Age, gender, ethnicity and social class Cambridge IGCSE Sociology revision
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In plain words
Ask a stranger who they are and you will hear a list: seventeen, a girl, Nigerian, a doctor's daughter. Those four labels do more to shape a life than almost anything a person chooses.
7 things to know
- Social identity is the part of identity that comes from the social groups a person belongs to. The four key aspects are age, gender, ethnicity and social class.
- Age: societies divide life into stages, such as childhood, youth, adulthood and old age, and expect different behaviour at each. The stages are socially constructed. In some societies elders are honoured, and in others the old are pushed aside.
- Gender: sex is biological. Gender is the set of expectations a society attaches to being male or female. Ideas of masculinity and femininity are learned, and they differ between societies.
- Ethnicity: an ethnic group shares a culture, which may include language, religion, traditions and history. Ethnicity can be a source of pride and belonging, and members of minority ethnic groups may face prejudice.
- Social class: a social class is a group of people in a similar economic position, judged by occupation, income and wealth. Class affects speech, taste, leisure, education and opportunities.
- The impact of each differs from society to society. Gender shapes life far more in some countries than in others, and so does class.
- The four combine. A young working-class woman from a minority ethnic group has a different experience from an elderly upper-class man from the majority.
Worked example
In country A, 16-year-olds are at school and seen as children. In country B, many 16-year-olds are married and working. What does this show about age?
- The same number of years is treated differently in the two societies.
- So the meaning of an age is decided by society, not by biology.
- Age is socially constructed, and the expectations attached to it are part of social identity.
Tips and tricks
- Sex is biological. Gender is social. Use "gender" when you are writing about expectations and roles.
- Ethnicity is about shared culture. It is not the same as nationality, which is the country a person legally belongs to.
It lands in your notebook with its questions as flashcards.
Age, gender, ethnicity and social class: 5 questions and answers
These are the quiz’s questions. Do the quiz first, then come back here for the ones that got you.
What is the difference between sex and gender?
Gender is the set of expectations attached to sex.
What is social class based on?
It is an economic position.
Which shows that age is socially constructed?
Biology is the same, and the expectations differ.
What is an ethnic group?
Culture and heritage hold it together.
Two women do the same job. One is 25 and one is 60, and only the older one is passed over for training. Which aspect of identity is affecting her?Stretch
Being treated unfairly because of age is ageism.
Quiz
5 questions
Tap an answer and you’ll see straight away whether it’s right, and why.
Worksheet
3 questions, 10 marks. Write your answers on paper, then check them.
Age, gender, ethnicity and social class
Cambridge IGCSE Sociology 0495 · 10 marks · papermunch.org
Name ______________________________ Date ______________
What is meant by the term "ethnicity"?[2]
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Belonging to a group that shares a culture, such as language, religion, traditions and history.
Describe two aspects of social identity.[4]
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Any two, each described: age, where society expects different behaviour at different life stages; gender, the social expectations of masculinity and femininity; ethnicity, a shared culture and heritage; social class, a position based on occupation, income and wealth.
Explain how social class can affect a person's identity.[4]
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Class is based on occupation, income and wealth. It shapes the way people speak, dress and spend their leisure time. It affects education and opportunities, and people often feel that they belong with others of the same class.
Answers: Age, gender, ethnicity and social class
- 1. Belonging to a group that shares a culture, such as language, religion, traditions and history.
- 2. Any two, each described: age, where society expects different behaviour at different life stages; gender, the social expectations of masculinity and femininity; ethnicity, a shared culture and heritage; social class, a position based on occupation, income and wealth.
- 3. Class is based on occupation, income and wealth. It shapes the way people speak, dress and spend their leisure time. It affects education and opportunities, and people often feel that they belong with others of the same class.