Finding Strength in Being Different: Are you an outsider? This question makes people think about belonging to different groups or communities. Being an outsider can provide a unique opportunity for personal growth and the development of diverse perspectives. When a person does not fully identify with a certain group, they may be more inclined to question norms and challenge existing beliefs, leading to a more open approach to different situations. However, being an outsider can also lead to feelings of isolation and exclusion, because it can be difficult to connect with others who do not have similar experiences or perspectives. First of all, the biggest advantage of being an outsider is the opportunity for personal growth. Seeing the world …show more content…
This then leads to a desire to innovate the world. Overall, when one doesn't feel accepted, there is a need to prove that they are exceptional. Out of the pain of being an outsider, it’s possible to grow into a better person. This is shown in the character Melody from Out My Mind by Sharon M. Draper. People tend to judge Melody based on her physical appearance and assume she is not capable of Jain 2 understanding or contributing meaningfully. At her school and even in her community, she is treated as an outsider. As a result, they assume that she is not smart and not on the same level as the other students. The other members of the quiz team may not fully understand or appreciate Melody's abilities because they are focused on her physical limitations rather than her intelligence and potential. Melody is in fact very smart and is able to prove this to them when trying out for her school’s quiz …show more content…
Outsiders often develop a great respect for cultural diversity and the flexibility to blend in with different social groups. This is particularly true for “third-culture children,” these are kids who have spent a significant portion of their early years away from the culture of their parents. The experiences of third-culture children are highlighted in the article “Find More Ways to Be an Outsider” by Arthur C. Brooks. The author makes the argument that the upbringing of third-culture children means they need to frequently navigate different cultures, providing them with special abilities and perspectives. This exposure therefore increases their cultural awareness and as a bonus, it has many positive effects on their well-being and cognitive flexibility. Brooks summarizes many studies in his article to conclude that third-culture children “don’t usually wind up insecure; they develop multiple cultural identities that they employ flexibly, the same way they switch between languages. This is almost like a superpower in a globalized, fast-changing world.” This is a huge benefit backed up by many
just does not fit in. An outsider is different and distinct, but not always valued or
In such a multicultural world, being knowledgeable and understanding of not only your cultural background, but that of others is essential. Building my awareness on cultures different from my own, and how it shapes an individual’s identity, will foster my personal and professional development. Subsequently, I conducted a cultural interview with an individual whose cultural background differed from my own. Several similarities and differences between our cultures were apparent in the interview, specifically in the areas of race, ethnicity, language, values, and worldview.
Family’s beliefs and values may be different for some and in other cultures they may not be accepted. As teachers, we have to learn about different cultures and expand our knowledge so families could feel more accepted. In the book, Anti- Bias Education for young children and ourselves by Louise Derman-Sparks & Julie Olsen Edwards, talks about how culture and fairness involves two dimensions, children’s development of a positive culture, identity, and their respectful interactions with other cultures. With these two dimensions, it will help the child to continue to express their home culture at school while learning the different cultures at school with their classmates. They learn about what’s right from wrong, how to dress, and talk
In “An Indian Father’s Plea”, the father writes “although you in Western society may argue that such a method serves to hinder motor-skill development and abstract reasoning, we believe it forces the child to first develop his intuitive faculties, rational intellect, symbolic thinking, and five senses” (An Indian Father’s Plea). This illustrates an argument in which his son, Wind Wolf, is a slow learner in another culture (teachers) since his culture belief teaches something different from the teachers’ culture. Another example is when Wind-Wolf feels isolated at school since other students at school doesn’t accept him for his culture and even when he tries to adapt. “He feels that he does not belong [there]… Instead of being proud of his, heritage, and culture, he feels ashamed” (An Indian Father’s Plea). Though isolation can be depressing, adapting to another culture can also be
If you were to walk into a high school lunchroom, what is the first thing you would see? Groups, cliques, friend circles, and separations. Tables split up in detached formations, almost completely unaware of the other surrounding pupils nearby. The most common groups in high school are the populars and the outcasts. The kids who have endless friends, engage in team sports, and meet the ideal teenage standards, against the ones who are quiet, solitary, and unconventional. The ones that are outcasts fall into the second description. They don’t line up with society's norms therefore, they tend to be looked upon as bizarre and atypical. Outsiders are too often misjudged and misunderstood
How do you label someone as an outsider? Some might say that an outsider is when a person encounters an external conflict, such as not meeting worldly standards or some who face internal conflicts by feeling like they don’t fit in or belong. The argument on whether the experience of being an outsider in universal is a very controversial topic. Some may state that outsiders are not a universal experience, and others may strongly disagree. In the stories we learned; “Sonnet, With Bird”, a poem by Sherman Alexie, “The Revenge of the Geeks”, an argumentative essay by Alexandra Robbins, and “The Doll House”, a short story by Katherine Mansfield are all stories that portrayed examples of being an outsider. In other words, the experience of being
Outcasts/Outsiders: Have you ever felt like you were left out or didn't belong? There are some who are called outcasts or outsiders. They're like the interesting parts of a story that not everyone pays attention to. These are people who don't always fit in with what everyone else thinks is normal, and they get looked at in a different way. But, these outcasts aren't just sitting around; they're like superheroes who make things change and show us new ways to think.
Culture, where and how a person is raised, affects a person no matter how much they dislike the way they are being taught the ways of life. However, moving to different places as a child and coun...
To conclude, cultures are a major part of our lives and they constitute the image we see the world in. cultures can sometimes influence us, even in ways we don’t expect. Sometimes we find ourselves forced in cultures with negative stereotypes but that does not mean we should be ashamed of those cultural groups but rather embrace our culture and stray from the negative characteristics of that
People can be outsiders in many different ways. I will explain three. You can be an outsider if you have different genetic, non-changeable, looks than everyone else. For example, ever since fifth grade, I have been one of the shortest girls. Every one else seemed to be growing faster than me. This made me and still makes me feel like an outsider. When I visited my old school, I didn’t feel like an outsider because a majority of the kids there were shorter than me. You can also feel like an outsider when your beliefs are outnumbered by the greater number. For instance, you could be the only Catholic kid in your school. This would make you an outsider. Anyhow, if you were Catholic in a Catholic school, you would no longer be an outsider. Finally,
A Third Culture Kid (TCK) is a person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside the parents’ culture. The TCK builds relationships to all of the cultures, while not having the full ownership in any. Although elements from each culture are assimilated into the TCK’s life experience, the sense of belonging is in relationship to others of similar background.
Implications for supporting Identity and Diversity in the Early Years. Cultural identity should be understood as a prime area of concern for pedagogy development (Miller et el, 2014). All children and adults identify with categorised, gendered and racialized groups (as well as other groups), but what is particularly important is that some cultural identities are see as less ‘academic’ than others (often by practitioners and children) (Siraj-Blatchford (2000). We understand that children can hold views about their own previous identity and background.
With more and more kids living internationally, it is relevant to address the needs of Third Culture Kids’ personal and cultural identity development. Third Culture Kids (TCKs) are beginning to receive much-needed attention, and recent studies explore how growing up internationally has affected these students in adulthood (Lambiri, 2005; Kim, 2008; Sellers, 2011; Sparrow, 2000). TCKs are characterized as having a wider sense of appreciation for diversity (Sellers, 2011; Lambiri, 2005; Grappo, 2008), broader sense of understanding (Sellers, 2011), developed sense of perspective (Sellers, 2011; Grappo, 2008), openness to other cultures (Lambiri, 2005; Sellers, 2011), and readily accepting of change (Sellers, 2011; Grappo 2008). Despite the widely diverse beneficial characteristics of TCKs, their life is highly mobile (Grappo, 2008; Sellers, 2011), and can change in an instant, with people, places, things, sights, smells, lifestyle and identity gone forever” (Grappo, 2008, p.
Culture can also shape individuals’ development of self, which also influence their behaviors. According to Smith (2014) an individual from Western cultures tend to develop independent self-construal which he or she tends to “strive for self-expression, uniqueness and self-actualization, acting autonomously based on his/her own thoughts and feelings, and pursuing his/her own goals” (p. 160). In contrast, an individual from East Asia tends to acquire interdependent self-construal where he or she tends to view “the self as closely connected to the social context” which he or she strive “to fit in and maintain harmony with relevant others, basing their actions and expectations and social norms” (Smith, 2014, p. 160). The different types of self-construal give rise
The class activity was simple: draw a self-portrait. As Ms. Caldera began to look through her students' work, one stood out to her. The drawing was of a young fair-skinned, blond-hair, and blue-eyed girl. Normally this would not be a problem, but in this case it was. The girl who had drawn herself was actually quite the opposite: rich dark skin, brown hair, and brown eyes (Caldera). Considering that the United States is such a large melting pot of cultures, it is normal for children to have difficulty balancing between two cultures. Culture, is really important for a child's development because it ultimately influences their morals and values. Although it is difficult for children to balance the traditions and such of two cultures, they are recompensed with a greater knowledge about the world, and understanding of people.