Nowadays, there are many works on the topic of social psychology. Few of the important contributors to the development of psychology were Berger and Luckmann with their discussion of the objective social structure. Social constructivism, discussed by them within the social structure is about how a person creates social reality and how this reality creates a person. In social constructivism, people act and self-identify depending on their personal situation and perception.
The main standard categories are race, class, and gender, which enable a person to combine himself and others into one or more groups based on certain characteristics. At the same time, there are many other groups and subcategories. If a person cannot refer him or herself to any group for objective reasons, a new small group is created with the prospect of growth (Belvedere and Gros 48). However, some people may not consider themselves to belong to a certain group for personal reasons and in connection with the negative perception imposed by society or developed on their own.
Society is one of the most influencing factors on self-identification, in connection with a person’s ideas about the possible shame or ridicule while assigning himself to a certain group. This complexity, for example, arises in relation to people with non-traditional sexual orientation, since attitudes towards them in society vary depending on a particular country, social class, support from the state and many other factors. The identification performed by the society is often formed on the basis of many factors, but the individual may not want to accept or rejoice at this position. Berger and Luckmann in their work try to bring ideas to rationality, constructiveness, and objectivity.
Relatively redistribution in groups, people can mostly only influence self-identification, while others will form their opinions on the basis of different aspects such as appearance, behavior, and manner of communication. Therefore, a person cannot always influence the group to which society refers him. Due to this, in certain cases, there may be a difference between subjective and objective reality.
There is also an abnormal self-identification that can be formed, for example, due to childhood traumas. In such cases, society resorts to therapeutic measures. At the same time, the social identification of one person can exist at once in a number of parallels, when the individual belongs to one social group but plays the role of another. In such cases, society can oppose pluralism and the dynamics of social stratification (Belvedere and Gros 44). The structures that society builds on the basis of personal long-term experience also affects any individual existing in this society. However, social constructivism by bringing certain people into groups can lead to the loss of original meanings, wishes, or real essence.
In conclusion, people can fully influence only self-identification. At the same time, society will form an opinion based on its own principles and experience, however, a number of factors may not be taken into account or the original essence may be lost. The opinion of society about the assignment of a person to a certain class can influence the self-assignment of a person to the same, or cause a reverse reaction. In this regard, perceptions may mismatch, due to the alleged personal or social negative understanding of belonging. Berger and Luckmann emphasized the rational and objective belonging of a person to groups and classes, as well as the relationship between a person and society.
Works Cited
Belvedere, Carlos, and Alexis Gros. “The Phenomenology of Social Institutions in the Schutzian Tradition.” Schutzian Research 11 (2019), pp. 43-74. Web.