Who am I? A Sociological Analysis of Oneself

 

Who am I? A Sociological Analysis of Oneself

               Understanding one's identity is key to knowing who one actually is. Whether it be finding life goals or having a future plan, knowing the truth about your identity, or who you actually are, is important, yet we do not always have a perfect picture of who we are. Who you are is not a simple question; it has numerous layers and parts before the answer can be revealed. Some say we are the culmination of the roles we play, others say we are part of classes that change our opportunities, and some say we are a reflection of the society around us. What if there was a way for someone to find their identity not through one way, but rather through all these ways? As it turns out, you can do so via sociology. Sociology--or the study of society and social relations--can grant us a way to objectively see our identity. There are many theories on sociology that can provide a way of understanding our place in society, create a broader perspective, and fulfil the goals and ambitions we have. Using myself as an example, through three sociological theories will be seen how society's parts shape values, how social statuses influence opportunities, and how everyday interactions help form identity.

               Sociological theories and the people who affect them are important to viewing identity. According to the authors of the book Introduction to Sociology 3e, sociological theories are "different theoretical approaches to help us understand the way societies function" (OpenStax 4.2). What this means is that sociological theories are like lenses that you can use to see how society functions a little differently. With one lens, you can see one part of society, and with another, you see something different. The key is to employ multiple perspectives to gain a comprehensive understanding of whatever you are researching. The three theories that will be used to view identity are Functionalism (society as interrelated parts), Critical Theory (society as divided by class), and Symbolic Interactionism (society as built from small interactions). The key to these theories is the "Agents of Socialization"-an individual, group, or organization that plays a role in teaching norms, values, and behavior in society. 

               Functionalism is the first theory that will be used to dissect one’s identity. The theory of Functionalism states that you are the culmination of all roles that you fill. For a moment, think about all the different roles or "hats" you wear. Taking my example, I am a son, a brother, a student, a cousin, a friend, and so much more. My time on this planet is only 16 years, so many of us would have even more roles. From a broader perspective, each person fills a function that each role gives. From the personal level, we are the intersection of these roles; we are not just sons or daughters but rather all the hats we wear, all at once. In short, I am all the roles that I fill.

               Education, to a Functionalist, fills the function of teaching students social norms, skills, and setting the framework for how I learn. From a Functionalist perspective, education taught me many skills that I use to fill the many functions of my roles, filling the function of an agent of socialization. In school, I was taught to do my best, work with others, and think on my own. More importantly, people skills--relations with other people--were first introduced into my life through the education system. Moving to social norms, school taught the social norms that were to be followed. The education system made me learn generally accepted behavior. Finally, education has changed the way I learn. When I was very young, I used to learn a lot through visual and auditory explanations. The school system changed this to be more reading focused. All of this goes to show that the education system has affected me by making me conform to standard procedures, and making sure that I knew what is accepted and what is not. Emile Durkheim, French sociologist, in his book The Rules of the Sociological Method, similarly stated saying, "If I do not conform to ordinary conventions... the social distance at which I am kept, produce, although in a mitigated form, the same result as any real penalty" (Durkheim 1895). If in a restaurant you yell and scream at the waiter, the people around you will judge you, and their judgment--even though it may not directly affect you--is effectively a public punishment. Going back to education, this is an experience that many of us likely faced in our youth. It happened to me when I answered a teacher's questions before raising my hand. Society molded me by forcing upon me the social norms of the world. Thus, education has made me follow the norms of life. One may see this as bad, but is rather an observation that I can use to understand who I am.

               Similar to Functionalism, Conflict Theory also looks at identity as an intersection of roles, but with more focus on class. Conflict Theory would view my identity as one shaped by the classifications of race, gender, and economic status. A Conflict Theorist would see how the different classifications between those who "have" and those who "have not," affect society. Such a theorist would note that I am a middle-class, male, Indian-American who wants to learn about business to make money. What this says about me is that I want to use money to gain stability, to enter a higher class. Taking this further, as a male Indian-American, I am pushed to work harder and succeed by my parents, as there are many cultural expectations that Indian-Americans commonly face like going to college, working, making a family, and so on. This in a way is a separation of me compared to people of other races due to these types of expectations. Particularly, my choice to learn about business is, to a Conflict Theorist, a clear indication that I want to move to a higher class. The world of finance is quite divided between those who have large businesses or connections, and people who normally work their life until 65 or even longer. Me entering the business sector is effectively a way to gain these connections to the higher classes. Showing what parts of your classifications do to your identity can make you realize who you are.

               Using Conflict Theory, social media as an agent of socialization has affected me to be in a consumer mindset, to learn newer norms, and to conform to society. Many of us have spent a long time on the internet, either viewing emails, looking at YouTube, or learning from articles. No matter what we see on social media, we are inevitably influenced by it. The way big companies have structured their media platforms, by focusing on addictive properties, makes many people spend a lot of time on them. Speaking personally, seeing what other people do over the internet makes me feel I have to change to sometimes follow unreasonable trends, otherwise I might be missing out. When we use social media, a dynamic exists between an individual and the rest of the world. Despite this, the image of the world is skewed by social media due to their inherently addicting algorithms which prioritize engagement. Because social media promotes so much intake of information, I have seen an increase in the consumer mindset. If you see many people using some new item, you may feel a fear of missing out, often called as FOMO. I have noticed that I have a more consumer mindset to buy things I actually never wanted. Not only did my mindset change, but the way I spoke, the things I did, and the people I talked to changed because of the things I saw on social media. We emulate those we spend the most time with, and if you spend your time with social media artists you will most likely become like them, conforming to the higher class indirectly. A Conflict Theorist would say that social media has changed my mind to conform to ideas that may have not been mine, because through social media the world becomes a difference between the individual class and the pressure of social media.

               The last theory we will use to understand my identity is Symbolic Interactionism, which is a micro-level theory, meaning it is concerned with a smaller perspective. Symbolic Interactionism, which is far more personal to the other theories, can be used as a lens to make proper changes in my life and to know how I have become who I am, through a feedback loop from the world. The primary idea that is used for explaining this theory is the looking-glass self. This idea was pioneered by Charles Cooley, American sociologist, who--as Introduction to Sociology 3e puts it--said that "we base our image on what we think other people see" (OpenStax 4.3). This means that we will change how we act, based on what we think society's reaction is. Simply put, if I wear a fig (yes the fruit) as a hat, people will stare at me. If I take note that people think I am weird, I might not wear a fig as a hat. If society rewards me for an action, I will most likely repeat that action. Ignoring the example, the looking-glass self-concept is extremely important to understanding how different agents of socialization affect my development. This is important because once you know the looking-glass self, you and I will be able to make ourselves the best versions that we can become. Only by understanding our past through such a feedback loop will we be able to make ourselves better.

               Through the lens of a Symbolic Interactionist, my family has influenced my life by teaching me values and most of what I know. I would be someone else if it weren't for my family, as my identity was largely shaped by them. To begin with, most of the social norms I follow were taught to me by my parents and brother. Holding the door for anyone behind you, being nice to everyone, and respecting elders are just a few small examples of norms that I have been taught. These reflect the idea of respect and kindness to those around you, even if you don't know them. The values that I hold in my life have also been instilled in me by my family. From a very early age, my parents told me I should "do my best, and leave the rest," which means to put in my best effort without obsessive attachment to the result of whatever I do. My interests have also been given from my family. Of all types of music, I enjoy Western Classical music, primarily because my parents encouraged me to take music and piano classes from a young age. All this goes to show that my family has literally made me who I am. Many of us have heard the phrase, "like father, like son," and despite what many say and those who disagree with the statement, it holds true for me, and likely many of you too.  

               In summary, through analysis of the three sociological theories, my identity has been seen. From seeing parts of society and the function of roles, to the divisions and classifications, and finally how the world gives us a feedback loop, we can say that identity can be seen through many perspectives. Once we understand how we became who we are, we can effectively make change in our lives. More importantly, truly knowing who you are can make your life much better. I am not only someone who fills many roles, not only one affected by the world around me, and not only one who changes what he thinks based on the world sees in him, but I am all at once. Who am I is not a simple question that can be answered in one article; it is rather understanding you and society. How can I help my friends if I can't help myself? How can one teach their children values if they did not know how they got their values? Understanding is important not only for me and you, but to everyone around us. To know who one truly is, is to have one of life's greatest pleasures. 

  

Works Cited:

Conerly, Tonja R, et al. Introduction to Sociology 3e. 3rd ed. OpenStax. 2021. openstax.org/details/books/introduction-sociology-3e 

 

Durkheim, Emile. The Rules of the Sociological Method. 1895.