Identity in Complex Societies

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how formation and sustainment of identity in society is dependant on the theory of the sociologist. It shows how there is a general agreement that it develops from an individual's childhood and also depends on how influential parents and peers are especially throughout adolescence. It discusses how the development of gender can be seen as starting out as biological with parents treating the child as the sex their hormones and chromosomes have determined and how the environment and culture could change this. It looks at how this can lead to the emergence of transsexuals in society who think their "true" gender is not their biological one.

From the Paper:

"Other factors such as nationality also lead to an individual's identity. Jean Phinney (1989) carried out a study on ethnic minority groups in the United States. She found that ethnic identity develops during adolescence starting with a lack of concern of their nationality followed by curiosity in their group's history and customs which leads to a sense of belonging to their group and a development of distinct ethnic self-concept. Phinney found that this differed on the individual and it is also possible that others in society influence this. For example if the mainstream group in which the minority lives amongst in society celebrates certain customs the minority group may also take part in these possibly due to degrees of commerciality in contemporary society."

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