Sociology 3321F/G Chapter Notes - Chapter 8: Dcf Interframe Space, Longitudinal Study, Disting
30 Apr 2018
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Chapter 8- Contexts of Identity Formation in Late-Modern Societies:
• Prob been psych approaches to dev tended under-theorize “the social” in broadest sense-
early studies devoted mainly immediate context variables like fam background and edu
settings
• More recently interest turned more gen issues occupied public policy agendas, part cult,
ethnicity and gender
• Ethnicity and gender social idents attributed individs by others take on part meanings
within socially constructed cult contexts, and have dif subj exps them in dif contexts
• Case social ident, contexts not easily separated from ident from ident formation b/c, w
factors such as ethnicity and gender, context part dev process
• Categories social idents can compound each other, prod complex interaction effects, esp
when social class added to mix- as variables gender, ethnicity and class have multiple
categories, so combined effects multiplicative so cant realistically examine combined
effects all poss contexts (ident formation studied more some contexts and self-dev studied
more other contexts)
Societal influences regarding who people are and how they feel about themselves:
Ethnicity:
• Multicult nature many late-mod soc- participate in globalization process and most part
have liberal immigration policies, prod variety combos and permutations ethnic groups
render dif societies quite distinctive in ethnic mixes
• Simply treating ethnicity as group memb fails disting ethnicity from ethnic ident,
confusing social and psych dimensions ident
• Only half BC aborig youth self-ident as aborig on longitudinal study- consistently def
selves aborig grade 7 and into high school more likely drop out of school than those less
consistent in aborig self-ident
• Those who consistently self-ident aborig might have been inactive in ident formation, not
exploring aspects of it (couldn’t verify)- people don’t ident strongly enough w ethnic
origins to be highly salient aspect ident= esp case membs majority groups in soc, as well
as those from ethnic groups not stigmatized and excluded from full participation in
economy
• Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM)- comprises 3 dimensions: self-ident of
sense belongingness to part group, ethnic affirmation and belonging and ethnic “ident
achievement”
• Model built defines ethnic ident self-constructed internalization of meaning and
implications of person’s group memb based on person’s attitudes and feelings toward cult
background, ethnic heritage and racial phenotype- ethnic ident dev proactively through
process exploration and experimentation
• Ethnic ident formation involves resolving positive and neg understandings and feelings
about one’s own group in relation to other relevant groups- childhood= concreate
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physical attributes ex: skin colour and food pref, adolescence more abstract, involving
issues ass w ethnic group consciousness
• Ethnic ident formation 3 stage process:
1. Ethnicity unexamined, having been internalized from sig others in fam/ comm-
more common early adolescence, takes sig “encounter exps” of prejudice/ discrim
make ethnicity salient in ident triggering second stage
2. Period exploration question means have specific ethnicity in their soc- proactive=
explore cult difs b/w their ethnic group and dom group in soc, implicates moral
and ethical reasoning capabilities
3. Committing to part way being member of their group
• Only ¼ ethnic minority adolescents reach 3rd stage end high school, appears not increase
in proportion reaching stage in young adulthood, even those attend uni/ college
• But those attend uni/ college more likely explore ethnicity and those who proactively
synthesize ethnic ident more likely become involved in cult activities that further
strengthen ethnic ident, while those w weaker sense ethnic ident may withdraw from
these cult activities and exp further weakening of that ident
• Those proactively resolved these issues also been found have higher self-esteem and self-
efficacy, as well as better psych well-being and more positive attitudes toward other
groups and more mature intercultural thinking, along w highest scores psych adjustment
and ego ident
• African americans strongest ethnic idents, presumably in response to neg stereotypes and
discrim can face daily, Asians and latinos lower, americans European descent have
lowest scores, even those living in diverse comm and attending mixed schools, reflecting
low salience associated w majority group status
• Suicide can be considered ultimate statement in severe and aggravated ident crisis that
leads people to sense despair ass w lack purpose and control over, their life- suicide rates
higher stigmatized minority groups
• Even marginalized groups provide basis for young people dev viable senses ident can
mitigate one most deleterious effects of social anomie- suicide
Identity capital and the management of ethnic identities:
• South Asian CN- ethnic ident multidimensional and flexible and possessed resilience
and agency to mediate personal biographies and cult attachments in multicult contexts
• Various forms ident capital strat deployed as part impression management through
greetings, body lang, finding connecting pieces and methods comm in interactions w
clients, colleagues and supervisors
• Number generic competences used by itinerate academics to forge and sustain social
relations, thereby facilitating movement among diverse ethno-national groups and prof
contexts
Gender:
• No meaningful gender difs how psych process ident come together/ when come together
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• Gender difs found terms several specific ident domains/ content areas ident issues rep dif
personal and social idents
• F appear to be exploring issues rel certain interpersonal concerns, thereby increasing
breadth ident formation over that of M
• In terms socialization tasks, more women than men tackling issues both public and
private spheres as form idents- move into public sphere, including occupational contexts,
apparently find nec balance issues ass w both public and private, often negotiating issues
w sig others as they go along (more complex- more breaks career traj and need more
flexible in social roles salient in overall sense adult ident)
• Men prefer public and try keep public and private separate
Culture:
• Self-dev lit vulnerable criticism ethnocentrism/ even “Ameri-centrism”, extent White,
middle-class young people been focus investigation
• Great concern adolescent girls self-esteem probs but mainly white F, and only extent
modeled behavs after ads portraying unrealistic standards beauty and sexuality
• Anxieties importance high SE may be result “self-esteem movement” began 1960s, esp in
schools- assumption young people value selves more have better academic achievement
and peer relations- more complex relationship
• Weak stat relationship b/w academic achievement (grades) and self-esteem- higher
grades may temp increase SE to minor degree but minor gain SE doesn’t have effect on
subsequent grades
• When self-efficacy included in stat analyses, sig and substantial effect on academic
achievement found, but self-esteem not sig predictor at all- control for self-efficacy, self-
esteem not stat related academic achievement
• Low self-efficacy will reduce academic aspirations and exhibit more prob behavs, like
depression- decline not stemmed, occupational aspirations lowered (neg effects can be
addressed and reversed w edu interventions)
• Self-efficacy appears operate produce fav academic outcomes to extent past skill-dem
perfs enhance academic motivations, w motivations enhancing future achievements-
higher levels self-efficacy monitor perfs more and persist w task completion more (likely
produce better outcomes)
• Certain school envs/ edu experiences can undermine sense self-efficacy- learning env set
goals and support attempts reach goals by focusing each student’s task mastery enhance
self-efficacy (progressive edu philosophy supports learning ennvs may produce best
outcomes)
• Adolescents (Asian) collectivist cults hold weaker self-efficacy beliefs than those do in
(western) individ ones in domains academ achievement, occ attainment and emotional
indep- counterintuitive academic achievement b/c Asian students do better
• Explanation for paradox is collectivist soc more norm-oriented, have larger power
distances b/w teachers and students and where students highly motivated reduce
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