impact our sense of self.

What does the speaker say about the way our identity can be shaped by gender norms?

Identify an example of how gender stereotypes at each level of society impact identity development.

Micro
Meso
Macro

The video on the next slide is a talk from a transgender woman. She discusses what life is like as a man compared to a woman.

While watching, take note of the examples used to show how society’s gender expectations influence our sense of self.

Read through the text ‘Sexuality & Identity’, then answer the provided questions. (Handout in class)

The Demise of Guys

After watching the following video spend 10-15 minutes writing your journals a response. Remember you can write, what you like. Though, as always bonus points for being able to link it to the course concepts and the topic of identity.

Syllabus:

Students will develop knowledge and understanding of the nature of the development of personal and social identity through the study of:

the influence of each of the following on the development of personal and social identity:

Beliefs
Location, class and status

Beliefs, Location, Class and Status

Focus Questions:

Explain what we should consider when studying individuals’ beliefs & practices.
Determine how our location influences our identity.
Summarise the ways we classify people into class & status positions.
Evaluate the impact our job has on our identity.
Compare the views of Karl Marx & Max Weber.

Verbs Match-up

Revision:

How do gender stereotypes influence our sense of self?
What did you find interesting about the topic of sexuality?

Belief Systems

It’s obvious that religious beliefs shape how we think, feel and act.

What is important to remember as a social researcher is that we shouldn’t judge the faith of the group we are studying.

Cultural Relativism

What does this mean?

As a researcher, you must remember that individuals connect to their faiths in different ways.

One Christian doesn’t interpret the Bible the same as another. This goes for all religious faiths.

“And He has made me blessed where I am.”

Quran 19:31.

Thessalonians 5:18:

“give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Jesus Christ.”

According to your interpretation, if you came across a Muslim or Christian following these religious requests, what would their behaviour look like?

What you must also remember is that religion has a universal purpose: to guide us to a moral life full of happiness.

This means that two individuals from different religions may think the same way.

The video below illuminates some similarities between Islam & Christianity

Location

Where we are from has a major impact on who we become.

We also tend to label others according to their postcode.

For example, how might you describe someone who lives in Pambula Beach?

What about Wyndham?

Our location can significantly influence our political beliefs and how we see the world.

Look at the pictures below and make some conclusions about location and political beliefs.

Why do you think Sydney is divided like this? Who lives in the North?

Why do you think Newcastle has such high Labour support?

What about Tamworth/Dubbo and the National Party?

Why does location have less of an influence over us now than it did 20 years ago?

Recreation

Where we live can also influence the activities we participate in.

Can you think of an example?

How might this influence our culture & identity?

Status

Status refers to the authority we hold and is dependent on our context.

For example, a person may hold status in the DJ nightclub scene, but not in broader society.

Class is a system where societies are organised based on power, privilege and wealth.

Social Class

Although we like to believe we don’t have a social hierarchy in our society, it would be naïve to deny it.

How do you think we structure our society?

Power and Money

Whether we like it or not, we judge others according to how much they earn.

This plays into what they can e.g. type of house, car, brand labels etc.

The easiest way to divide the Australian society would be by our tax brackets.

In your exercise books, draw the following table and label each group with the following labels:

Lower
Middle
Upper
Elite

List some reasons as a response to the following statement:

"In modern societies, class division can be quite fluid."

Occupation

We also judge people by what job they do.

What do you consider as a powerful or successful job?

How would you view someone who is a CEO vs a receptionist?

Jobs and Identity

We connect our identity to our job almost inseparably.

For example, when meeting new people we often say “Hi, my name is Pat, I’m a teacher.”

The way society perceives our job then determines how people will judge us.

Research Activity

Research the ideas of Karl Marx & Max Weber.

Compare their views on how class shapes society

Syllabus:

Students will develop knowledge and understanding of the nature of the development of personal and social identity through the study of:

the influence of each of the following on the development of personal and social identity:

Peers
School

Peers and School

Focus Questions:

Deduce the role of peers in shaping us.
Evaluate the importance of school for socialising children.

Verb Match-up

Revision:

What considerations must we make when studying people’s beliefs & practices?
How does our location influence our identity?
How do status and class differ?
How does our job impact our sense of self & the way others see us?

Peers

So far you have learnt about peers in context to school.

However, peers include all your friends and as you age your peer groups will change.

They may no longer be based around what school you go to but instead ______________.

During childhood & adolescence, peers play a very important role in shaping us.

They provide alternative views and ways of thinking to our family, who have been the main socialisation agent for most of our lives.

We tend to choose peers who have similar interests and tastes as us.

This could include clothing, food, music, entertainment.

As we age, we tend to choose peers with similar values and political perspectives.

The Bling Ring

The ‘Bling Ring’ was a group of teenagers in Los Angeles who robbed the homes of the rich and famous, including Paris Hilton and other celebrities, in 2008/2009.

How much of a role do you think ‘peer influence’ played in this? Do you think these teens would have committed these crimes on their own?

The Bling Ring - MSN

Language

The language used by a group of people can define them.

For example, are there any words you use in your friend group that you don’t use outside of interacting with those people?

What do the themes of these slang words tell us about the interests and attitudes of teenagers over time?

School

You should have a good idea about how school socialises us by now.

What are some of the ways we are influenced by school?

Personal Identity

School is a way for adults to transmit culture to children.

It allows traditions and values to be passed on.

Importantly, it is a time for us to increase our knowledge in order to determine who we are and who we want to be.

Social Identity

It is through schooling that children are taught to obey authority and conform to social expectations.

Some argue this is a good thing, as they are well-suited for society.

Others argue it is bad as it denies individuality.

What can you only learn from your family that you can’t get at school?

What can you only get from school that you can’t get from your family?

Evaluate the importance of school for socialising children. Write your answer as a TEEL paragraph.

Syllabus
Students will develop knowledge and understanding of the nature of the development of personal and social identity through the study of:

the influence of each of the following on the development of personal and social identity:

Media

The Media

Focus Questions

Identify the positive and negative impacts social media has on our identity development.
Evaluate how social media influences our sense of self.

Verb Match-Up

Revision

What role do peers play in shaping our identity?
Is the influence of schooling a good or bad thing for identity development?

Media: Good or Evil

Media includes a wide range of resources, such as films, newspapers, books, magazines, games, music.

However, the media we consume the most now is social media.

For this lesson, you are going to watch a documentary that explores the impact of social media.

While watching, identify both positive and negative influences social media has on our sense of self and identity.

Do you think social media can be used to benefit our sense of self?

Syllabus:

Students will develop knowledge and understanding of the nature of the development of personal and social identity through the study of:

The ‘nature versus nurture’ debate

Nature vs Nurtue

Focus Questions:

Outline what the ‘nature vs nurture’ debate is.
Synthesise your own point of view on this debate, using evidence from studies to support your conclusion.

Verb Match-Up

Revision:

Does social media positively or negatively influence our identity development?
What advice would you give someone to ensure they don’t fall victim to the toxicity of social media?

This lesson you will be introduced to a sociological question that academics have been debating for decades, and will continue to do so into the future.

This debate revolves around the question of whether it is our genetics (nature) or socialisation (nurture) that determine who we are.

There will always be two sides to this argument.

The only conclusion that can be right is that both factors contribute to shape who we become.

Take a moment to write about the following (by yourself)...

How do you think nature, or your genetics, shape you?

AND

2. What about nurture, or socialisation factors?

Research Task:

Using Google Scholar research ‘Nature vs Nurture’ studies & find evidence to support both sides of the argument.

List these points of evidence in a table & then answer the following in the form of a TEEL paragraph:

Using evidence to support your answer, what is your own point of view on the 'nature vs. nuture' debate.

Syllabus:

Students will develop knowledge and understanding of the nature of the development of personal and social identity through the study of:

‘adolescence’ as a social construct and its validity for different cultures

Adolescence

Revision:

What is the ‘nature versus nurture’ debate?
Which side of the debate do you agree with?

Discussion:

What stereotypes are often associated with adolescence?
How do these social norms and expectations influence the behavior, and therefore identity, of teens?

Syllabus:

Students will develop knowledge and understanding of the nature of the development of personal and social identity through the study of:

theories that offer an explanation or understanding of the development of the physical and social self:
- TWO theorists to be studied from the following list:
  - Jean Piaget
  - David Elkind
  - Carol Gilligan
  - Robert Havighurst
  - Jane Loevinger

Developmental Theories

Many people have dedicated their lives to researching human development.

But only a few have created theories that have been accepted as possible explanations of development.

You are going to work in groups to summarise the work of some of the best social theorists. Read through the provided text, discuss the main ideas with one another and complete the table provided to you.

Discussion:

Which theorist do you think best helped you understand adolescent development?

Syllabus:

Students will develop knowledge and understanding of the nature of the development of personal and social identity through the study of:

transitions through the life course:

changing rights and responsibilities

Changing Rights and Responsibilities

Focus Questions:

Summarise features of different life stages in our culture.
Identify events that symbolise ‘coming of age’ for us.
Contrast the meaning of ‘rights’ and ‘responsibility’.

Revision:

What is the purpose of ‘adolescence’?
How long has the idea of a teenager been in our society?
What stereotypes are often associated adolescents?
Why is this life stage important?
What were some of the developmental theories you learnt about last lesson?

Verb Match-up

Life Stages

We are socialised into categorising our life into stages.

Below you will see the commonly accepted life stages for Australian culture.

Typical Life Stages in Australia

What happens when people don’t fit these labels?

What if someone enters adolescence early or late?

How might we view somebody who is in their 40s behaving like someone in their 20s?

Ageism

Our attitudes towards these life stages create stereotypes and shape the way we view others.

These labels also shape the way we believe we should behave, think and feel.

Ageism, discrimination according to age, can be as damaging as sexism or racism.

Think Pair Share

Think of an example of someone being ageist for young people and and example for older people.

Power Language

What are some sayings that we use to remind people to behave according to their life stage?

What is the impact of saying something like “act your age”?

Activity:

Fill in the life stages table, feel free to discuss your ideas with others.

If you haven't completed by the end of the lesson this becomes HOMEWORK.

Although we don’t have as obvious rituals, there is still a rite of passage for teenagers becoming adults in our culture.

What events symbolise entering adulthood for us?

Discuss:

How do the concepts of ‘rights’ vs ‘responsibility’ differ?

Definitions:

Rights: what we are able to do e.g. freedom of speech, drive a car.

Responsibility: how we are expected to do it e.g. respectful of other’s opinions, obey the road rules.

For each of the life stages we have explored, identify some rights and some responsibilities.

What do you notice as the age increases?

Syllabus:

Students will develop knowledge and understanding of the nature of the development of personal and social identity through the study of:

transitions through the life course:

Karl Mannheim

Generational Theory

Focus Questions:

Identify the founder of Generational Theory.
Explain what Generational Theory is.
Describe the generations of today.
Evaluate the effectiveness of this theory.

Verb Match-up

Revision:

What are the implications of defining life stages using strict age ranges?
What events symbolize ‘coming of age’ in Australian culture?
What is the difference between ‘rights’ & ‘responsibility’?
How do rights & responsibilities change throughout our lives?

Most of you would know we divide groups in society into generations.

Do you know what generation you are?

Why do you think we do this?

Karl Mannheim was the first to pioneer research into this concept in 1928.

He believed that generations were as significant as social class in terms of the similarities they shared.

Mannheim stated that generations influence society and are catalysts for change.

"Individuals who belong to the same generation are endowed with a common location in the historical dimension of the social process."

A. Giddens and P. Sutton, Sociology, Polity Press. Cambridge, UK, 2013.

Knowing what you do about how identity is formed, why do you think individuals born in the same time period are so similar?

Explanation:

According to Mannheim, people are significantly influenced by the socio-historical of their youth.

It is from this shared experience that ‘social cohorts’ (generations) emerge that are similar in their attitudes, behaviours and values.

These ‘social cohorts’ then influence events that shape future generations.

The Generations:

Silent Generation: 1925-1945

Baby Boomers: born between 1946-1965

Generation X (Latchkey kids): 1966-1979

Generation Y (Gen 9/11 or Millenials): 1980-1994

Generation Z (iGen): 1995-2016

Generation Alpha: 2016+

Remember!

These dates vary, by a few years.

People born close to the start or end of a generation are often referred to as ‘cuspers’, sharing traits from 2 generations.

The Silent Generation

Experienced coming of age in the great depression and WW2

Grew up in a serious time – everyone had to do their duty.

Children “should be seen and not heard”

Rules and order, conservative

Waste not want not values; not in debt

Values: hard work, respect, delayed reward

The Baby Boomers

Post-war generation

Experienced coming of age with sex, drugs and rock and roll music and grand visions

Fighting for freedom (rebelled the GI and silent generations)

Landing on the moon; Initiated the anti-Vietnam rallies; Foot soldiers for IT revolution

Values: media savvy, image; idealism

Generation X

Grew up as latch key kids > home alone

Children of divorced parents

Energy crisis and collapse of communism

First generation where mothers could take the Pill to not have you!

Rise of Aides & feminism

Often labelled as ‘sceptical’

Values: change, choice, global techno-literacy

Generation Y

Experienced coming of age after the cold war.

Growing up with globalisation, communication technology, wireless connectivity; diversity and exposure to other cultures.

Emerging as ethical consumers who want to change the world.

First generation to grow up with the internet.

Values: optimism, techno-savvy, global citizens, networkers; morality

Generation Z

First generation to grow up with social media and being fully connected.

Currently in school and university.

Raised with global terrorism as a big concern.

Children during the Great Recession (2008).

Values: ???

Generation Alpha

What are your predictions for Generation Alpha?

Write some in your exercise book and be prepared to share.

Issues with the Theory:

Making broad generalisations about a group of people leads to stereotyping and we know stereotypes are often false.

Because of the historical context in which Mannheim wrote, some critics argue that the theory of generations centers around Western ideas and lacks a broader cultural understanding.

Others argue that the theory of generations should be global in scope, due to the increasingly globalized nature of contemporary society.

Case Study

Syllabus:

Students are to:

conduct a study of the transition through life stages in a cultural group different from the student’s own – this may be a further development of the cultural group study undertaken in The Social and Cultural World depth study

Focus Questions:

Examine the socialization processes of the Yolngu people.
Predict how white Australian culture may change Yolngu responsibilities and rights.

Verb Match-up

Revision

Who pioneered Generational Theory?
What does this theory explain?
What were the generations we learnt about?
What are some issues with using this theory?

Activity:

Read through the text ‘Yolngu: The People of Arnhem Land’ and answer focus question 1 by identifying socialisation processes that occur within the culture.

Discussion:

How do you think the rights and responsibilities of the Yolngu might change if they are influenced by white Australian culture?

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