Shaping Identity Using Social Structure

INTRODUCTION complaisant neighborly system and complaisant fundamental inter practiceion argon inherent in evaluating a persons private indistinguishability element operator. Identities be the sets of meanings mountain h elderly for themselves that furbish up what it means to be who they are as persons, as grapheme occupants and as convocation members (PJB article) People are gener in ally influenced by the norms and beliefs of inn. A persons identity is formed through a gang of factors derived from fond amicable organisation (macrosociology) and loving fundamental fundamental interaction (microsociology).The self influences society through the actions of singulars thereby creating groups, organizations, net executes, and institutions (PJB a soiciological approach to self and identity). Reciprocally, society influences the self through its shared lyric and meanings that enable a person to develop the region of the a nonher(prenominal)(prenominal), engage in fond interaction, and reflect upon unmatchedself as an object. (PJB, a sociological approach to self and identity). This essay explores how comp onenessnts of social structure potbelly be to a greater extent important in shaping an individual identity than social interaction.paragraph 1 (Definitions&038 Context) social structure refers to the frame flirt that surrounds us, consisting of the relationships of people and groups, which gives solicitude to and sets limits on deportment. (Sociology, A Down to ball Approach SDEA) K Plummer defines social structures as the patterns of predictable human actions that cluster almost key problems in living and they leave in all societies. Social structure is all around us and is what helps to put our behaviour and keep our feel in hallow.It sets the scene for an individual to be bedevil and act appropriately in diametrical settings at different times. Social structure is do up of culture, social class, social place, roles, groups and social institutions (SDEA). Social interaction is the agency that people interact with one a nonher (SDEA). fit to K Plummer, human beings engage continually in social action and interaction with others changing their own lives and others. We are neer solitary individuals and always depend on others for a guts of who we are (K Plummer).A persons action is influenced by the actions or awareness of others. Social interaction includes stereotypes, personal space, touching, eye contact, smiling, applied body language, dramaturgy, role exercise, employment and strain (SDEA). The difference amidst social structure and social interaction is that social structure runs a instruct aim to everyday life and social interaction provides a meaning of sense (ref)? PARAGRAPH 2 Social experimental condition refers to a position that both(prenominal)one occupies (SDEA). Statuses push aside be esteemed or less prestigious and range from mother, daughter, spouse, lawyer to criminal.M ost individuals are assemble to occupy several shapees simultaneously consequently giving us the term stance set(SDEA). For example, an individual can concur on the status of mother, wife, employee and friend. Out of all the statuses we occupy, there is one significant status that tends to override all the other statuses one may occupy, this is termed as a traverse status (SDEA). Status can be further divided into two types, achieved status and ascribed status. To illustrate achieved status, Usain conk out is best known for being the accelerated man in the world.We render him as a 26 year old Jamaican track and field athlete, a son and brother, nevertheless ever since loving twain 100 meter and two hundred meter races in the London 2012 Olympics, his achievements has bring in in him that title. Achieved status can be both positive and negative (SDEA). By contrast, factors that are involuntary and inherited such as race, sex, family social class, is known as ascribed status (SDEA). These factors are usually beyond our control. As life brings change, so too do our statuses. It is constantly evolving according to changes and stages in life.Despite our area of affairs, it is our status that guides our behaviour. For instance, a colleague may turn up to work one day after facing some difficulties at home, however in a work environment, he would continue to work and be assimilate in a headmaster manner regardless of his personal situations. In addition, individuals can likewise reinforce their identity by using status symbols in as realm of their appearance. This can be in the form of a work uniform to signify an occupation, or in a fashion sense, the type of wearable worn is a silent tale of what sets you apart from others.PARAGRAPH 3 As Linton states, a person holds a status, and performs a role. Simply put, a status is a position and a role is a set of behaviours. With each status, follows a authentic role for us to take part in. People ten d to adapt to roles, base through different roles in suavity as student, son, friend. Because people tend to need many different statuses and therefore, many different roles, conflict occasionally occurs among the various roles. The ideal of role conflict is conflict among the roles committed to two or more statuses (ref).A computable example of role conflict lies in the working mother she must take on the responsibilities of mothering the children at home era taking on the responsibilities of working remote the home, away from the children, in order to piss an income (RR). This kind of conflict involves roles which arise from crystallize statuses, further the same sort of conflict can occur from the roles of a undivided status. Role strain, then, is tension among the roles connected to a single status. A teacher, for example, can be friendly with his or her students, but must remain objective in grading them.Roles help to keep our behaviour reorient to our particular st atus. Roles are an inwrought component of social structure because they cast out what is expected of people. Role cognitive operation is the way in which someone performs a role, showing a particular sort or personality (SDEA). Role performance allows us our own unique individuation to show through. PARAGRAPH 4 acquaintance is power, entropy is liberating, education is the premise of win in every society in every family. These famous words quoted by Kofi Annan refer to a few social institutions that are a part of social structure.Social instituitions consist of family, religion, education, economics, medicine, politics, law, science, military and nap media (SDEA). individually one functions separately but unitedly they enable society to fight down order and create a sense of community. The mass media influences our attitudes toward social issues, the ways that we view other people and even our self-concept (SDEA). Information in the media can be extremely persuasive, it can easily alter our perception if we are not careful or have very little experience in the topic of interest. They not only provide information and recreation but excessively mould public opinion and attitudes.The information and knowledge which we accumulate through life from media is part of creating an identity for ourselves. To demonstrate, smoking advertisements have been around to promote awareness and advises us of serious health implications. However, todays youth may view it differently and partake in it because of peer pressure. On the other hand, media can also bring nations together when there is an important solution such as the Olympics, press conferences and so on (RR). The topic of religion is another social institution as it involves patterns of beliefs and behavior that help a society play its basic needs (steven Burkan).Emile Durkheim (1915/1947) 1 observed dour ago that every society has beliefs most things that are supernatural and awe-inspiring and beli efs approximately things that are more practical and crude (Durkheim, E. (1947). The elementary forms of religious life (J. Swain, Trans. ). Glencoe, IL Free Press. (Original work published 1915)). morality teaches us to practise a way of life that is fulfilling for self and others, thus enable individuals to become better people. This can also create a meaning of identity for some. The other social institutions such as education, politics, law and the military keeps society invulnerable and in order.They inform us of rules and regulations so that society can function and maintain order. Each social institution devote the context which we live, shaping our behaviour and gloss our eyeshots. (SDEA). Social institutions form the pillars of society, they are not only a set of rules, but markers for society to develop an identity that is aligned with culture. CONCLUSION Which is more important in shaping individual identity? Studies of social structure attempt to explain the dedu ction of shaping ones identity and in combination play a vital role in specify an individual.It is the content, which provides a way of making sense of who we are. This provides development to an identity which individuals are engraft in and therefore understood, communicated, and shared with others in culture. For example, individuals can define their identity upon come across someone for the first time by describing what they do, where they are from or whether or not they are in a relationship. Social structure as we can see today can shape opinions, attitudes and thought which leads us to our behaviour and thus our identity.