Learning Objectives
- Identity is a socially and historically constructed concept. We learn about our own identity and the identity of others through interactions with family, peers, organizations, institutions, media and other connections we make in our everyday life.
- Key facets of identity—like gender, social class, age, sexual orientation, race and ethnicity—play significant roles in determining how we understand and experience the world, as well as shaping the types of opportunities and challenges we face.
- Social and cultural identity is inextricably linked to issues of power, value systems, and ideology.
- The media uses representations—images, words, and characters or personae—to convey specific ideas and values related to culture and identity in society.