A Level Sociology Identity and hybrid identity

Objectives To understand what is meant by identity and group identity. To understand that identity is made up of many different parts, some of which are ascribed and some of which are achieved. To begin to understand theoretical perspectives on identity, structure and agency. To explore the relationship between identity and culture. To understand what is meant by hybrid identity and explore the relevance of hybrid identity in the context of postmodern society.

Task 1: Defining Identity In small groups, discuss the following questions: 1. What do you think is meant by the word identity? 2. What influences a person’s identity? 3. How is identity related to culture?

Definition of identity “How we see ourselves and how others see us” There are two types of identity: Individual identity Group identity

Task 2: What factors shape a person's identity? Sexuality Location Ethnicity Nationality Identity Gender Class

Fill this in to reflect your own identity My identity

Task 3: Types of identity Using the worksheet, work out which type of identity goes under which subheading. Write the correct answer in the appropriate box.

Task 4: How does a person acquire an identity? There some parts of our identity which are given or ascribed without any choice. Other parts of a persons identity are chosen or achieved. Look again at the diagram on the previous slides and decide which parts of your identity are ascribed and which are achieved.

Ascribed or achieved identity? Social status position Religious beliefs Work role Relationship status Family role Belonging to a particular subculture The goods that you buy Ascribed Nationality Gender/sex Ethnicity Social class Location Sexuality? First language

Stretch and challenge The column of ascribed identity factors are examples of what people may be ascribed at birth. In small groups discuss how a person might change these given identity characteristics What problems might a person face when trying to change their identity?

Task 5: Sociological theoretical perspectives on identity Structure The idea that identity is ascribed, individuals are passive and can not change their identity Eg Marxism Agency The idea that individuals and groups can and will change aspects of their identity Eg Neo Marxism

Marxist views on identity Marxists believe that society is made up of two main social classes These are two social groups who have different relationships to the economy The WORKING CLASS who are paid and controlled by the The MIDDLE CLASS who control the economy and have the power to exploit the working class and extract profit from their work For Marx, your social class was the single most important part of a person’s identity

Evaluation of Marxist views on identity Is social class as important today as when Marx wrote during the 1800’s? Do you know which social class you belong to? Does your social class remain fixed throughout life or is there the opportunity for social mobility (in other words to increase or decrease your position)?

Evaluation of Marxist views on identity Class is still an important part of explaining why, for example some (the middle class) do so well at school Society remains incredibly unequal so class might still be useful in explaining these inequalities Are other parts of a person’s identity more relevant and important today?

Neo Marxist views on identity Updated Marxist views Class is important in shaping identity still, but individuals have more say in shaping their identity today Subcultures, for example allow people to reject or rebel against their position and assert new forms of group identity For example, youth subcultures develop an identity which allows them to challenge dominant ideas about identity

Postmodernist views on identity In the past, or the modern era, according to postmodernists, identity was stable and relatively straight forward. People’s identity was based on social class, gender and nationality for example. Today however, in postmodern society, postmodernists argue that identity is far more complex and negotiated on an individual level. Identity can be based on a whole range of complex factors such as ethnicity, sexuality, consumption and lifestyle choices.

Characteristics of identity Modern era 1950’s-1980’s Stable Solid Widely shared group identity Class Nationality Postmodern society 1980’s – now Complex Fragmented Fluid Negotiated Shaped by the media Multiple identities depending on the context Global identity Individual identity over group identity

What is the relationship between culture and identity? Culture refers to the way of life of a group of people Identity is the way we see ourselves and the way others see us Culture shapes and informs a person’s identity Culture and identity change over time

Task 5: What is hybrid identity? A new form of identity that emerges as a result of a combination of different types of identity Increasing forms of hybridity as identity becomes more complex and chosen Also linked to globalisation and the increasing influence of the mass media Add notes to your diagram to explain how hybrid identity has become a feature of postmodern society

Increasing population movement Postmodernism Increasing population movement Mass media Hybrid identity Agency Globalisation

Why do hybrid identities form? Where different forms of identity overlap in migrant populations and new forms of ethnicity emerge as a result Often this involves performance (enacting, in a visible way) of particular cultural practices Hybrid identities represent a historical transformation – in other words change of identity

Why do hybrid identities form? These changes are unique because they are negotiated (the product of some kind of discussion) Hybrid identities often reflect power relationships Hybridity often suggest belonging to multiple worlds at the same time ‘plural worlds’.

Examples of hybrid identities Graffiti and musical fusions in Latin America García Canclini (1995) focuses on hybrid identities created amongst young people, in Latin America where there is rapid social change. He refers to graffiti and musical fusions, which reflect the fragmented nature of identity. Conduct some research on musical fusions/graffiti styles in Latin America.

Examples of hybrid identities Hip-Hop in Japan Ian Condry (2006) argues that just as companies sell products that inform identities, individuals are also locally producing new forms of music based on a mixture of different cultural influences. It is also suggestive of a far more active role for individuals in selecting resources to shape their identity.

Examples of hybrid identities Japan’s vibrant hip-hop scene, reveals how a music and culture that originated halfway around the world is appropriated and remade in Tokyo clubs and recording studios. Condry discusses how rappers manipulate the Japanese language to achieve rhyme and rhythmic flow and how Japan’s female rappers struggle to find a place in a male-dominated genre. Condry pays particular attention to the messages of MCs, considering how their raps take on subjects including Japan’s education system, its sex industry, teenage bullying victims turned schoolyard murderers, and even America’s handling of the war on terror.

Task 6: Card sorting activity Using the worksheet, link the correct term to the correct image.

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