As I begin to examine myself, it is evident that my self-identity, which includes my personal identity, spiritual identity, regional identity, and gender identity, as well as worldviews and values are almost entirely made up of the efforts of my family, my friends, and from my experience of growing up in America as a person of African descent. In addition, the African American culture that has influenced myself as well as those who are closest to me has partly done so by establishing a culturally preferred communication style that varies based on age and relationship. In order to begin to understand Intercultural as well as International communications, it is imperative that I first evaluate and understand my own cultural and personal values, views, and communication styles. With this understanding, I will be able to open myself up to understanding, learning, and accepting others ways of life.
When I speak of my family, I am referring to my parents, siblings, grandmother, cousins, and my closest uncle. Their thoughts of who I am and perceptions of me have allowed me to shape a personal identity that consists of confidence, intelligence, inner as well as outer beauty, selflessness, a funny craziness, and carelessness. These perceptions have stemmed from a multitude life experiences and situations that have allowed them to form such opinions of me that I have seemingly taken in and embraced as a part of myself. Also, my fear of how they will perceive negative actions in different situations greatly determine how I choose to act in most situations. My friends play a part in my personal identity in a way that is similar to my family’s their perceptions and comments on myself have also contributed to the way I perceive myself. For example, my friends see me as kind, loud, talkative, understanding, and loyal, which are all characteristics that I think of when I determine my
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.
Ting-Toomey, Stella., & Chung, Leeva C. (2012). Understanding Intercultural Communication. Oxford University Press. 43, 159-160.
Martin, Judith N., and Thomas K. Nakayama. Intercultural Communication in Contexts. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2013. Print.
Martin, J. N., & Nakayama, T. K. (2013). Intercultural Communication in Contexts (6th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
When it is time for me to fill out any form that asks me to check my ethnicity I become confused. My confusion comes from the difficulty of not finding my ethnicity on one of the boxes and the assumption of others who sees me differently. The assumption of me being either from India or Bangladesh becomes an astonishing revelation when I say that I am not from either country. I identify myself as Guyanese Indian. I was born in Guyana by native Guyanese parents. However, my grandparents and great grandparents originated from Kolkata India. They were slaves who worked on sugar plantations in India and then transported to European colonies to continue their work.
This purpose paper examines the proper self by deconstructing and analysing the following videos/ads: “Seeing Sociologically-Marginality and Crisis, “Date Rape” and “Eating Disorders.” Sociological perspectives enable us to see things from four points of view: see the general in particular, see the strange in the familiar, seeing society in everyday lives and lastly seeing sociologically-marginality and crisis. The later (marginality and crisis) has two perspectives which are important to us. The first point to the perspective is living on the edge; whereby being an outsider brings to your knowledge the social forces that shape an individual’s life; the poor and minority groups. The second point to the perspective revolves
The view of identity seems to be defined by facial features and social constructed views. Depending on the recent look of someone it may just be more then just color but also background. In this essay I will explain how I relate to some recent views based on philosophers I may agree and disagree with in order to describe my identity. Identity is much more then just being labeled as a race, it can be based on much more.
Identity can be described as the way we view ourselves; the way that we distinguish ourselves from others while also comparing our similarities. In other words identity is what makes someone unique and average at the same time. To start off with I was born and raised in Jamaica for 6 years with my parents, but due to the fact that my parents were offered an opportunity to attend school in America they dove for a chance of a better life. My first home was in Jefferson, Missouri where it seemed like it snowed every day. White sheets of snow would cover every inch of the city, no stone or rock was left without an inch of snow. The city was so beautiful to me because it would always light up in front of my eyes. The people there was so nice that
A person 's beginnings do not completely define a person, but it does serve as a permanent foundation from which their identity is built around. As children, we absorb every sight and experience like porous sponges. Family, religion, environment, culture -- all of these aspects slowly form the background of one 's identity. As an Asian American, this identity is very different from that of a native Chinese woman 's, for I have parts of both cultures within me. It is a unique identity which I believes acts as a double edged sword. Being born into two cultures is a wonderful in that one can be a part of two cultures, but it is also a very confusing to be "divided" between two very different cultures.
Humans have been communicating since four million years. On the other hand, the birth of culture is estimated to have taken place about 35,000 years ago. Today, both culture and communication have evolved considerably and have become interdependent of one another, to the point that communication is considered to be a product of culture. Thus, our own culture has a deep impact on our thoughts and behaviors. Since each culture has its distinct aspects, intercultural communication can be the cause of conflict and disorder. There are three main issues which are at the root of the problem of intercultural miscommunication : language as a barrier, cultural diversity and ethnocentrism. I will analyze these three notions in situations in which intercultural communication is frequent such as : the workplace, the classroom and vacation trips.
Who am I? Wrestling with identity— our history, our culture, our language— is central to being human, and there’s no better way to come to grips with questions of identity than through the crossing of borders. The transcendence of borders reveals the fluid nature of identity, it challenges absurd notions of rigid nationalities, and highlights our common humanity. It is no coincidence, then, that my experience as an immigrant has shaped my academic journey and pushed me to pursue graduate studies.
Identity is the condition of being oneself. One's identity is largely influenced by society. It has a far-reaching effect on identity by shaping beliefs, whether cultural, traditional or personal. It is why one's perspective on things is driven by what one’s society chooses to believe, because one is taught to think the way society tells them to.
The philosophical problem of personal identity pertains to questions that arise about ourselves by virtue of our being persons. There is no single question that will sum up the problem, but rather a multitude of questions that are loosely connected to each other. Within this essay, the four most prominent problems will be explained and addressed. One of the most familiar is the question of “Who am I?” This regards to what makes one a unique individual. Another familiar question is, “What is it to be a person?” This concerns the necessary criteria for something to count as a person as opposed to a non-person. There is also the problem of persistence, relating to personal identity over time. An example of this would be to glance upon an old photograph of a childhood class, point and say, “That's me.” The questions arises of, “What makes you that one instead of one of the others?” The last problem to be explained is the one of evidence. How do we find out who is who? There are two separate sources of evidence used often in philosophy: first-person memory, pertaining to one remembering an action or event and therefore being the person who did such, and physical continuity, where if the one who performed the action or witnessed the event looks like you, then it is you.
“Perhaps it’s impossible to wear an identity without becoming what you pretend to be” (Card). This quote from Ender’s Game gives the reader the impression that identity is just something they can wear and that they will become the identity that the impersonate. A definition of identity from the Oxford English Dictionary states, “The fact of being who or what a person or thing is” (Identity). This old definition entails that a person’s identity is just who they are. It is also heard that people say anybody can be anything they want to be. These two ideas put together create a definition of identity that means a person’s identity can be whatever they choose it to be. However, a person's true identity cannot simply be worn as a mask, so this definition cannot be true and must be changed. A person's true