Question

In this reflection paper, you are to critically engage the topic of the social construction of identity in your life.

Please discuss and provide examples of how at least one of your identities (i.e., religious, gender, ethnic, racial, class, sexual orientation, disability and/or age, among others) is shaped, or has been shaped, by cultural and societal influences within contexts of equality and inequality. 700-800 words

Answer 1

Social construction is the way in which our realities are shaped through our experiences and our interactions with others. Social construct or social concept is an invention of a particular culture or society which exists solely because people agree to behave as if it exists, or agree to follow certain conventional rules. Social construction begins from the moment a baby is born. Once a baby comes into the world, his or her gender is determined, and the gender process of social construction has begun. As the baby grows up to become a child and then later an adult, he or she is treated based on his gender. Points of differentiation in social construction include race, gender, class, religion, sexuality, morality, memory and the whole reality.

Social construction of identity is a socially and historically constructed concept. We learn about our own identity and the identity of others through interactions with family, peers, organizations, media and other connections we make in our everyday life. Identity of gender, social class, age, sexual orientation, race and ethnicity play important roles in determining how we understand and experience the world. Let's throw light on social construction of gender. Gender is socially constructed and a result of socio-cultural influences through out an individual's development. Gender identity is different from one society to another depending on the way the members of society evaluate the role of females and males. Our gender identity can be influenced from the ethnicity of the group, their historical and cultural background, family values and religion. As a girl child, I was expected to follow certain rules that is to not talk aloud, to make do with things when they were not available that is basically to adjust and not question. Even if I wanted a bicycle, I was forced for some time to make to with my other items of play like dolls and teddies. When I asked my mother as to why boys didn't wear makeup, she retorted back saying that boys are powerful and agressive and so they are not supposed to wear makeup. Instilling ideas in my head like girls wear only pink and that was feminine which further strengthened my gender made things even more confusing for me then. I was supposed to think, speak, dress, and interact as a female should. I was taught to cook, see, and keep the house neat. Playing soccer or basketball was a no instead I was put into choir singing which I wasn't fond of. I was not allowed to stay back late after school or a party and the reason for this was that I was a girl and it's unsafe. I was hence brought up as a submissive individual without a chance of expressing myself. This was all because of the fact that at the end of the day was a woman and was supposed to behave like one. This discrimination has had a profound affect on how I view myself as well as the people around me.

In conclusion, social influences affect gender expectations and shape behaviors and norm regarding gender. However the categorization according to gender is another way of manipulating members of a society and to promote inequalities. Research and theory derived from social psychology could be able to develop appropriate interventions that could target a wide range of individuals and institutions in order to promote equality of genders and eliminate gender discrimination.