The role of social categories (class, gender, race) in subjectivity

Social categories such as class, gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality, and age are fundamental conditions in the production of subjectivity.

These categories are not mere descriptive labels, but are imbued with social meaning, imply differential positions in power hierarchies, and profoundly shape the lived experience of individuals.

Positioning in the Social Structure

The social class structure, determined by economic factors and access to resources, influences people's life opportunities, daily experiences, and worldview.

Belonging to one social class or another can condition aspirations, self-perception, and interpersonal relationships.

Similarly, gender, as a social construction of what it means to be male, female, or other identities, imposes expectations, roles, and norms that are internalized and shape subjectivity from childhood.

Race and ethnicity, As socially constructed categories, they also have a profound impact, especially in societies with histories of racial or ethnic discrimination and inequality.

Subjectivities Shaped by Power and Marginalization

People who belong to marginalized or subordinate social groups (due to their class, gender, race, sexual orientation, etc.) may experience specific forms of subjectivity that are shaped by their position within dominant power relations.

These experiences may include the internalization of negative stereotypes, the struggle for recognition and affirmation of one’s identity in the face of discrimination, or the development of strategies of resistance and resilience.

Subjectivity, in these cases, is constructed in a constant tension between external pressures and individual and collective agency.

Intersectionality

It is important to recognize that the