construciton of identities Flashcards
what does identities mean
the categories we use to specify to ourselves and to others who we are
what are the characteristics of identity
- everyone possesses multiple identities
- identities can be prominent when situational or life circumstances change
-the meaning of various identities have changed over the last centuries
what are the two ways of thinking
essentialism, constructionism
what does essentialism mean
the idea that things have qualities, attributes or meanings that cannot be separated from them
what does constructionism mean
what we know to be real and essential is always a product of the culture and historical period in which we live
what does race mean
a category of individuals who share common inborn biological traits such as skin color, shape of eyes etc.
what does ethnicity mean
non-biological traits such as shared culture, history, language, etc. that provide members of a group with a sense of common identity
what does social class mean
a group of people who share a similar economic position in society based on their wealth and income
why is the boundary between class levels unclear and highly subjective
- class is only a matter of the way people talk about themselves and others
- people usually think of their own social class identity not just in economic terms but also in moral and cultural terms
what does sex mean
typically used to refer to the biological markers of male or female
what does sexual dichotomy
the natrual division of sex into two categories that are biologically determined
what does gender mean
the psychological, social, and cultural aspects of masculinity and femininity
transsexual
identify with a different sex but sometimes undergo hormone treatment to change their sex
transgender
individuals whose gender identity doesn’t match their assigned sex or behavior does not conform to gender expectations
intersexuals
individuals with disorders of sexual development
