SOC 507 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Michel Foucault, Socioeconomic Status, Essentialism

• School: Ryerson University
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 507
• Professor: Alireza Asgharzadeh

Document Summary

Power in different ways: the centrality of language, discourse and interpretation, the role of meanings, symbols, and intersubjective relationships. Immigrant/refugee statues: gender, gender identity, culture, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, mental/physical abilities, racialized, spirituality/religion, etc, the person who decides these categories is the person who is in. Essentialism: essentialist constructions: sees identity as homogenous permanent and, stereotyping and essentializing: individuals" identities, often lead to stable misrepresentations; can have serious negative consequences for groups and individuals Identities: individual vs. social identities: our identities are not always voluntary or chosen by us. Categories and levels of identity: anti-categorial complexity: emphasizing difference instead of identity, michel foucault challenged the category of gayness, "every category comes with its limitations and discourse", why submit to the dominant society"s labelling. Intra-categorial complexity (within/inside): focusing on particular social groups/identities at neglected points of intersection. Inter-categorial complexity (between/amongst): making strategic use of categories and analyzing relations of multiple inequalities.