Intersecting Identities
We are never just one thing. We never even really have one role ever. Everyone is a son, daughter, mother, father, teacher, friend, partner or something else to someone else. And in some ways these labels and parts of who we are make up our identity. All of this is a good way to start to see the world, that each person is a sum of parts. However, many of these labels and identities people did not chose and have no control over. No one has a choice in black or white or Latino. It is all a chance of birth. A persons identity and which parts they see as most important or relevant to themselves is mostly socialization. Within the study of social identity and the role of the world around us in shaping who we are, the cycle of socialization is a great way to understand how people make sense of who they are.
The best way to understand the cycle of socialization is with an example. My own identities are female, white, straight, hard of hearing, middle class, and student to name a few. Now most of these I had no choice on. Let’s take what it means to be female through the cycle of socialization.
First, I was born. Belated congrats to my parents! I came into this world not even really knowing I was female, let alone having the information about what it means to be a girl in the world.
Second, is first socialization from parents, teachers and mentors. This is shapes expectations and values that are important later in life. Personally, I was lucky in this department because my parents were raising all three of us girls to believe that we could be anything we wanted. I was lucky in my other main role model too-my girl scout leader Naomi. She encouraged skills and belief in all of her scouts.
Third is where the outside world (institutions and our culture) either reinforces or bombards people with messages. This is where being a girl ran into some challenges. Television and media, for example, were still telling the message that women were less than men or that there are certain ways to be a girl. Princesses get rescued. Girls can’t throw. Superheroes weren’t for girls. Then there were different messages that girls should like clothes and shopping. (Personally, I only like shopping if its for books).
Forth, messages from the world are reinforced. In school rewards for guys were some times superhero stickers or something along those lines. The girls on the other hand got rainbow stickers or pink hearts for their stickers. It was considered weird if you were a tomboy sometimes. Other kids in elementary thought I was strange sometimes, because like the boys in school I had a Pokémon field guide.
Fifth, is the negative result those messages and reinforcement can have. For me it resulted in silence. I was sometimes almost ashamed of my geeky nerdy side. I would still watch the shows in private, but I wouldn’t talk about them. It was more socially acceptable for guys to have those interests, not girls.
The sixths and final step of the cycle is a choice. You can either choose to accept the status quo and be a part of that message and system or you can challenge to change it. For me I am taking a stand. Women can and do like science fiction and fantasy. We can and do like superheroes and anime. And the women in these media rescue men not the other way around. In fact, women want more heroines and are lobbying for more female superheroes that get equal air time with the men.
