Identity, Self, and Society

Who are you? How did you get there? This course examines the social origins, construction, and transformation of the self through foundational and contemporary sociological theory. We will explore how modernity gave rise to new ideas about the individual self and follow it through contemporary times. We examine how sociologists study the self, and how culture, structure, interaction, and individual experiences shape the self. We pay particular attention to how intersecting identities like race, gender, sexuality, and disability shape individual self-concept and social interaction. Key themes include the development of the self over the life course, the management of stigmatized identities, how individuals craft and evaluate the “authenticity” of identity, and the role of the internet and other technologies in building our identities. Students will gain a comprehensive, intersectional understanding of how identity is built, maintained, and renegotiated in modern society.