Sociology of the body refers to a branch in sociology that focuses explicitly on representations of the human body as it relates to its projection of modern societies. The basic idea of sociology of the body is to understand social differentiation. Material inequality has been a part of human society for a long time, and it results from instances where people opt to create symbolic and social boundaries that distinguish them from others. From this perspective, it can be argued that the evaluation of boundary factors contributing to inequality in society is important in seeking to find a solution to some of the challenges in the world. This essay will examine race inequality from a gender perspective to determine how these aspects intersect and contribute to the issue of racial and gender differences as symbolic boundaries are created in the society.
Theorists have been at the forefront in comparing societies to the human body because every aspect of society has an important role to play that cannot be taken over by another. In that same way, each component of the human body has a unique role that cannot be replicated from one part to another. That is a concept that applies when discussing the existence of inequality in a society. In their discussion of social boundaries, Omi and Winant (2014) focus much attention on race and racial inequality, which they believe results from racial and ethnic differences between people. The social boundaries created between individuals often lead to the establishment of social structures to support negative views regarding inequality. Wray (2006) evaluates racial disparities from the perspective that they occur in a larger process of multi-faceted social differentiation, which can be attributed to symbolic and social boundaries. It is important to engage in an in-depth study to have a basic understanding of boundaries as they occur in society.
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Symbolic Boundaries
Symbolic boundaries refer to a set of believes or values that distinguish one set of persons, groups, or social entities from others occurring within the same social environment. Cultural sociologists have examined some of the factors that lead people toward specific social groups, with the focus being on trying to determine the collective mentality created. Symbolic boundaries create conceptual distinctions from one individual to another to help in creating a mental shift. When discussing symbolic boundaries, one key area that must be indicated is the fact that these boundaries comprise of collective (“shared”) mental representations that guide people toward specific social groups (Omi & Winant, 2014). Ultimately, a person is likely to experience feelings of similarity depending on the connections the person has that they have with other members of the group.
The distinctions arising from symbolic boundaries can be expressed through normative interdictions and cultural attitudes or practices depending on the identity that a person is likely to have based on his/her connection to the group. Although symbolic boundaries help in recreating a difference in how people think or behave, they may not be widely agreed upon by the individual members of the social groups (Collins, 2005). When group members agree upon symbolic boundaries, the outcome is a shift in social boundaries that people in society would accept. Further, symbolic boundaries play a key role in the creation of inequality, as well as defining how people exercise their power. Therefore, a clear understanding of the symbolic boundaries created in societies is essential when dealing with the issues of inequality because these boundaries will help understand temporal, spatial, and visual cognitive distinctions between individual members of social groups.
Social Boundaries
Social boundaries, on the other hand, refer to established social rules that people may consider as being typical. Additionally, social boundaries helps to define how people ought to lead their lives. When compared to symbolic boundaries, what can be noted is that social boundaries are primarily accepted, considering they tend to define the relations between individuals and groups (Wray, 2006). Every society has created social boundaries that help to define the different perceptions people have towards a wide range of factors in the society. The cultural and social expectations in the society helps to define differences in social boundaries, relates with the ways of life of the people in the society. The concept of social boundaries is driven by the fact that they help to define the nature of relationship building to connect with others in a given social group.
Social boundaries play an essential role in the assessment of others, because they provide categorization of individuals depending on existing social groups. The categorization of individuals occurs within the first few seconds of meeting an individual. During this time, it is easy to determine whether an individual would fit into a given social category. In that case, social boundaries contribute significantly to the issue of inequality because they set definite expectations. Consequently, these boundaries are likely to promote a negative perception towards a specific group of individuals based on their race, gender, or ability, among others. That shows the need for the evaluation of social boundaries associated with inequality occurring within the social context.
Importance of Symbolic and Social Boundaries
The importance of both symbolic and social boundaries relates to the fact that they both create an underlying system of stratification. Social stratification occurs due to the categorization of individuals depending on their income, race, gender, education, or social status. Symbolic and social boundaries play a critical role in establishing how societies ought to are categorized even as they work towards enhancing their abilities to achieve some element of commonalities. Additionally, symbolic and social boundaries are of great importance because they help to create shared principles or values that societies would be willing to accept in seeking to create a connection between its people. Both symbolic and social boundaries are largely accepted as measures of how society projects itself by reflecting on the notable principles that would push people together as a society or social group.
The intersection of Race and Gender
Race and gender are two biases that are often considered as discrete dimensions that builds social identity. However, it is important to consider the fact that the intersection of these two social concepts would help bring out a close connection between feminist critiques of existing theory. An example of the intersection between race and gender can be manifested in the marginalization of women of color compared to other social groups in society. In this example, the element of race can be seen from the racial background of the women, who may be of African American or Hispanic background. The element of gender can be seen from the fact that the main social grouping experiencing marginalization is women. Therefore, this shows that the intersection of race and gender is likely to bring out unfavorable expectations for those considered as being 'outside' symbolic and social boundaries.
The intersection of race and gender introduces new aspects that change the way a society or a group of people views inequality. The intersection reflects on the assertion that disadvantaged people often encounter multiple sources of oppression, which can be attributed to their race, gender, or class, depending on the intersection noted (Gould, 1994). When discussing intersectionality, Omi & Winant indicated that the intersection between two or more aspects is likely to create new dynamics of how people are likely to behave, which may not fit into any of the existing social boundaries. In the case of race and gender, what is important to note is women of color, who face a high possibility of marginalization and discrimination, often encounter treatment that does not fit into the contexts of either "racism" or "sexism." That serves as an indication of the intersection between these two factors, which helps define new symbolic and social boundaries that social groups would be expected to accept.
Fundamentally, the intersection of race and gender may have a significant impact on all aspects of human life since they create a simultaneous structure of experiences that would be acceptable for all people in society. Omi & Winant (2014) indicate that at any given moment, an intersection of race and gender may feel more salient or meaningful when compared to the consideration of race or gender as individual concepts. The implication this is likely to have on society is that it introduces new ways for people to experience discrimination; thus, exposing many disadvantaged people to a higher likelihood of attacks (Roy, 2001). In such cases, it may not be possible to assess whether an act of discrimination may have resulted from one's gender or race (Collins, 2005). Therefore, the two aspects are intertwined to create new boundaries society is likely to consider as it pushes for intersecting social identities.
Sedimentation
Sedimentation, according to Wray, can be considered as the historical layering of inequalities. Wray (2006) indicates that
" It (inequality) suggests that boundaries and the collectives they delineate are built through historical layering and sedimentation, through apparently natural accumulations and overlays of popular notions and intellectual concepts, through the invention and imposition of scientific descriptions and legal proscriptions, and through various encounters of discourses high and low ” (p.15).
From this quote, Wray engages in an analysis of sedimentation from the context of symbolic and social boundaries to determine their implications in terms of how people think and behave. Sedimentation arises from an apparent lack of concern for what would be considered a much more strategic understanding of inequality. Ultimately, this creates a shift in the way people are likely to respond to issues of inequality even as they affect many more people in society. The challenge is that it creates some form of distancing between people irrespective of the fact that they live within the social environment.
Conclusion
Sociology of the body examines the interrelation between individuals within the same social environment as a way of trying to define how they deal with social issues. Inequality is one of the most significant social issues affecting a significant number of people considering that societies bring out inequality on the basis of race, class, and gender among others. Symbolic and social boundaries, as examined in this report, help define some of the values and principles that people may consider as being valuable in defining their connection. Although these boundaries are different, they each play a central role in establishing clear demarcations that define whether one would be considered part of a given society or social group.
References
Collins, P. H. (2005). Get your freak on: Sex, babies, and images of black femininity. In Black sexual politics: African American, gender and the new racism (pp. 119-148). New York & London: Routledge.
Gould, S. J. (1994). The geometer of race. Discover , 15 (11), 65-69.
Omi, M., & Winant, H. (2014). Racial formation in the United States . New York, NY: Routledge.
Roy, W. G. (2001). Chapter 4: Race. In Making societies: The historical construction of our world (pp. 74-105). SAGE Publications, Inc.
Wray, M. (2006). Not quite white: White trash and the boundaries of whiteness . Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
