Can Society Influence Ones Identity Essay - 1010 Words

Does it come from within which makes us who we are, or is it our environment that molds us? The debate is on. With the comparison of â€Å"Story of an Hour,† written by Kate Chopin and â€Å"Harrison Bergeron,† by Kurt Vonnegut, the idea of society influencing an individual’s identity is put in to picture through different scenarios. Society has rules to be followed, deviance is frowned upon, and obedience only causes repression for the individual who then loses their individuality. The freedom to be ourselves is an important one, and is one worth standing up for. In the â€Å"Story of an Hour,† the main character, Mrs. Mallard, has lost her identity because of her husband. With the death of Mr. Mallard, Mrs. Mallard exclaims that, â€Å"there would be no†¦show more content†¦Other descriptions of the males dominance placed over her are included in the description of Mrs. Mallard’s self, â€Å"she was young, with a fair, calm face, whose lines bespoke repression†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Chopin 222). Women have not always had equal recognition by society, especially in a male dominated one. Those who did away with the gender bias have paved a path much more fulfilling for us women today. Expectations placed by society regulate behaviors in public and even instill a sense of guilt for feeling a certain emotion. With the death of her husband, Mrs. Mallard rejoices with freedom and refers to this happiness as a monstrous joy. She knew as a participant of society, one is not to be rejoicing from the passing of a partner and, therefore, refers to her happiness as an evil thing. To save face for society â€Å"she knew that she would weep again when she saw the kind, tender hands folded in death†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Chopin 222). The constraints of society kept Mrs. Mallard from being able to express her happiness and share her freedom and forced her to display an emotion that was not being experienced. The next story, â€Å"Harrison Berg eron,† is a satirical story about a world where everyone is equal in everything and those who excel were required to be handicapped. The story frames a futuristic idea of adding the â€Å"†¦211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitution†¦Ã¢â‚¬  which would make everybody in the town â€Å"†¦equal [in] every which way† (Vonnegut 627). A world where everyone wasShow MoreRelatedHas Anyone Put Any Psychological Thought Into How They1483 Words   |  6 Pagestheir identity? Two psychologists, Erik Erikson and Jean Piaget, dedicated their lives to this type of development. Erikson theorists would take a social influence stance, and Piagetian theorists focus on one’s cognition. So, who is right? More knowledge has been obtained to know that human behavior should be social and the need to socialize with other people. Erikson believes this whereas Piaget thought of qualitative thinking that shapes a child. Erikson is more influential about identi ty developmentRead MoreOur Individual Identity Is Determined by What Others Think of Us1283 Words   |  6 PagesIdentity and belonging - Expository Essay Our individual identity is determined by what others think of us. Our identity is comprised of inner qualities and outer representations of self. It consists of innumerable defining characteristics that make up the whole of who we are in any given moment. These fragments of self include our sexuality, gender, and sense of belonging to a particular culture, nation, religion, family, or some other group. Our identity includes our looks, personality, beliefsRead MoreSocialisation, Personal Identity, Gender Identity And Gender Roles1313 Words   |  6 PagesSocialisation, Personal identity, Gender Identity and Gender Roles: Boundless.com defines ‘Socialisation’ as â€Å"a term used to refer to the lifelong process of inheriting and disseminating norms, customs and ideologies providing the individual with the skills and habits necessary for precipitating within one’s society, thus the means by which social and cultural continuity are attained† (Boundless.com, 2015). The process of socialisation involves an individual such as an adolescent to have interactionsRead MoreThe Theory Of Social Class1128 Words   |  5 PagesAnother factor that affects identity is social class. The Marxism assumption is that socio-economic position is a fundamental element to shape identity. People are not individuals, but part of a class. The Marxist ideology is that of â€Å"false consciousness†, this meaning that some classes, the lower, working class, are not aware of the position they have to society. As a result, this is why they often work in jobs that are underpaid. Some Marxist theor ists believe that class identity is procreated in cultureRead MoreWilliam Golding s Lord Of The Flies884 Words   |  4 PagesTitle William Shakespeare states, in one of his famous plays, Hamlet, that â€Å"We know what we are, but not what we maybe,† (4.5. ). The author suggests the idea of the human’s true self, hiding behind one’s mask, which further leads to the question of human identity. The question â€Å"Who am I?† becomes one of the most complex topics in literature and philosophy because no one yet finds the answer. This subject inspires different writers such as Phillip K. Dicks, Aldous Huxley, and William Golding to pursueRead MoreThe Role Of Role Identity And The Second Hypothesis Of Life, And Well- Being Among Volunteers1435 Words   |  6 Pages1. The article is called â€Å"Role-Identity Salience, Purpose and Meaning in Life, and Well- Being Among Volunteers†, which is written by Peggy A. Thoits, from Social Psychology Quarterly, published in 2012, volume 75, starting at page 360. In the beginning, Thoits’s main argument is that holding a social role that is important to the person leads to a purposeful and meaningful life, thus improving their mental and physical health. It is later broken down to four hypotheses. The first hypothesis statesRead MoreGender And Gender Identity And Development1303 Words   |  6 Pagesfemale are to look like and act like. One’s judgment of this is based on the classic understanding and characteristics that have been repeatedly taught to them throughout the years. However, gender identity and development is something that has been both misunderstood and misconstrued by people for quite some time. The differences between â€Å"gender† and â€Å"sex† is quite vast. According to John Carl: Gender is defined as the personal traits and position in society connected with being male or female. ForRead MoreThe Representation Of Gender And Media978 Words   |  4 PagesThere are many advertisements which influences people, the one such advertisement is of Van Heusen brand advertising for men’s wear tie. These advertisement clearly reflects gender inequality. Since then, of course, the role of women in society and representation in advertising has come a long way. The feminist movement in the 70s helped to break down barriers for women, leading to improved career opportunities and more equality in the workplace and the home. We can see in the picture how a girl isRead MorePersonal Response on Sexuality Identity Essay1418 Words   |  6 PagesPersonal Response on Sexuality Identity University of Phoenix Personal Response on Sexuality Identity Our sexual identity starts at birth and evolves as we continue to age. Several factors can influence an individual’s sexual identity. Like several things in one’s life, sexual identity develops as we go through different stages of life. The things that could influence the development of our sexual identity are environmental factors, value systems, gender identity, relationships, and love. Read MoreHistory And Development Of Mead s Symbolic Interaction Theory951 Words   |  4 Pagessymbols and interactions between people using these symbols,† best known today as the Symbolic Interaction Theory, was first published in 1934 (West, 2014, pg. 73). In today’s society, symbols have many meanings and the interpretations we draw from them can be positive or negative. The way we interpret these meanings influence how we act on a daily basis as Mead further suggests. In the beginning, numerous quantified studies were underway with the help of Herbert Blumer, a student of Meads. Since the