2016

WEST UNIVERSITY OF TIMIOARA

FACULTY OF SOCIOLOGY AND PSYCHOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY

Short Studies On

Gender Identity
Student Life
Pleasure And Pain
Crime And Deviance

Students
Popescu Rowena
Sucan Raluca
Soos Demartini Monica Maria
Cojocaru Florin

Teacher
Roxana Stochioiu

Table of Contents
Gender Identity - Sucan Raluca

Student life - Popescu Rowena

Pleasure and Pain - Soos Demartini Monica Maria

Crime and Deviance - Cojocaru Florin
The end

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Gender Identity
Gender identity is a human personal experience of everybodys own gender.
One of the most significant, authoritative and even controversial theory of the emergence
of gender identity is that of Sigmund Freud. In Freuds opinion, the learning of gender
differences in newborns and young children is focused on the presence or absence of the penis. I
have a penis is equivalent to I am a boy, while I am a girl is equivalent to I lack a penis.
Even so, what Freud aims to highlight is that not just the anatomical distinctions that matter here;
the presence or absence of the penis is symbolic of masculinity and femininity.
The theory says that at around the age of four or five, a boy feels jeopardized, threatened
by the self-restraint, discipline and autonomy his father asks of him, fantasizing that the father
desiring to remove his penis. The boy sees the father as a combatant for the affections of his
mother, predominantly on an unconscious level. But, as the time goes by, the boy will start to see
and accept his father as a superior being, identifying with the father and becoming aware of his
male identity.
On the other side, according to Freud, girls suffer from penis envy because they dont
own the visible organ that distinguishes boys. The mother becomes devalued in the little girls
eyes, because she is also seen to lack a penis and to be unable to provide one. When the girl
identifies with the mother, she takes over the submissive attitude involved in the recognition of
being second best 1
The next period, from about five years old to puberty, is called the latency period. While this
years, the child will experience no more sexual activities until the biological changes reactivate
erotic desires in a direct way. This is the time when same-sex peer groups are most important in
the childs life.
Lots of considerable objections have been raised against this theory of Freud, particularly
by feminists.
First, it looks like Freud is identifying gender identity too closely with genital awareness;
Second, the theory gives the idea that the penis is superior to the vagina, which is
considered a lack of the male organ. Some of the researchers were wondering why the female
genitals couldnt be considered superior to those of the male.
Third, Freud considers that the primary disciplining agent is the father. But, even so,
many cultures see the mother as a more important and powerful part in the imposition of
discipline.

1 Anthony Giddens, Sociology, Polity Press, 1997, pg. 97

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Fourth, Freud is presuming that gender learning is concentrated at the age of four or five.
But many other authors have accentuated the importance of earlier learning, beginning in
infancy.
By the age of two years, children are aware of themselves as male or female, a gender
identity that remains throughout life. More than that, many preschoolers are conscious of gender
stereotypes. They insist that certain activities or items of clothing are not for girls and other not
for boys. Even so, there are cases where gender identity can be changed. As an example we have
a seven-month-old boy that it was unfortunate enough to lose his penis through an accident. A
few months later, his genitals were surgically reconstructed as female. He received a girlish
name, girlish clothing, a girlish haircut. According to the researchers, he progressed normally,
as a very feminine girl.
Socialization theory says that infants are seen as blank slates, waiting to be written on by
their environment. Through their interactions with people close to them, and through exposure to
the values of their society, infants learn what sex has been attributed to them (male? or female?)
and what is expected of them as little girls or boys.2
It may also appear a process of modelling. Children tend to imitate their parents or older siblings
or teachers of the same sex. This wont stop of happening until children internalize the gender
prescriptions of their society.
It is known that children are frequently reminded of the differences between sexes. In the
most families are pointed out the different responsibilities for woman and men, clothing differs
in a major way, even bedrooms. Parents, whatever their intentions, tend to treat girls and boys
differently in ways that influence their development. () There is a possibility that, through
patterns of reinforcement, adults helped to create these gender differences, as socialization theory
predicts.3
Nancy Chodorow offers one of the most persuasive and substantial of the psychoanalytic theories
of gender identity those that take account of unconscious processes. She draws attention to the
fact that mothers generally care for infants in their early years, while fathers are more
emotionally distant. According to her, the development of the self requires a separation from the
mother with whom the infant is initially psychically merged. This procedure it can obtain an
answer on different ways for girls and boys. Boys will repress their feminine aspects and reject
all tenderness. On the other hand, girls can detach progressively, preserving a regular, stable and
continuous sense of relationship with the mother.
The result in can be seen in our daily life. Adult men are inclined to be more independent,
more competitive, but also more anxious about intimacy, while women have a better ability in
sustaining relationships with others, but they have difficulty in managing the boundaries of an
independent self.
2 Tony Bilton, Kevin Bonnett, Pip Jones, David Skinner, Michelle Stanworth, Andrew Webster,
Introductory Sociology, MACMILLAN PRESS LTD, 1997, pg. 205-206
3 Ibidem, pg. 206
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Nonetheless, in Chodorows view these patterns are not inevitable! Changes it could be
done in the way that children are raised. Changes as involving the father in emotional intimacy
with their children. This is, of course, just one of the many examples. Lots of thing could be
adjusted, which would imply the rise of a very different generation.

Student life
It is said that student life is golden life, because student life is the most important part of
human life. It is the period of pure joy and happiness, because the mind of a student is free from
cares and worries of a grown-up life.
Student life is very useful because it prepares students for the real life. It means that
student life is a life of learning. For the first time a person, either a girl or a boy prepares for the
difficulties in the life. In this period of the time students form their world outlook.
In this period the character of a person is built. So, it is called the formative period of
human life.
I chose this topic, because is very easy to me to talk about it. Is one of the most beautiful
period of my life, because in Timisoara I learn how to live far away from the people i love, I
learn how to be independent and also what mean the real friendship.
At first it was a little bit difficult because I had to leave home, to learn how to take care
about everything, to do everything alone.
It was a huge difference between school and
university, I had to find books and all the materials that I need, I had to learn how to leave in a
big city with many cars, trams, and a lot of noise.
But now I can say that I like to leave there, the student life is wonderful, I can walk and
see many things. I learn many things and also I know that I will have a carrer and everybody will
be proud of me.
I can spend my time with friends, I have new friends, people from other cities, students
who also left home in order to have a new life, a better life even though they are far away from
the people the love. In my opinion student life is the most important period of my life, because
our future dreams, desires and hopes depend upon it.
It is true that is also a hard period because we have to learn very much, to achieve what
we want, to be the best in our future job. Now I am very happy because I choose a wonderful
university and like what I am going to do, my family encourage me to keep going and I hope
that when I will finish I will have a good job.
The student life is the best part of people life. At this time our main work is to learn to be
someone in life, to have a good job. When we are students we are free from cares and anxieties.
Our heart is very soft and our mind very simple.
I encourage everybody to go to study because it is very important to have a carrer and
being someone in life. It is true that is not so easy but it is a wonderful experience, an experience
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which change completely your life. This student life change the way you think, you see in
different way many things, you are preapred to the adult that the society needs. Not everybody
has the chance to go to study so I am very happy because I can go to study and do something for
me.
We learn so many things, we have new friends. I will always remember when I go out to
see the new mall and I didnt know how to get back, the days when I stayed with my friends out.
The student life is not easy but I see the best part of it, because we see many bad things,
that can affect us, but we also should keep in mind that we come to a university to learn
something.
In conclusion the student life has advantages and disadvantages, but always we should
see the best part, because it is a wonderful period. Is the time that we become an adult, we
prepare for a carrer. Now I can say that I like that city and that life because I know how to live it,
how to enjoy it. Leaving in a university campus is the best part, there I see students from all
parts.
Being a student means a lot of advantages, you can see many things and also you can go
in different places, to make new friends.

Pleasure and Pain

Most of our behaviour its influenced by the pain that we feel daily or, by the pleasure
we have doing things we like. For example, when we feel lonely or we are rejected by someone
we like, we tend to have a negative behavior, we skip meals, we cry because of stupid things that
doesnt matter anymore. But also, when we are doing things that bring happiness into our lives,
we feel more pleasure everyday, and we have a positive attitude.
As the primitive man was used to experience extrem pain and fear, the modern man
experiences anxiety, depression, or fatigue. The everyday responsibilities makes the people
believe that life is hard. It is difficult to behave differently to reduce the pain but its not
impossible A little pain tells us to change what we are doing 4. When youre feeling anxious,
you might feel stuck and unsure of how to feel better. You might even do things that unwittingly
fuel your anxiety. You might hyperfocus on the future, and get carried away by a slew of whatifs. Depression drains your energy, hope, and drive, making it difficult to do what you need to
feel better. But while overcoming depression isnt quick or easy, its far from impossible. You
cant just will yourself to snap out of it, but you do have more control than you realize even if
your depression is severe and stubbornly persistent.
The key is to start small and build from there. Feeling better takes time, but you can get there if
you make positive choices for yourself each day. Fatigue is a symptom of an underlying disease
and is described in many ways from feeling weak to being constantly tired or lacking energy.
Pleasure describes
the
broad
class
of
mental
states
that humans and
other animals experience as positive, enjoyable, or worth seeking. It includes more specific
mental states such as happiness, entertainment, enjoyment, ecstasy,and euphoria.
The early psychological account of pleasure, the pleasure principle, describes it as
a positive feedback mechanism, motivating the organism to recreate in the future the situation
which it has just found pleasurable and to avoid situations that have utcaused pain in the past.
Life does not consist only in difficult times, the pleasure of laughing influences poeple
behavior A person who can laugh at himself and at the world he is struggling to improve is
usually highly involved, confident and successful5. If we have a job and we like it, working is a
pleasure not a boring activity. If we do things that makes us happy and if we take care of
ourselves, we tend to be more relaxed, cheerful, optimistic and less stressed, tired and cranky.

4 William Glasser, M. D., The Identity Society, Revised Edition, page 26.
5 William Glasser, M. D., The Identity Society, Revised Edition, page 33.
7

Relaxing can be hard to do. Kicking back, doing nothing and relaxing should seem easy, but it
can be a challenge in today's fast-paced world.
While there is no sure-fire solution, there are plenty of quick and easy techniques you can try that
just may help and leave you feeling centered, calm, and stress-free. You just have to clear your
mind and try to think about the good things in life. Cheerfulness is special because of how it
affects others. It isnt just something that you feel on your own, it involves expressing positive
feelings to those around you. Every life has its ups and downs, but having an optimistic outlook
on life has been found to have a significant positive effect on quality of life, such as ones mental
and physical well-being.
Optimism is also considered a key component in managing stress. Optimism doesnt
mean ignoring the hard or challenging things in life, but it does mean changing how you
approach them. If you've always had a pessimistic worldview it can be difficult to re-orient your
perspective, but it is possible to highlight the positive in your life with a little patience and
mindfulness. Life must have a balance. Maybe some days you think that you feel more pain that
you deserve or on the other days you do less pleasuring things, but in the end, everything will
just fine.
The good days will come, and you will see how bright is the sun and the shiny power of
the stars. The bad days will pass, but not completely, because even a garden full of roses it has
wilted flowers.

Crime and deviance

If you were asked what do you think deviance is or who do you think deviants are, what
would you answer? Of course, we all have our own ideas about deviant folks, those individuals
among us who refuse to live according to social norms, the rules most of us respect: criminals,
thiefs, rapists, drug users, drunkens and other types of people that misbehave. But this matter is
not so easy to define for a sociologist, for we have to look beyond the obvious.
Let me give you an example of deviance. The vast majority of us have a driving licence, a
car, and we drive on public roads with regularity. What I want to emphasize is that we are all not
just deviants, but also delinquents: we frequently exceed the speed limit, the STOP! sign is not
always noticed, sometimes being in a hurry we might push it and cross on a red light and so on.
And this is not applied only to drivers, but to cyclists and pedestriands too, which in some cases
display a much deviant behariour than drivers do.
So deviance may be defined as non-conformity to a given set of rules(norms) that are
accepted by a significant number of people in a comunity or society. No society can be divided in
a simple way between deviants and non-deviants. Most of us on some occasions transgress
generally accepted rules of behaviour.
Deviance and crime overlap in certain occasions, but they are not synonimous. The
concept of deviance is much broader that that of crime, which takes into consideration only the
non-conformist behaviour that breaks a law.
So why to people break the rules? Why do we comit crimes?
There are functionalist theories that see crime and deviance resulting from a lack of moral
regulation within society. Durkheim has suggested that in modern societies traditional norms and
standards become undermined without being replaced by new ones. He has introduced in the
scientific world the concept anomie, a word describing a state in which there are no clear
guidelines for social behaviour. When people can't tell what standards they should follow, they
feel disoriented and anxious.
Durkheim believed that crime and deviance are social facts, and that they are both
inevitable and necessary elements in modern societies. He stated that people in modern society
are less constrained that thay were in traditional societies. Because of this, they have more
freedom for individual choice, which in some cases leads to different degrees of non-conformity.
Deviance is necessary for the wellbeing of society as a whole, for it fulfils two important
functions. By introducing new ideas into society, deviance is and inovative force, it bring about
change, thus having an adaptative function. Secondary, it promotes boundary maintenance
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between good and bad bevahiours in the society, by bringing the comunity together when faced
with criminal events.
Robert K Merton took the concept of anomie one step further referring to the strain put
on individuals' behaviour when accepted norms conflict with social reality. In modern societies,
generally accepted values put and emphasis on material succes, and the means of achieving
succes are supposed to be discipline and hard work. In theory, people who work hard will
achieve succes, no matter where they have started in life. When hard work and discipline don't
pay off and succes is not achieved, there is great pressure to try to get ahead by any means, even
illegitimate ones. So according to Merton, deviance is a by-product of economic inequality and
lack of equal opportunities.
Also, there are sociologists that see crime and deviance from an interactionist point of
view, defining the phenomenon as a socially constructed one. This is also called the labelling
theory, and it states that deviance, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder, which means deviant
behaviour is created by the society and by the institutions created to define and sanction it.
Howard Becker states that a socially deviant behaviour is not a determining factor in becoming
deviant, being all about the deviant label. Labelling a person as deviant does not only express
how other see an individual, but also influences the individuals' sense of self. He begins to see
himself as a deviant and he keeps acting like one.
In spite of it's deficiencies, the labelling theory is perfaps the most widelly used
approach to understanding crime and deviant behaviour, for it begins from the assumption that
no act is intrinsically criminal. Definitions of criminality are established by the powerful,
through formulation of laws and theis interprettion by the police, courts and correctional
institutes. 6

6 Anthony Giddens, Sociology, Polity Press, 2006, p.p. 790-810

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THE END

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