It can be seen that an individual’s identity consists of the interaction and relationships with other people in the society. This essay has argued in favor of the idea that identity is a social process rather than a property of an individual. Bourdieu’s concept of habitus, field and symbolic violence, as well as hegemonic masculinities, illustrates the socially embodied identities that limit the agency of the individuals to construct the identities. However, the assumption that...
It can be seen that an individual’s identity consists of the interaction and relationships with other people in the society. This essay has argued in favor of the idea that identity is a social process rather than a property of an individual.
Bourdieu’s concept of habitus, field and symbolic violence, as well as hegemonic masculinities, illustrates the socially embodied identities that limit the agency of the individuals to construct the identities. However, the assumption that the socialized agents are passive and conforming to all norms has been challenged by Goffman and Mackie who supported the idea of identity as socially constructed but also acknowledge the individual’s abilities to negotiate and influence the social norms in the same way that social norms shape the identities of individuals.
Identity is a two-way social process in which the self is not passive but actively engaged in the construction of the identity.
