hOW DOES CLASS INFLUENCE IDENTITY IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY?

In sociology and political science , the notion of social identity is defined as the way that individuals label themselves as members of particular groups (e .g . nation , social class , subculture , ethnicity gender e .t .c )It is in this sense that sociologists and historian speak of the national identity or particular country , and feminist and queer theorists speak of gender identity . Symbolic interactions attempts to show how identity can influence and be influenced , by social reality at large . The notion of identity negotiation may arise from the learning of social roles through

personal experience . Identity negotiation is a process in which a person negotiates with society at large regarding the meaning of his or her identity (Charles and William , 2002

Social classes and identity

Social class refers to the hierarchical distinctions between individuals or groups in societies or cultures . Most societies seem to have some notion of social class . However the factors that determine class vary widely from one society to another . The most basic distinction between the two groups is between the most powerful or lower in social hierarchy and hence it is the status one is which helps to shape ones identity . In the less complex societies , class hierarchies may or may not exist . In societies where they do exist , power may be linked to physical strength and therefore , age , gender , and physical health are common delineators of class (Woodward , 2004

Poverty and identity

We can think of poverty as a deprivation of identity as stake in a group identity , poverty results from disruption of group life . If the identity is an individual identity , poverty results from the disruption of an individual life or from inability of the individual to develop or protect his identity (Woodward , 2004

Marx and Weber view of identity

It was in Victorian basin that Karl Marx became the first person to critically attack the privileges not just of a hereditary upper class but on anyone whose labour output could not begin to cover there consumption of luxury . Marx noted class categories as defined by continuing historical process . Classes in Marxism are not static entities but are regenerated daily through the productive process . He views classes as human social relationships which change overtime . It is through these classes then which makes our intensities i .e . the rich and the poor . Max Weber advanced the interpretation of class and formulated a three component theory of stratification , with class , status and party as subordinate to the ownership of the means of production (Woodward 2004

Questioning identity

We live in a world where identity matters . It matters both as a concept theoretically and as a contested fact of contemporary political life (Gilroy , 1977 ) The discussion of identity in this book is organized around three central questions , although each of these questions provokes further lines of enquiry . The first question is how are identities formed ? Identities are formed through interactions between people . When people take up different identities , there are different processes taking place as people position themselves...