MGC2021 Assessment 3: Self-Reflection on Social Identity & Literature

This essay presents a self-reflection on social identity, considering aspects like gender, race, family, and nationality. It explores the author's awareness of these identities and their impact, drawing upon personal experiences and observations. The essay incorporates academic literature, specifically the concepts of Alvesson and Willmott, to analyze how organizations control identity and how individuals develop their self-image. It discusses the influence of nationality, family expectations, and social appearance on the author's sense of identity, highlighting the challenges and complexities of navigating social groups and societal norms. The conclusion summarizes the various elements that shape social identity and emphasizes the importance of understanding these dimensions in a diverse society. This assignment is available on Desklib, where students can find more past papers and solved assignments.

MGC2021 ASSESSMENT 3
VIDEO ON IDENTITY

TABLE OF CONTENTS
MGC2021 ASSESSMENT 3 VIDEO ON IDENTITY...................................................................1
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
INITIAL SELF-REFLECTION.......................................................................................................3
ACADEMIC LITERATURE..........................................................................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Social groups refer to the constellation of people on the basis of different thresholds such as
race, cast, ethnicity, nationality, gender, family, peer and friendship etc. the report would be
presenting a self-reflection which would be exploring owns social identity considering these
aspects. At the end of the report by using some academic literatures where Alvesson and
Willmott’s concepts will be used and their implications will be examined.
INITIAL SELF-REFLECTION
I am most aware of the identity of gender since in the nation there is still significant
difference in various approaches on the basis of the gender identity. People are more likely to
discuss and react on the basis of gender so I found it the most common aspect I am aware of.
Gender is very first thing in any society either it is educated or illiterate. People are being
recognised on the basis of their gender and even they get treated differently on the basis of their
gender. such as various laws of the state, social norms, laws are also heavily affected by gender.
I am very least aware of race since in the nation there are majority of people are having
same race and if there are people from other race then their number is very less or rather
insignificant so I am very less aware of this social group.
The biggest thing I am having great earliest memory was my family. This is the most
common social group and a child firstly gets interacted with it. So from my childhood I have
closely seen this social unity and found that all the people are well diversified and recognised on
the basis of their family. Family is the smallest and very often social group which can be seen
across the globe so I am having good and earliest memories of this social group. I have seen
people responding to such groups in different ways. It depends on their behaviour and level of
knowledge which is driving force of their responses to such social group. As it is so often to see
people coping up negatively to race and other ethnicity, since the most common phenomenon
among society is to reject different ethnicities since they feel such social groups trouble makers.
I believe that I have been influenced by nationality. This is so often to see, in modern time
where a sharp stream of hard core nationalism is flowing I found myself being affected by the
idea of nationalism. Yet I do not think that it has affected me negatively. I strongly believe in
nationalism as a social identity yet I am able to keep a balance in my thoughts on social identity
and bringing equality among people.

I see myself affected by nationality factor since nationality is the identity on which we can
cherish a lot and in any society people are having need to set a common base where they share
common interest so can feel proud on.
ACADEMIC LITERATURE
As Alvesson and Willmott have presented their theory, it was an intensive research which
focuses on how organisations are getting controlled. How employees are developing their self-
image, mainly the theory focuses on identity extension.
My identities are having some unique features which are somehow leading me to develop
my different image. Walking on the streets describes my social identity people are having sort of
conceptions about my like Christofer is a professional person (Alvesson. and Willmott, 2002)
I am having so many friends I do not believe in any type of such racial or ethnical
identity. In my organization I am having a range of friends who belong to different social groups,
their cultures are also very different yet we are together and sharing good time. I feel like I am
actually very different than others and not having worth to be their friend but this sense of
inferiority is coming due to racial gape and it is so often to see even in the friends too (Alvesson.
and Willmott, 2002)
But over the time what I personally experienced that due to my Chinese-Indonesian
heritage I am not fully accepted by people of Indonesia which is hindering my way to join the
main stream of the society. I believe that I am not fully accepted by people not due to any
discrepancy in my behaviour but due to my ethnicity and some misconceptions about
nationality.
As Alvesson and Willmott said that this is sense of identity of employees which is behind
their micro emancipation. There have been always some issues with the family since they are
having some expectations which are directly related to the society identity and when we do not
fulfil that then the sense of self identity gets distorted.
Social appearance is something which is very much essential since how do we look to
others is behind of social sense of superiority (Alvesson. and Willmott, 2002) I found the work
identity a tool which creates a specific social identity so when I dress up then I observe how I am
looking, if the dress is not suiting then will change it. From the stance I can concluded that social
identity is related to this aspect as well. Coming from a middle class family makes me a bit
different than others.

The family is very conservative and also having some pre conceived ideas too which are
driving their attention and philosophy. Since my childhood I have been seen as a sharp student
and the pressure of being number one always in my education and some other activities was so
often (Alvesson. and Willmott, 2002)
As a male I was supposed to achieve something in my life due to higher prevalence of
conventionalism, my behaviour is also a part of my gender identity (Alvesson. and Willmott, 2002)
like how I am keeping my hair, and how do I get dressed up etc. if you are a boy then supposed
to raise the name of family and keeping responsibilities too so here my role becomes more
critical.
The views of Alvesson and Willmott are very clear about the identity regulation that how
do they work and what are the factors behind such regulations. One of the prominent aspect is
identity regulation which covers masculinity as one of the key measure of our identity. Even
Friendship and peer behaviour is very much inclined due to the identity we have. I found that
with my strong masculinity I have managed to build a different social respect.
At work the way you are dressed up and how are you affecting and influencing others
mattes much. I have personally experienced that the way we talk, or listen to others and how we
present our self is very prominent (Alvesson. and Willmott, 2002)
Due to my different racial identity I have experienced that the behaviour of others was
very different and they were not ready to consider my one among them. It was very difficult for
me to get accepted by others at work but my different identity hindered my way at work place.
So from the discussion above I can conclude that there are a range of such elements which are
behind our social group making. These elements are race, gender, family etc. which not only
affects the way we are being treated but how are we growing is also depended on it (Alvesson.
and Willmott, 2002)

CONCLUSION
Form the report above it can be concluded that in the society there are multiple types of
such elements which are being used by people in order to show off their social identity. The
report presented reflection on such social identity dimensions and at the end of the report some
sort of literatures was used in order to present authentic views on the taken matter where theories
of Alvesson and Willmott had been used.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Alvesson, M. and Willmott, H. eds., 2002. Studying management critically. Sage.
Alvesson, M. and Willmott, H., 2011. Critical Management Studies, 4 vols. London, CA: Sage.