Of the prompts below, please respond to your choice of 1 or 2 below.
- Appiah defines a script for identity as "a narrative that people can use in shaping their life plans and telling their life stories" (Color Concious p.97) based of our "collective identities" (ie. female, black.) . Do you feel that your life has followed such a script, and why?
- Do you feel that from the way you look, the way you talk, or your background gives people a stereotype about you? How are you similar or differ from that stereotype? Ex… A city person who is afraid of the woods.
"Do you feel that from the way you look, the way you talk, or your background gives people a stereotype about you?"
ReplyDelete-I think the way I look, talk, and carry myself gives people a certain impression of me. Most people would think I grew up in a privileged home with access to good education and that I was probably spoiled. However, I grew up totally opposite of what most people think. I think it gives me an advantage to have two "identities" because I can talk to some people one way (because I am privledged now), and others in another way because I grew up in an adverse environment.
I would agree that personal appearance, including dress code, gives people a stereotype about me. In all honesty, I usually wear athletic and comfortable clothes to school, which could lead to the stereotype that I am an athlete, which I am. I play tennis on a weekly basis and exercise on a regular basis. To an extent, these stereotypes can be true, but I believe it is imperative to look at the person outside of aesthetics. My background from a competitive and privileged high school would suggest that I am wealthy, which, in fact, I am not. The competitive environment of my high school did strengthen my resolve in attending college and improving my education, but I would attribute this more to my parents. So while I am studying to be a pharmacist, I have perspective on giving back to those in need, which could be identified with my religion, Roman Catholic.
DeleteDo you feel that from the way you look, the way you talk, or your background gives people a stereotype about you? How are you similar or differ from that stereotype? Ex… A city person who is afraid of the woods.
ReplyDeleteEveryone stereotypes other people on a daily basis. I get stereotyped about the way I present myself, when I'm not as talkative as normal. And yes I'm just at guilty as everyone else for stereotyping someone, but I atleast get to know that person first. I don't let my first impression define what I think about a person, such as oh their a city slicker, their a snob, or wow they talk funny. I have always have everyone the benefit of the dought before I stereotype them, even though I know that it's wrong to stereotype anyone
I agree, I feel that everyone stereotypes based on any number of different characteristics. What Appiah gets at is that we cannot let the stereotypes define and be our identify. Appiah says that we have given a "tool box" and we take from it the qualities we need to be us essentially and create our identity. In reviewing my tool box, both of my parents are hard workers who put hours of labor into work to achieve promotions, they are friendly towards others, dedicated to our family, love nature and outdoors. Reflecting on what they have in their tool box, I too have picked up some of their qualities because I live with them and they raised me. I identify myself as a young woman, loves to workout, have fun, I have a great work ethic, I am dedicated towards academics, and I am a social bee.
DeleteI feel like there is a script people expect me to follow because I'm a woman that I don't follow in the way they want. My mother completely ignores the fact that I do not want children,my entire family does actually, they keep insisting that I'll change my mind. Also, when I cut my hair short, one of my aunts actually cried. These sort of things are deviations from the script people expect me to follow, and I don't even feel like I'm deviating all that much. It's very discouraging when not even my family supports my minor divergence. I feel like this happens because my family mostly keeps with traditional gender roles and doesn't know how to handle even small things that they view as me not doing what I'm supposed to.
ReplyDeleteI hear you on pushing against traditional gender roles, Maddison. Do you think that pushing against female gender roles is harder than pushing against male?
DeleteAlso, what do you think you incorporated from your upbringing that allowed you to push against your family's expectations? Are you just a renegade, or does your family actually give you some tools to be your own person?
In my case, my parents always supported my education and my questions about people and practices in different parts of the world. They were very tolerant of others. So, it shouldn't be surprising that I choose certain paths that they themselves wouldn't have necessarily chosen.
I think that pushing against male gender roles are just as hard as pushing female gender roles, I think there are different struggles, but I don't think one can be said to be more difficult than the other, because much of it depends on the individual situation surrounding the person.
DeleteAs for what allows me to push against my family is a lack of love for them, so I definitely don't care about their opinions. Specifically with my parents Id say I'm not so much a renegade, its more that my parents just don't parent, so I'm rather free to do whatever I want.
ReplyDeleteAppiah defines a script for identity as "a narrative that people can use in shaping their life plans and telling their life stories" (Color Concious p.97) based of our "collective identities" (ie. female, black.) . Do you feel that your life has followed such a script, and why?
I believe my life has not quite followed a script but is rather contained within the walls put up by the script. What I mean by this is I feel limited, although I realize I am not, in what I can do with my life because of how I was raised and where I was raised. I was never told you can't be this or you have to be this so I'm not exactly sure why I feel this way. Maybe there is an inherent script for us to follow and some are lucky enough to break through, others get stuck behind living the same mundane lives for 80 years until death. I imagine that race and gender certainly have influence on the script you are contained and born within, but with everything these can be broken and there are numerous examples of very influential people that have. These people will continue to break down barriers and blur the borders of these scripts until eventually, I believe, the only scripts available will be ones written by ourselves.
Is it "unsafe" some how to deviate from those scripts? Is that what holds you back? Or is it more a fear or reservation about the unknown?
DeleteIs there something as a society we could do to keep those scripts more open? Is that desirable? Is there something colleges could do?
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DeleteI believe it is fear and self consciousness that holds me back, fear of what I am not exactly sure. Maybe fear of being ridiculed or publicly humiliated even though when I have stepped out of of the script I have only been welcomed with open arms by friends and peers. However cliché it is, I feel that by being more open minded we can begin breaking down these scripts and begin being more accepting of each others differences and realize that our differences are actually minimal compared to our similarities.
DeleteThis class itself, is a bit "off script" because we created this final project for ourselves, but it is unlike other final projects for most of the courses I teach. The whole course, but particularly the final project is experimental and frankly, makes me a bit anxious -- am I teaching enough? are students learning enough? I think the benefits, though, outweigh the difficulties, especially empowering students by letting them be creative and pick topics that are of interest to them. Students: feel free to comment!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the anxiety of not being on script also explains some of the difficulties in graduating, in finding a new job, in starting a family, in playing your last collegiate athletic competition (especially with sports like football which aren't usually continued into adulthood).
DeleteThe way I look absolutely influences the way people perceive me just as appearance influences the way I perceive others. Stereotypes or other assumptions are necessary shorthand to speed up interaction with others. As for what the assumption is, I am not positive. I am a white male of average height and do not speak with an accent. The extent to which my background has influenced assumptions about me tends to be about my high school, Covington Catholic. It has been assumed that my family is wealthy and that I am a snob (both of which I believe to be false). Collective identities are very interesting. In terms of race, it appears that white people do not place the same emphasis on being white as black people do on being black or other minority groups. However, other groups are very important to me. I am proud of my identity as a Finke (a large family in Park Hills/Ft. Wright) and as having German heritage. The impact of these identities on my life varies. I chose to study German in high school and have traveled to Germany. In addition I feel very connected to the place I live and grew up.
ReplyDeleteI love your idea that stereotypes are a "shorthand" for interactions with others. I have never thought of it that way as I usually associate negative feelings toward stereotypes.
ReplyDelete