Classifications are all about our society and our lives which consists of invisible systems which exist in society and which we are all subject to. We define ourselves and those around us through existing frameworks provided by society. It is suggested that our identities are ‘ordinarily invisible’ Bowker and Star (2000). Taking this further into consideration, their definition of classification suggests that we as human beings place ourselves, objects and others into certain categories. The categories which are created are often imbricated in our lives and are ordinarily invisible. When considering certain categories, which are created by ourselves and created by society a number of important factors arise such as, 'What are the categories?' ‘Who makes them and who may change them?' and 'When and why do they become visible?’
This particular area enabled me to further question my identity. Did my life really relate to certain classifications in society? Did this therefore mean I have been socially produced to obide and accept norms and values that the society I have been born into has created for me?
Classifications are used in everyday situations. An example of this is the road systems in England. We associate the symbol of a red traffic light to mean stop and a green light to go. These things are taught to us when learning to drive and are obeyed to ensure a good road standard and traffic flow. We associate different road users and different cars with different countries. Driving on the left hand side is a norm in other countries, whereas driving on the right hand side is the norm in England. We all identify symbols and shapes in society which give us instructions to follow and we all subconsciously obey these instructions, in everyday situations in life.
These systems and instructions are pre- set for all to co-operate and adhere to. Norms are different across different groups and different countries. Our road system was designed many years ago, a tradition and a systematic driving pattern has been created and has been followed century after century. Therefore, this pattern which we have been born into has already been set for u and is bound by law, which we cannot alter. If we did not cooperate, we would therefore be subject to punishments from superior dominating groups, the police, courts, and the underlying authority dominating these groups, the government.
Another example of classification is suggested by Woodward. Woodward (1997) uses similarity and difference to explain our identity, our identity is constructed to share a collective identity with other individuals and on the other hand how our identity is constructed to distinguish ourselves from other individuals. We classify and identify ourselves through categories such as religion, race, gender and age. We use classifications in terms of the way we dress. Certain dress styles and music are related to certain groups in society. For example, we relate people wearing veils to them being of a certain religion or relate people having heavy piercing and listening to rock music to the punk culture. We use these sorts of classifications in every day life to give ourselves group membership or on the other hand individuality. I hold a British passport which shows my similarity to my nationality as a British citizen to living in England, but will also show my individuality in terms of me being a mixed race female, with black hair and brown eyes. An insight into this is gained by my picture also showing that I have a piercing on my lip. Would I then, by this be categorised into being part of a certain culture in society? The answer to this is it depends on the characteristics, norms and values the person looking at my picture holds in society.
The deeper I delved into the course the more I learn about how I classify myself as an individual and what factors shape my own identity. I strongly believe that our identity is a combination of early socialisation, as suggested by Mead, and external factors which act upon us. I feel I change my own identity to best suit my current surrounding, whether it be at university, at home or at work. The idea of a dramaturgical model, (Goffman 1971) suggests ‘The entire world is a stage’. Our life in this model is simply a set of performances. We adopt certain roles in life which we conform to. We all hold values in life and are aware that we need at act in certain ways depending on what role we are adopting at any particular time. For example I am aware that if I am attending a job interview my initiative automatically tells me to conform to adopt a formal, sophisticated manner and to attend the interview in smart clothes in order to carry this effect across to the interviewer. This would seem to fit my understanding of my own identity; however I do not feel my identity was Pre- determined and I 'fitted' in to a 'role'. To further add to this point, the particular identities I choose to take on are, in themselves, value laden and with meaning. They can be reworked as a result of my socialisation with others, and, as a result, are not Pre- determined as suggested by Berger and Luckmann (1966). I therefore feel that the way I classify myself is influenced by every aspect of society. Obviously I must internalise the meanings of what certain identities entail but these meanings themselves are socially constructed.
Taking identity a step further I began to look into other contributing factors to my identity. I began to read upon and discuss race and racialisation and how it impacts our identities and the identities of those around us. I began to ask myself and consider questions such as consider what is meant by the concept of ‘race’ and the process of ‘racialisation’? It was evident that there are current debates on the issue of the notion and understanding of race.
The term race distinguishes one population from another. Widely used human racial categories are based on visible traits (especially skin colour and facial features), genes, and self-identification. Conceptions of race, as well as specific racial groupings, vary by culture and time and are often controversial due to their impact on social identity and identity politics, and many regard race as a social construct. Legal definitions, common usage, and scientific meaning can all be confounded, and care must be taken to note the context in which it is used.
By attending lectures and reading lecture material reccommended on moodle, I have developed an understanding of the current arguments and parceptions used by theorists around race, racism and racial issues in our current society. The main argument portrayed at the moment is the notion of whether race actually esists. ‘The race concept is a symbolic and discursive term with no biological basis’ (West). He states that race matters and if race matters, races must exist.
Scientifically in the twentieth century biological and social sciences failed to establish an existence of different races of human beings in society. The idea that humans consist of a number of distinct races, each exhibiting a set of discrete physical and cultural characteristics is mistaken.
As well as the more obvious cultural differences that exist between peoples, such as language, dress and traditions, there are also significant variations in the way societies organise themselves, in their shared conception of morality, and in the ways they interact with their environment. Darder and Torres (2004) believe that race only exists if people individually believe it exists, this causes conflict, discrimination and exclusion. This draws on the idea of Malik(2006) and race developing due to the Enlightment era, where beliefs, new wisdoms and understandings on human nature were taken into consideration and people started to question thins and develop their own ideas and interpretations on life. According to Malik (2006) “The idea of volksgeist became transformed into the concept of racial make-up, an unchanging substance, the foundation of all physical appearance and mental potential and the basis for division and difference within humankind. At the root of modern racism, therefore, lie not Enlightenment concepts of universality but Romantic visions of human differences.
Taking the notion of race a step further I began to read upon the ideas put forward by Audre Lorde (1992). Lorde states that white people fail to see their privileges Racism and stereotypical views lie in agencies in society such as education agencies, employment, and criminal justice agencies as well as in society. Black people tend to experience racism in these areas. Statistics provided by criminal justice systems show that more black people are sent to prison each year and are more likely to be stopped by the police. There are also evident cases of racism in the police towards black people. People of colour recognise that being white gives whites great advantages relative to people of colour. I think this is a valid point being portrayed.
Audre Lorde (1992) recognises that many whites think that people of colour are obsessed with race and find it hard to understand the emotional and intellectual energy that they devote to the subject. I believe this is due to them not experiences such discriminations I have just mentioned, so they are unable to relate and identify with the treatment of black individuals and their thoughts and feelings on the matter.
This course has so far benefited me greatly and I have come to believe attitudes towards race are formed through dominant ideology, just to benefit the powerful, because it is obvious that white people take advantage of domination and privilege in society which is being practiced within the structures of society (Grillo and Wildman 1997). Even though the readings have made it more difficult for me too locate myself, they have opened my eyes to the fact that I shouldn’t have too. This is because the readings have shown me that race is a fabrication (made up), by those in society, who have the power too make the difference in appearance, by colour, so important. The problems that race produces are far more in-depth than I first realised and it seems that many of these problems are not visible too many whites and blacks within society. The real problems that race hides, are those of class inequality; and it makes sense too me now, why the media/government makes race/difference such an important issue. This is because it allows for those in power (governments) to push the problems back onto the individual, because the way people are portrayed within the media tends to be the defining characteristic of their social groups rather than their social economic status.
The media does tend to reinforce the view of white is beautiful. A vary strong example of this is the story of ‘Snow White’, with the famous phrase ‘mirror mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?’ Fairest is beautiful, in effect to be white is to be beautiful. The media does portray this message to children who will read these books and watch these fairy tales videos. Therefore, from an early age we are socialized to believe in these fairy tales and so subconsciously from an early age we all as children hold stereotypical and racist views from the media portrayal we encountered as a child.
I bean to relate to this concept as I began to reflect upon my own life and upbringing and started to think about my own race and the difficulties I had growing up as a mixed race child of Black Caribbean and white British origin.
What I have learnt about racialisation is that it too runs on systems of classification, which in turn creates the view of the ‘other’. In regards to my own racialised self, the readings provided have given me more questions rather than direct answers; this, I feel is because of my own background, values and beliefs. While many people are MIXED in today‘s society, in that they are linked through blood to different countries around the world, it is much harder to tell physically by their appearance. ; as those who look white say they are white and those who look black say they are black, whether they are mixed or not. Here, is where my problem becomes apparent. Those individuals from both white and black backgrounds tend too see their own racialised other within me. Even though many of my features share the characteristics of those who are black, this is the colour of my father. For example my hair is thick and wavy and by looking at my hair alone, this states that I have a Black Caribbean background. I still have many features which links me too the white side of my family. So while I am the same as both white and black identities, I am different in the views and powers which are outside of me, given to me by others. I have often been called ‘No Nation’ whilst growing up. This simply states that I have no nation I am not fully white and not fully black do I am floating around in between both. I cannot say I am white and I cannot say I am black.
Going back to my hair, which is afro- Caribbean hair. Whilst growing up I tended to have more white friends than black, thinking back I did feel like I was an outsider at times, even though I am half white. Little things I felt separated me from the group I was part of at school. I didn’t ware my hair down, not because I couldn’t I actually didn’t want to as I believed I would be classed as strange. My hair wasn’t straight but like an afro- frizz ball. This is the name I was given from one of my friends the time I did ware my hair down. I thought I was different, but only now I no I was not different, I was unique. Whereas then I felt embarrassed of my black origin now I am proud. I should not have to conform to certain group norms or be ashamed of who I am.
I think as a child I was somewhat confused about where my identity lay, but over time, through learning processes my identity did become more apparent and visible to me. Only now through doing this course, have I begun to again question my own identity. Things I have read in particular have brought back confusing memories and I can relate to some of the material I am reading having first hand experience of racism, in the sense that I have in my life been perceived as different from both white and black people. My identity is a learning process and will adapt and change over time as I go through different experiences and challenges which will adapt my initial thoughts, beliefs and attitudes on certain things. This course is one of the experiences I have encountered which has changed my perceptions. It has confused me in a way, but I feel this is a good thing as it has taught me not to be nieve and take things for granted. It has taught me to question things more and not be so exceptive of things that I believed before simply because it had been spoon fed to me from an early age. I can say that everything I have learned thus far about identities, classifications, race and racialisation has been an internal challenge and has certainly been an eye opener to me.
Bibliography
Darder, A and Torres, R, D (2004) After Race: Racism after Multiculturalism, London: New York University
Grillo and Wildman, (1997), Critical White studies, Temple University Press
Horkheimer and Adorno (1994), Dialectic of the enlightment.
Jenkins, R (2003), Social Identity, London: Routledge
Lucy Francis (2006) Lecture and Seminar Notes, Social Identities, weeks 1-8
Malik, K (1996), The Meaning of Race: Race, History and Culture in Western Society, London: Macmillan Press LTD
Malik, K (2001) Pluralism and the Meaning of Difference
Woodward, (1997), Gender, Class, Ethnicity, Routlage
Websites:
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http://publish.uwo.ca/~trmurphy/Soc240Lectures/GoffmanDramaturgicalModel.pdf