Exploring Identity Construction: Socialization, Structure, and Agency

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This essay delves into the intricate relationship between the individual and society, primarily focusing on identity construction, the interplay of structure and agency, and the process of socialization. It begins by examining the theory of identity, including type identity theory and social identity theory, highlighting their impacts and limitations. The essay then explores the concepts of structure and agency, emphasizing how societal structures influence individual choices and opportunities, while agency reflects an individual's capacity for independent action. Further, it discusses how identity is constructed through life experiences and relationships, influenced by factors such as gender, race, and culture. The significant role of peer groups in shaping adolescent identity is also analyzed, considering both positive and negative influences. Finally, the essay connects socialization with identity, structure, and agency, emphasizing how societal norms and values impact individual decision-making and the formation of identity. The conclusion emphasizes that individual identity comprises of the reference point which are used to reflect about the core relationship of an individual with the society and other people perception.
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The individual and
society
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Main Body.......................................................................................................................................1
Theory of identity...................................................................................................................1
Concepts of structure and agency...........................................................................................2
Constructs identity..................................................................................................................3
Peer group influence on identity.............................................................................................4
What is socialization and how is this linked to identity, structure and agency......................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6
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INTRODUCTION
Identity construction comprises of the shaping of the values and beliefs of a person along
with reviewing and developing the process, discourse and knowledge level of an individual that
are tend to be influenced by the both cultural systems as well as the actions of the individual (Lei
and et. al., 2021). Further, identify can be define as a main reference point that is used to
organise and evaluate the core relationship of an individual with the word, past, future and the
other people within the society. Along with this, the construction of the identity is tending to
base on the personal perception as well as with the other people’s perception within a society.
The process of identity construction comprises of the formation of the ones self through the often
strategic self-presentation as well as having consistent transactional exchange that develops the
belief and practice of an individual based on the cultural and social actions. Identity construction
is important as it forms out an integral component and part of the human species that forms great
significance to have physical development of an individual along with creation of cognitive skills
and meeting the social expectation (Mei, 2021). Further, the current essay comprises of a
discussion about the Theory of identity along with the analysis of the concepts of structure and
agency. Along with this, a brief about the Constructs identity and Peer group influence on
identity has been also provided together with the socialization and how is this linked to identity,
structure and agency.
Main Body
Theory of identity
Theory of identify can be understand as a family and set of views that set a relationship
between the mind and body of the individual. The theory of identity provides a view of the
modern materialism that tend to the asserts that the mind and matter that are being capable of
being get logically distinguished are in the actual way but they are containing of the different
expressions foe a single reality that forms out to be material (Masaaki, 2021).
Type identify theory forms out a vital part of theory of identity that tend to hold on and
emphasis that at least some types comprises of kinds and classes of the mental states are taken as
matter of contingent facts and tend to be literally identical with some other type of kinds and
calluses of the brain states. The main positive impact and advantage of the type identity theory
comprises of the fact that the it helps in overcoming the problem of the mental causation along
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with also provides and supports a causal closure of the physical events through emphasising in
the mental evets that are just as taken the cause and reason behind the physical events thus, no
problem of interaction within the society has faced (Almond, 2021). Further, the negative impact
of the type of identity theory comprises of the fact that regarding the location of the mental evets
it is not able to fully clear that makes it difficult to say whether the identity in space of both
mental and physical events and it also difficult to answer whether the mental events, such as,
thought, feelings and wishes occur in the brain or any other places.
Social identify theory is also a vital theory of identity that helps in identifying and
understanding that why the people tend to identify themselves wot a group and how it affects
their affiliation as well as communication. Many psychologist believes that the intergroup
behaviour of an individual tend to differ from the qualitative behaviour of an individual and also
tend to favour those of the same artificially created group and have a feeling of the discriminated
against those of different group. The main positive impact and advantage of the social identity
theory comprises of the fact that it is important to offer a foundation and support a better
understanding about how the group membership tend to affects the in vital desire for the esteem
and also referred to the social value and its impact on the individual behaviour (Rahman, 2021).
The social identity theory then to suffer from some weakness that are based on the
methodological considerations and having unrepresentative samples that favours situational
factors.
Concepts of structure and agency
The concept of structure comprises of the recurrent patterned arrangements that tend to
influence and limit the choices as well as the opportunity that are available for an individual.
Further, the agency reflects about the capacity of an individual to act in an independent manner
and also comprises of making of their own free choices. Within the social science the concept of
the agency is defines as the individual power and capacity level that supports independency and
inanities the ability of making a free choice (Malfitano, Whiteford and Molineux, 2021). On the
other hand, the structure has been defined as those factors comprises of the social class, religion,
gender, ethnicity, ability, customs, etc. that influence and tend to determine and limit the agents
and their decisions within the social context. It has been seen and analysed that the nexus of the
structure and agency forms out the central tenet in the field of the sociology science the start of
its inception. The socialisation of the structure tends to confirm that the socsitey expectation are
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based on the gender, sex, race, nationality, psychology etc. As it has been seen and analysed that
in the current structure of the society the male dominance is seen where men are taken as doing
more muscular and tough jobs as compared to females. Feminine is also a social structure that
supports the equal rights and respect to females in the society. The age, gender, nationality, etc.
tend to also affects the agency of an individuals as it leads significant impact on the individual
choice and decision making (McMurrin, 2021).
Constructs identity
The construction of the identity involves the review of the life experiences, relationship
and connections that forms a sold mental and emotional stamp of a human being. Thus,
constructing of the identity involves metaphorical as symbolical presentation of the entire
thoughts and emotions of an individual that are influenced by the gender, race, ethnicity,
nationality, culture, psychological etc. and provides an expressive way for creating a conceptual
visual representation of individual identity (Takeyoshi, 2021). Further, it has been observed and
seen that the identity construction comprises of the connectional modals that are based on the
person gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, culture, psychological etc. and bonded with a fixed or
entitle identity that is assumed to be based on the fragment or incomplete social object. Along
with this, it has been also observed and find out that the constructing of the identity based on the
art tend to requires a best array of the ailiatites along with the wish to express the internal
thoughts, feelings and emotions. Beside this, it has been analysed and find out that the
construction of identity is presumed to be a multiple and complex process as it tends to base on
various social and physiological factors of an individual. A vital impact and influence of the
gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, culture, psychological etc. is seen on constructing individual
identity as these are the base for social division and also informed various inequalities that are
established and reinforced on the basis of these factors which directly impact the creation of the
identity (Moeran, 2021). For instance, it has been seen that the male dominant society all the
power and right of choice has been given to male and females are tending to feel discriminated.
Further, the identities are also tending to be constructed, claimed, and performed on the basis of
the intersection of conventional identity categories. that tend to get influenced by the status of
language data, as truth or interpretation, and the relationship of the researcher to participants and
talk data, as observer or insider interpreter (Horowitz, 2021).
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Peer group influence on identity
It has been analysed and seen that the peer relation tends to forms out a vital and essential
component of the adolescent creation and development of the identity. As the adolescent tend to
spend the maximum and more time with their peers as compared with the parents thus, peer
groups tend to have a stronger and more vital correlations with the personality and identity
development that that of the parental figures (Honneth, 2021). Further, a considerable influence
of peer group has been also seen on the intellectual and personal development of the individuals
that impacts their identity through supporting development of beliefs, attitudes and knowledge
based on the peer group. Further, peer pressure is also a main aspect that tend to create a
significant impact on the identity creation as it leads to and supports decisions regarding to their
taste and other choices that become important social referents as it influence individual members'
attitudes and behaviours on many cultural and social issues, such as: drug use, violence, and
academic achievement. and even the development and expression of prejudice. Beside this, an
implication of about the "Positive affect and positive side of identify has been also made that
refers to one's propensity to experience positive emotions as well as interact with others and with
the challenges of a life in a positive way. On the other side, "negative affect and negative side of
identity tend to involves the experiencing of the world in a more negative way, feeling negative
emotions and more negativity in relationships and surroundings. For instance, the atheist, asexual
attraction, lack of religion, use of drugs etc. are taken as negative side of identity while having
good habits and respect for all members of society are taken as positive side of identity (Nomizu,
Otsuka and Nakagawa, 2021).
What is socialization and how is this linked to identity, structure and agency
The term socialization basically comprises of the process of the internalizing and interacting
based on the norms and ideology created by the society. Thus, socialisation tens to encompass
and set a balance between both learning and teaching and provides a means and way to have a
continue attainment and interaction with social and cultural aspects. Further, human beings are in
needed of having these social interaction and experience o learn their culture and to survive in
the society. The socialisation is linked with the identify, structure and agency as the power and
decision making choice are tending to base on the social culture and norms and it also decide the
level of independency and freedom offered within the society (McMurrin, 2021). As it has been
seen that males are more independent to take their decisions while female are seemed to be on
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other for making choices of their life. Further, the different culture tends to have different social
norms and value which also effects the decision making and psychological determinants that
shape and leads to creates identity of an individual. Further, it has been seen that a significant
link between the socialisation to gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, culture, sexuality,
psychological etc. has been seen as many individual are suffering from discrimination and
subordination based on these parameters and it also effects the physical and cultural traits along
with having a shared senesce of collective industry and common burden based on these
parameters (Horowitz, 2021).
CONCLUSION
Based on the current project, a conclusion can be made that an individual identity comprises
of the reference point which are used to reflect about the core relationship of an individual with
the society and other people perception. Further, a summarisation has been also made that the
construction of the identity includes the shaping of the overall values and belief of a person
through having effective reviews of its knowledge level along with actions based on culture. A
conclusion about the structure and agency has been also made where structure tend to include the
recurrent patterned arrangements which limit the choices as well as the opportunity that are
available for an individual. Further, it has been find out that agency presents about the capacity
of an individual to live in an independent manner and make the choices in free manner. Further,
identity, structure and agency are important within the society to supports positive beliefs and
attitude along with improved core relationship.
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REFERENCES
Books and journal
Almond, B., 2021. Education and the Individual. Routledge.
Honneth, A., 2021. The pathologies of individual freedom: Hegel's social theory (Vol. 30).
Princeton University Press.
Horowitz, D., 2021. The Israel Defense Forces: A Civilianized Military in a Partially Militarized
Society. In Soldiers, Peasants, and Bureaucrats (pp. 77-106). Routledge.
Lei, J. and et. al., 2021. Examining the Person-in-Environment Perspective among Social Work
Students in China: Individual-or Society-Orientation?. Australian Social Work, pp.1-14.
Malfitano, A.P.S., Whiteford, G. and Molineux, M., 2021. Transcending the individual: the
promise and potential of collectivist approaches in occupational therapy. Scandinavian
Journal of Occupational Therapy, 28(3), pp.188-200.
Masaaki, K., 2021. The status and role of the individual in Japanese society. In The Status of the
Individual in East and West (pp. 361-376). University of Hawaii Press.
McMurrin, S.M., 2021. The individual in American philosophy. In The Status of the Individual
in East and West (pp. 486-502). University of Hawaii Press.
Mei, Y.P., 2021. The status of the individual in Chinese social thought and practice. In The status
of the individual in East and West (pp. 331-346). University of Hawaii Press.
Moeran, B., 2021. 5. Individual, Group and Seishin: Japan's Interned Cultural Debate.
In Japanese culture and behavior (pp. 62-79). University of Hawaii Press.
Nomizu, K., Otsuka, S. and Nakagawa, S., 2021. Evaluation of individual differences of
vibration duration of tuning forks. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of
America, 149(4), pp.A69-A69.
Rahman, F., 2021. The status of the individual in Islam. In The Status of the Individual in East
and West (pp. 217-226). University of Hawaii Press.
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Takeyoshi, K., 2021. The status of the individual in the notion of law, right, and social order in
Japan. In The Status of the Individual in East and West (pp. 429-448). University of
Hawaii Press.
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