Examine the Extent to Which Social Factors Influence Individuals Chances of Success in Life

Sociology Essay on Social Factors

"Examine the extent to which social factors influence individuals chances of success in life"

Sociologists have argued that social factors have a significant impact on our life chances. In the following essay I will be evaluating the following social factors which are: class, ethnicity and gender. I will be examining how each of these social factors are able to affect our life chances which could include factors such as: where we live, the type of occupation and the standard of education we have.

The first social factor which I will be examining is gender. Gender can be described as the biological male and female (from a generalised definition). Most Sociologists would agree with the statement that gender has a massive impact on your life chances due to very clear inequalities in the past which may still live on today.

Gender may limit a womans life chances more than a mans life chances simply due to the traditional roles which are placed on men and women. These traditional roles include women staying at home being typical housewives whose main purpose in life should be to cook, clean and emotionally support children, whilst men on the other hand should be the breadwinner of the household (which means they should be the primary worker) whose duty it is to provide financially for his family.

These roles are often taught from a very early age, through the process of cannalisation (purchasing different toys for different genders, such as cars for boys and dolls for girls). Cannalisation teaches young children what society expects of them, for example females are given dolls because they are expected to be the primary carer of children when they eventually have children. After they are taught these ideas and they are implanted in their memory they begin to feel as if it is their destiny to live out these ideas. These roles are enforced not only by the family but other agencies of socialisation such as education through other...