It can be seen that individuals’ identity is constructed in relation to interaction with other people in the society. Ingrained social norms within the individual’s habitus create and reinforce power, inequalities, and hierarchies in the society with limited control from individuals. However, this does not mean that human agency is completely passive in the construction of one’s identity. Goffman stated that people consciously perform to create certain impressions amongst an audience (Shulman, 2017). Such performance...
It can be seen that individuals’ identity is constructed in relation to interaction with other people in the society. Ingrained social norms within the individual’s habitus create and reinforce power, inequalities, and hierarchies in the society with limited control from individuals. However, this does not mean that human agency is completely passive in the construction of one’s identity.
Goffman stated that people consciously perform to create certain impressions amongst an audience (Shulman, 2017). Such performance is normally constrained to what is socially acceptable in one’s community, and individuals would avoid any actions that would damage their characters (Shulman, 2017). For example, someone who is transgender learns to adjust gender marks such as voice pitch or leg-crossing to appear more feminine or masculine (Mackie, 1987).
The process is intentionally done, and such socialized agents are active in the construction of their own identities. Individuals’ agency can also influence social norms in the same way that social norms shape the individuals’ identities (Mackie, 1987).
