Daughter, student, journalist, sister, Catholic, middle-class -- that 's just scratching the surface of what my identity is. As author Barbara Ryan points out, I know I don 't have a single identity and I know it is not fixed, but I wasn 't quite sure of what "identity politics" was. Thankfully, Ryan did a great job of explaining how our identities, as well as how we perceive other 's identities, or how we allow for people 's identities to affect the way we act think of and act toward them, can affect social movements. People 's identities can also lead to the fragmentation of people of a social movement who might have a common goal. Reading this introduction and now better understanding how identities can aid in the buffering of people …show more content…
I knew that the ideas I came up with would be difficult to achieve on my own, but I knew that with others, they were plausible. Because I 've has classes with my group members for four years now, I was comfortable enough with getting started with my idea sharing right away, but what if I hadn 't known these other women as well? Would I have looked at their identities (skin color, socioeconomic status based on how they dressed, etc.), assumed certain things based on those identities, and then let those assumptions get in the group 's way of cohesively working toward a common, shared goal? Maybe, and that 's scary. Identity is of course important, for it helps us better understand ourselves and each other, but once we let identity create barriers between us and section us off into homogenous groups, such a strong focus on identity can, as Ryan suggests, prevent us from uniting with those working on a similar issue. Women are already marginalized, so let 's not marginalize each other even further. That 's my goal this semester.
Journal Entry # 2: Who Am I If Not My Father 's Daughter?
Minnie Pratt 's usage of a personal anecdote in her piece is a beautiful way to let readers better understand her, her story, her background, and her identity. By showing us a time that made her question her identity, we all feel relief in knowing that we are not the only ones who have
Every year I look back on the previous and I see how much I have changed. I see the friends I have gained and lost. The heartbreak and the happiness. Despite how rough times have gotten, it has truly made me stronger. Everything has shaped who I am today, it has shaped my identity. Identity is a complex topic because it consists of changeable and unchangeable traits and outside internal influences; my own identity has been shaped by going from private to public school, young life camp, and my current friends.
Identity is an essential necessity for humans to demonstrate the distinct individual. A person’s identity may take time to develope as the person acquires new interests, influences, and comprehension of the surrounding people. Authors such as Adrienne Rich and Gloria Anzaldua write about the struggles persistent in identity. Rich is identified by her gender and race by other people, while Anzaldua is defined as to what a Mexican American women should be. As a Mexican American, Amelia Mendoza, my best friend, encounters the strains of identity.
Our identities are key to our understanding of the world. Mental models through which information is processed are built off of life experience, taught ethics and morals, and upbringing. Identity is discussed in the following texts - The Politics of Exile by Elizabeth Dauphinee, “Unlearning the Myth of American Innocence” by Suzy Hansen, and “Letter to America” by Aida Hozic - through various themes of American culture. Dauphinee, in particular, examines the depth of personal identity and its ability to change. All three works consider the many components of personal identity and its formation as well as its undoing.
Identity can mean different things to different people, but for most people, it’s about one’s personality and experiences. The 21st century has seen young people in various parts of the globe have a preference for some desired identity, which they deem superior, rather than accept their own identities. For example, in Goin Gangsta, Choosin Cholista: Claiming Identity, Neil Bernstein makes a case on how a number of people have claimed ethnic individualities other than their own and this is not an evil obsession (Bernstein, 1995). In this essay, a girl named April and her friends (and by extension most young people) believe that “identity is not a matter of where you come from, what you were born into, or what colour your skin is, but it’s everything
Identity is one of the main questions throughout all of our readings, because it is hard for people to accept who they are in society. Accepting their identity as a minority with little if any freedoms
Everyone in the world has their own identity; have you ever thought about what your identity is? Identity plays a big role in the world especially in America where not all identities are good. People might identify a wealthy person as “snotty rich” or a poor person as “defective” or maybe someone calls a man a woman when they're really a man. Or maybe you call someone a terrorist just because they are middle eastern. The list goes on and on and thats why social forces influence identities and can become dangerous. Gender, race, and social class are all forms of social forces.
Identity is something that some people have a really hard time with, deciding who you are or who you want to be seems like a simple task but for some the choice to choose who they want to be isn’t always their choice. James Paul Gee author of “Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistic: Introduction” talks about identity and how people have different Discourses depending on what social situation a person is in. Gee created and described Discourse as “ ways of being in the world; they are forms of life which integrate words, acts, values, beliefs, attitudes, and social identities as well as gestures, body positions, and clothes”(Gee). Gee talks about how discourses are pretty much an “identity kit”, which means a person is able to take on different
Suzanna Walters, a professor of sociology at Northwestern University, disagrees with the common criticisms of identity politics. She believes that the common critiques of identity politics are not just fabricated, but also dangerous, pointing out the fact that “immigrants are being rounded up at their homes… there are mosques on fire… Jewish cemeteries in rubble…” (Walters); in her opinion these issues are just as relevant as the economy. She does not think that this blatant discrimination is a symptom of economic unrest or other social issues, instead stating that discrimination is an issue of its own. When writers like Mark Lilla evaluate issues of identity as lesser that “generalized” issues like terror, the economy, and climate change, he frames issues of racism and sexism as small and inconsequential (Walters). Other critics of identity politics argue that we are living in a “post-identity” world. Walter’s believes that post-anything (racism, feminism), is only ever introduced by white men who would much rather ignore still existing issues of identity: “Asking marginalized people to renounce their identity, or to make it secondary or tertiary to ‘class interests,’ is white supremacy”
Within dystopian literature, identity is something that can be seen as an individual’s most core and precious element. Exposed against a scarcity of freedom in self-expression, we can begin to fully appreciate and understand the importance in the role of identity as well as its robustness. The role of identity and its manipulation is often explored within dystopian literature to exemplify weaknesses in human psychology as well as to destroy false images of strength and superiority that we apply to ourselves. In both The Road and
Identity is an interesting structure because its very fabrication is intertwined with discrimination and subordination. Bryan Stevenson discusses this idea of identity in his lecture “we need to talk about an injustice,” he states that identity is power. I believe this statement to be appropriate because looking back into history identity has been fragmented into multiple factions—such as age, gender, race, and ets —and within America we have witnessed many deplorable actions come about do to one’s specific belonging to an identity.
Throughout my life, certain identities have remained consist. And these identities have come to shape my perspectives and my needs and wants within American culture. Typically, my social
There are many things that shape our identities from society, and family to things we learn on our own like experiences. Many struggle to find their identity and struggle between two (or more) identities. Some are very secure with their identities whether it’s their own, a combination of society and theirs, or society’s alone. The question is which one plays a bigger role? I think when we’re young authority figures and society plays a bigger role in life, but as you grow older, and become a teenager (sometimes even adult) the roles switch and your own identiy is the biggest part in your life.
Beverly Daniel Tatum explores the multiple identities taken on by a variety of different people and their impact on society. Tatum argues how not only does one defines his/her identities for him/herself but also others around the person may also define his/her identities. She also argues how parts of one’s identities also sets that person apart from the whole, whether the whole be the community or a classroom. By embracing different identities for oneself, Tatum then argues how some identities are more dominant than others, thus different groups have different variability in their influence on society as a whole but also on that person’s own self-identity. Tatum concludes her essay arguing her point that people are oppressed by their own identities
Intersectionality in the life of Dido Elizabeth Belle Intersectionality is the study of intersections between forms or systems of oppression, domination and/or discrimination. Intersectionality is a feminist sociological theory first brought forth by Kimberle’ Crenshaw, where she defined it as a methodology of studying the relationships among multiple dimension and modalities of social relationships and subject formations. (Taylor 2015) With identity being social and historical constructed concept, individuals figure out their own identity and the identity of others through interactions with family, friends and especially the media. The media reflects our constructed concept of identity with images, works and characters.
I am truly proud of my background and how it has formed my identity. My background consists of me being Portuguese. I could not be any more thankful for how greatly my background has impacted my life into what it is now. It has helped me gain many friends that I am still very close to and gain interests that have started since I was a child. Simply experiencing my family’s numerous customs and traditions is why I love to express that I am Portuguese. It has given me the opportunity to visit Portugal every year during each summer where I fall in love with the country each time. Being Portuguese has taught me many lessons throughout life that I will continue to pass on for future generations of my family.