CAN PEOPLE’S PERCEPTION OF INEQUALITY INFLUENCE IN RELATIONSHIPS, SOCIAL

STATUS AND IDENTITY?

Abstract

The paper presents a mini-project report completed after listening Maggie Aderin-Pocock audio

clip, analyzing and conducting research over three themes observed from the recorded clip. The

identified themes include love and attraction, social status and identity. In presenting the report,

the paper addresses the following subtitles: First, the introduction that introduces the subject

under study; it gives a formal definition of love and attraction, social status and identity as

viewed in psychological perspective. Second, the method/methodology that depicts how the

research study was conducted; outlining participants as well as the procedures used to

accomplish the exercise. The methodology demonstrates the ethical consideration in collecting

data as well. Third, the result/analysis section that indicates in detail the findings and what they

mean to help the report display the whole process in summary form. Lastly, the discussion that

tries to find out the practical nature of the results presented; the section incorporates the use of

other scholars’ data on the subject related to the research at hand.

Introduction

Maggie Aderin-Pocock audio clip in the interview held and presented in the Oral History British

Science archive Library depicts several themes among them social status, love, and identity. It

can be argued that an individual's social status, love, and identity seem to be universal

excitements. Individual’s classification into class depending on their social status, identity and

love triangles has been the norm since the 18th century (Braxton-Davis and Boudreaux (2010,6).

Love is often connected to one’s identity and social status. Love has been attested to define the

roles set between the male and female gender from the ancient societies; it is perceived as the

stronger feelings of attraction to the other party unconditionally. Social status is expressed on

the materialistic components people grow up and live with (Manstead (2018, 267).
Moreover, research argues that the materials possessed to make the people live by thinking and

feeling their capability depending on their social environment; quite often they behavior by what

they have. Identity is in the contemporary world refers to an individual's symbolic and cognition

interaction giving the social background and origin (Leary and Tangney (2012, 69). The paper

presents a qualitative mini-project report.

The mini-project report is based on three psychological journals of love and attraction by

Braxton-Davis and Boudreaux (2010); Manstead (2018) on social status and Leary and Tangney

(2012) on self-identity. The identified peer-reviewed journals help complete the mini-report over

the issues addressed by Maggie Aderin-Pocock in her recorded audio. Love, social status and

identity are regarded as stereotypes in human life are themes expressed in the audio interview

recorded by Maggie; she starts by addressing the issue of people questioning her about being

black from a low-income family and in love with space. The most shocking about life is that the

female gender is portrayed to have distinct roles from those of the peers who are the male

gender. From the recorded clip, Maggie argues that it was difficult to attend school and learn

from the same class as well as join the workforces in employment by being a woman and

primarily "black." According to Braxton-Davis and Boudreaux (2010, 6), the female gender is

defined by their roles in the society, which is homemaking and cooking while the male is

mandated to all other privileges like breadwinning, security, learning and education and

leadership.

According to Braxton-Davis and Boudreaux (2010, 7), to fall in love with somebody or

something, there must be first an attraction that leads to relationship growth; through personality

or physical level. Maggie is in love with many things from her recorded audio. For example,

Maggie admits of loving space a long time ago at the age of three; she also loves black and her

daughter as well as watching movies. Maggie passion for science and inventory is paramount

for her attraction to practical test; she even states that the subject applies in baking. While

looking at social class and the present society of the Westerners, people often categorized

themselves according to what they own as riches. In her view, Maggi demonstrates that she
was not expected to perform much mainly in space by the fact that she was poor and came from

a humble background. Based on the 2012 research findings, the United Kingdom reported one-

fifth of the residents occupying 40% of the national income with only 8% left for those at the

bottom line (Manstead, 2018, 290). In the ancient days, identity was not that serious as it was

assigned and not adopted or selected as the case of the current generations. However, identity

has taken new roots with humiliation and down looks being the norm at it all; their race and

origin more often measure people's capability. It is evident by research that human cognitive

strength is becoming limited; thus people think in a manner that suits their daily interactions

(Leary and Tangney (2012, 368).

Method / Methodology

Participants

The report incorporates a study conducted with a population of 206 participants that included

university students. The population size involved in the research had average years at 22 with

the least being 18 and the maximum at 35 years. One survey was ignored considering the kind

of responses given by the participant, which looked unrealistic. For example, the individual said

to have been in love for more than 1300 times, had challenges of identity without remembering

even a single incident and not aware of social class he belongs. It was difficult to compute the

exaggerated data sourced from the person; either could it be easy to identify the correct

meaning of the information collected.

Procedure

The proposed research report included a modified version to help gather information from the

survey. The study used the qualitative method, which is perceived as much detailed and

educative while performing the theoretical tests. Primary sources such as observation, interview

and use of questionnaires were used to collect data from the students over their love situations,

social class, and identities. All the information was kept confidential as demanded by ethical

considerations in research. Questionnaires were administered on the requirement by the

participants who felt shy to respond directly to the interviewers. To ensure reasonable and

collective sampling was held, the interview was taken across different settings in the University

including the library, gymnastic centers, hostel, market place, and recreational places;

individuals were advised not to retake the interview or fill the questionnaires if they had done so

before.

Every participant was randomly chosen from the group that saw at least five blacks selected

from among the sample population size of 206. The survey was completed after 10 to 15

minutes, reducing the chances for the participants to have crossed from one end to the other.

Results / Analysis

Measures were completed by counting and observation as follows: among the 205 valid

participants; all had experienced love before with 150 humiliated due to different social class,

five identity, and 50 other issues. Fifty of the population sampled attested to come from wealthy

families, 150 from middle-class homesteads and only five counted from the low-class homes.

Roughly 79 percent of the population confirmed that an individual's personality was significant in

their performance as compared to social class, love, and identity of origin. While in love, a smile

attributed to being the most attention physical feature with 93 percent. Fun was the most

desirable factor in falling in love with something or somebody at 98 percent. A total of 33 percent

stated to have fallen in love with their present careers at the age less than ten years old; while

half the population admitted to having liked their careers by seeing other people succeed in the

same. It is evident by psychological research that love is a process that comes with ignition

either through feeling or observing other people. Three-quarter of the confirmed to have been

brought up by both parents, and all individuals had been born in Britain.

Further analysis was completed using the Chi-Square Test to demonstrate the levels of

significance. There emerged a positive relationship between love and social status of the parties

involved as well as to that of the people’s identity. There was no positive relationship between

social status and the individual’s identity. Although there was is no formal statistical figure
illustrating on the type of families structure the participants were brought up, the 75% individuals

cared by both parents had nearly 60 percent of them being in relationships as well. There is a

relatively high desire from the participants from wealthy families to thrive in such classy living

standards including owning big cars, pursuing long course like aerospace, aeronautical and

piloting. Low-class participants head their focus high in big things as well; there was no

relationship between present social class and future class or substance to be in love with. Both

individuals from the lower and high class as well as different identities argued to be in love with

a variety of substances regardless of their origin or background.

It should be noted that socioeconomic status as associated with peoples' identity have

traditionally not completed much in the area. Many pieces of research have focused on

separate behaviorism in elements of love an attraction, human personality, and identity as well

as social class status among people. Among the most important results, is that all participants

valued most their identity as associated with their originality over that of others. The study also

showed that an individual's subjective indicators over love, social status and identity were robust

and important identities of their self-concepts. The population with higher socioeconomic are

closely associate their achievements with their identities being a positive indicator of climbing

the positions (Cook and Lawson, 2016, 443). Other than identities being associated with

people's race, ethnicity, and originality; some individuals outline their identities on profession

and career as well as achievements. Models of racial and ethnic differences did not add up

much in developing socioeconomic relationships among the sampled participants; however,

some individuals who sought for anonymity accepted to have at some point been biased

depending on social class or individual’s identity.

Discussion

Frequencies of the person's mobility partially demonstrated the research hypothesis on the

relationship between love and attraction with social status as well as the individual's identity.

However, physical attraction and intimacy was not the primary meaning of love theme in the
case of Maggie Aderin-Pocock recorded audio clip; love is portrayed as attention event and

precious activities to perform. Among the things, participants in the study acknowledged loving

to include, studies and career choices, the identity of origin, friendship and classy social life.

According to Manstead (2018, 271), it is quite hard to categorize people into the right class by

observing or interviewing them; most individuals pretend to live the life that is not real for to

create a positive image. From the above statement, it is right to conclude that the acquired

results and theoretical hypothesis testing can be not accurate at some level depending on the

truth worthy of the information collected. It is, therefore, not correct to make a general

conclusion that love interaction is associated with people's identity or social class status.

Qualitative studies have often been criticized on the relevancy behind their conclusion as

resulted from the methodology they incorporate; responses acquired by the method provide

20% upward or downward error (Cook and Lawson, 2016, 453). Different ways have been in the

past to measure the level of individuals' socioeconomic status and their identities as well as an

interaction; the quintile methodology proved the difference between the measures. Studies

conducted over love and attraction concerning social status the individuals came from and their

identity among adolescents proved different results in the same area when the matured

population was involved. Similar differences in the respondents over love, identity and

socioeconomic status hold in other areas such as educated and non-educated population in the

society. It is necessary to note that as though there have been expressed some critical and valid

responses under the safeguarded research findings, there is little to back on as the sampled

population delivered true and correct data. To help relate the study completed about the

individual's social status, another method can be necessary to collect the results for the control

experiment (Andersson, 2018, 621). For example, a study on an individual’s income inequality

will be helpful to compare the outcome. Given the evidence that individuals always express their

desire to live a prestigious life with increased wealth, it is worth concerning why there lacks

provision for redistributive policies. However, it is perceived that the primary factor contributing

to the weakened support policies as a result of social mobility. Over the years, studies in the
Westerners countries have reported having ignored social mobility; higher mobility is often

associated with acceptance of individuals’ identity and socioeconomic status. Andersson (2018,

621) states that people's perception of their social ranks as well as attitudes to inequality can

influence how they partake relationships, social status, and identity. The lower social class

group is subjected to high distributive policies irrespective of citizenship or background; likewise,

high social class population seeks to maintain low distribution plans. When participants were

asked about their future thought of love and attraction, social class and identity, all the sampled

population declared to relate positively and associate with their peers. Lastly, the research

findings presented in the mini-project report does not apply across all the University students

the sample size was selected.

References

Andersson, M. A. (2018) ‘An Odd Ladder to Climb: Socioeconomic Differences Across Levels of

Subjective Social Status,' Social Indicators Research, (3), p. 621. doi: 10.1007/

s11205-017-1559-7.

Braxton-Davis, P. & Boudreaux, C 2010. “The Social Psychology of Love and Attraction:” McNair

Scholars Journal, Vol. 14(1), p. 6-10

Cook, J. M. & Lawson, G. (2016) ‘Counselors’ Social Class and Socioeconomic Status

Understanding and Awareness’, Journal of Counseling & Development, 94(4), pp. 442–

453. doi: 10.1002/jcad.12103.

Leary, M. & Tangney, J. P 2012, “Handbook of Self and Identity:” The Guilford Press, New York

London, p. 69-95

Manstead, A. R 2018, “The Psychology of Social Class: How Socioeconomic Status Impacts

Thought, Feelings, and Behavior:” The British Psychological Society, Vol. 57, p. 267-291