Peoples Lives in the Context of Social Institutions - Coursework Example

Peoples lives continue to be shaped in the main by social structures Introduction The most important feature that characterizes human being is their specific identity within a societal framework. Although primary social identity of a man is gender specific and is followed by a distinct name by which he is known in the world, man is often bestowed with multiple social identity some of which may acquire more forceful and intimidating perspective under certain given circumstances. The social identity provides man with a distinct attribute and facilitates establishment of social status that physically represents him. Therefore social identity of a man is not only vital representation of his self but it is also medium that significantly contributes to a knowledge base that others can instantly access to have a general idea of their orientation towards conflicts and other relevant issues. The social construction of human identity thus becomes the most important element which significantly impacts people’s lives. 2. Various elements that influence social identity Construction of social structures and social identities are often influenced by hordes of issues, which are defined by individual ideology, group representation, professional competencies, intercultural compulsions etc. which facilitate better understanding and access to networking with organizations and groups in order to avail the emerging opportunities for their personal and professional growth. Thus giving rise to behavioural pattern of the people that directly correlates with the values and value system of the person and his environment. There are various means through which persons imbibe the values that they carry all through their life. Some of them may be through the socio-religious culture that they follow while others might be acquired through changing paradigms of the work environment that is in perpetual influx. A person identified as student, as American or as an artisan etc. can proclaim certain privileges that are associated with that particular identity. ‘Identities are produced in a social context, but through individuals thinking about what links them to the social world… Symbols and representations are important in the production of identities. This is how we signal our identities to others and how we know which people we identify with.’ (Woodward, 2004, p.12). Hence, the informal social control, exerted by various social paradigms that shape people’s lives, can be enumerated as follows. 2.1 Culture, religion and science Social construction is a distributed network of human relationship with respect to its environment. The role of religion in the life of a man is one of the most important facet that has long lasting effect not only on an individual’s life but its influence can be observed as a kaleidoscope of mixed feelings with wide ranging reactions by all people, in some way or the other. Religion can be defined as the guidelines for the people for leading a mutually complementary life within a well defined social setup for peaceful co-existence. The origin of different religions can be attributed to the diversity of people in different geographical locations, endowed with different set of guidelines. The acknowledgement of God, as The Creator, though forms the unifying factor but differences in ideologies and perception towards things, lead to difference of opinions. Through the centuries, the attitude and behaviour of man has been influenced by the customs and traditions of the society within which he lives. These customs and traditions constitute the culture of that particular society or race and with time, some of these values have evolved to embrace the changing time. In Europe, Church and religion played vital role in the life of the people. The church believed in the supremacy of the biblical philosophy that promoted the concept of God as the creator and therefore was against those people or scientists who tried to analyze nature and celestial bodies which could undermine the supremacy of God. Darwinian Theory of evolution was greatly resisted by the Church because ‘the idea that species evolved went against Christian doctrine’ (Hollway, 2004, p.18). But advancement in science has effectively established that scientific knowledge is an integral part of evolution and misinterpretation of the religious scriptures can only hold true temporarily. 2.2 Nature Vs Nurture Nature Vs Nurture is highly relevant in the contemporary times because it has not only tried to analyze human behaviour as per the socio environmental factors but it has also promoted the scientific intervention in the analysis of human behaviour. Hereditary traits and genetic are intrinsic part of evolution that can explain the type of traits and behaviour, a man is prone to exhibit, with relative accuracy. But the presence of doubt makes it imperative that scientists need to analyze human behaviour on socio-psychological platform so that one is able to understand the paradoxes in one’s life. While knowledge of genetics may provide certain vital clue to a man’s personality, the external factors that have considerable influence the behaviour are important criteria that determine the behavioural pattern under different circumstances. In the contemporary environment of fast advancing technology and globalization, people’s lives have changed dramatically from simple living to a lifestyle that increasingly relies on the technologies. The nature in terms of natural resources like clean air, water and environment has become victim to the development of human race. Fast depletion of natural resources has disturbed the eco system, resulting in change in global environmental conditions like global warming, increasing number of climate related natural disasters etc. Sustainable development has become critical for the survival of human-race. 2.3 Race and ethnicity In the age of rapid globalization, the societies that were hitherto characterized by singular feature, have transformed into multicultural societies that have multifaceted attributes that define them as a whole. The changing paradigm of social equations, pose more challenges to the people which need to be addressed at the earliest for peaceful existence. The race and ethnicity have a huge impact on the personal choice and individual behavioural pattern which can be easily observed in the pluralistic identity that one exhibits in a society. Hence, his identity as a student would have substantial influence of his race and ethnicity. People are prone to identify with some basic group identities that not only provide them with unique characteristics but it also helps them to have social and emotional backing when conflicts arise. The wider repercussions and challenges of racial and ethnic identities have assumed more vital role in the present time of globalization when the societies are reflecting fragmented socio political values based on racial and cultural differences. 2.4 Gender, class and religiosity These social identities are intrinsically woven in the personality of a person. They represent core values and beliefs which through the ages, have become contentious and often provoke unsolicited responses that may create conflicting environment. The gender biases have catapulted into major controversial issues and the religious sanctions, some approved and some disproved, have invited more vociferous debate on them. Transsexual, gays, lesbians etc. have yet to gain public acceptance despite getting legal recognition of their identity as such. The patriarchal society, primarily governed by the religious diktats have treated women as second class citizens and deprived them of their identities as an individual with equal rights. The modern feminist movement is but an effort of the women to prove their calibre and a platform to showcase their intelligent approach and apply informed choices in areas that were hitherto considered male bastions! In the modern context it can be stated that ‘social value of feminism is that of equality between men and women, which in turn leads to an emphasis on the idea of social justice with regards to financial independence, citizenship rights, paid employment and social welfare’ (Fergusson, Hughes & Neal, 2004, p.136). Class is another identity within the social framework that differentiates people on the basis of economic parameters and hence is often accused of creating social imbalances that deprive the majority of people from their right to basic human dignity that promotes universal belief in equality and right to live with dignity. Then again, the ideologies of larger political identities have different interpretations to the class based social identities. 3. Wider implications of social structures and social identities The social identities in the current times have provoked wide ranging percolating effects that are increasing becoming complex and difficult to manage especially in the era which is rapidly transforming into pluralistic society. The group identities with religious overtones are especially creating huge dilemma for countries that pride themselves with high standard of socio economic and political ideologies. While it is true that globalization has brought in a new socio economic order with the advent of multicultural societies, one cannot deny that the wide scope of new social equation has also given us an opportunity to evolve new paradigms that may define better understanding for mutual cooperation leading to enhanced understanding of mutual cultures and values. 4. Conclusion It can thus be concluded that people’s lives continues to be mainly shaped by the social structures because social identity would remain one of the most crucial aspects of developing societies. The changing dynamics of socio economic and political variables have emerged as the most influential factors that are increasingly impacting the role models of social identity. The people are deliberately moving towards the adoption of values which are more universal in nature and promote peaceful coexistence. The paradigm shift is perhaps the result of too much conflicts and misunderstood ideologies that social identities seem to incorporate and exhibit. (1545) Reference Woodward, Kath. (2004) ‘Questions of Identity’ in Woodward, Kath (ed.) Questioning Identity: Gender, Class, Ethnicity, London, Routledge/The Open University. Hollway, Wendy. (2004) ‘What is Human Nature’ in Hinchliffe, Steve and Woodward, Kath (ed). The Natural and The Social: uncertainty, risk, change, London, Routledge/The Open University. Ross Fergusson, Ross; Hughes, Gordon; and Neal, Sarah. (2004) ‘Welfare: from security to responsibility?’ in Hughes, Gordon and Fergusson, Ross (ed.) Ordering Lives: Family, Work and Welfare, London, Routledge/The Open University. Read More