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The single story, a concept brought into focus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a Nigerian writer can be connected to my life and greatly associated with Sisterhood. Adichie's idea of a single story reinforcing the ideas and stereotypes collected by people through society is easily connected with my experience of racism during my years in junior high school (TED, 2009). The theory of brotherhood as well as the military being patriarchal and purely capitalist is also a single story shared by many. The concept of the single story is everywhere and it has greatly affected the way I perceive knowledge and it has allowed for my perspective to grow.
Adichie exposes the danger of a single story which shows the people only one perspective of a group of people. The single story is the single stereotype fed to society through media and cultural norms of an idea, a person, or a group of people (TED, 2009). Growing up, I attended a private school where racism thrived. There was an immature gang culture shared amongst the students of the school who were predominantly Caucasian or Asian. From the beginning I had to pick a side, and being Indian, I chose to hang out with other Indians. Soon I had realized that I was considered to be lower than most within the group because I was a Christian Indian.
The essentially Sikh group that I had associated myself with often asked me if my mother was white. My so called friends carried the single story that Christianity was considered a "white" religion. If only I had the knowledge to tell them that Christianity was brought to India almost half a century after the death of Christ. Because of that gang culture we immersed ourselves in, I thought I could gain the respect of my friends taking part in the fig...
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...rence between the two in the first place. Our single story of brotherhood being different from sisterhood is what fuels patriarchy just like how the single story of my friends in junior high school believing that Christianity is a "white" religion fuelled racism. Through my experiences, I have learned that our minds have truly been conditioned into accepting the dangerous single story.
Works Cited
Gloria Watkins, (2000). Feminism is for Everybody. 1st ed. Canada: South End Press. Retrieved from http://excoradfeminisms.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/bell_hooks-feminism_is_for_everybody.pdf
TED (2009, October 7). Chimamanda Adichie: The danger of a single story. Retrieved May 28, 2014 from, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Ihs241zeg
TED (2014, May 23). Sebastian Junger: Why veterans miss war. Retrieved May 28, 2014 from, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGZMSmcuiXM
Although the work is 40 years old, “Custer Died for Your Sins” is still relevant and valuable in explaining the history and problems that Indians face in the United States. Deloria book reveals the Whites view of Indians as false compared to the reality of how Indians are in real life. The forceful intrusion of the U.S. Government and Christian missionaries have had the most oppressing and damaging effect on Indians. There is hope in Delorias words though. He believes that as more tribes become more politically active and capable, they will be able to become more economically independent for future generations. He feels much hope in the 1960’s generation of college age Indians returning to take ownership of their tribes problems.
Feminism is a word that is stock-full of implications, and has many misconceptions. Full Frontal Feminism by Jessica Valenti attempts to give a broad overview of what feminism is, and how you should feel about it (hint: it’s positively). The book is directed primarily towards the younger generation, and talks about a variety of issues relevant to the feminist movement today and in history. The weaknesses of the book include the casual writing, the assumptions Valenti makes, and the contradictory statements that are consistently made. The strengths include providing an entertaining, broad overview of feminism, and discussing ways to contribute to gender equality. Overall, the book is more likely to be a positive experience for high-schoolers that identify as women then college-aged individuals looking for a critical analysis of issues society faces in regards to gender inequality.
She states, “ The consequence of the single story is this: It robs people of dignity. It makes our recognition of our equal humanity difficult. It emphasizes how we are different rather than how we are similar” (Adichie 4). For Adichie, stereotypes are the reason why humans are not being recognized as equal and it takes away people 's honor because they are judged based off things that are not true about them. Thus people of color become dehumanized and often criminalized due to stereotypes that reinforce fear and ignorance.
During the second week of class, we were instructed to read a reading written by Bell Hooks titled “Come closer to Feminism.” This reading is what I consider to be a very important addition to this unit. Unit one is all about Making waves, Confronting Oppression. According to Frye, it is a fundamental claim of feminism that women are oppressed (Frye, 1983). Before taking upon this reading, my understanding of the feminist movement was not nearly as clear as it is now. After reading this short handbook, I too agree that feminism is for everybody.
Growing up on a reservation where failing was welcomed and even somewhat encouraged, Alexie was pressured to conform to the stereotype and be just another average Indian. Instead, he refused to listen to anyone telling him how to act, and pursued his own interests in reading and writing at a young age. He looks back on his childhood, explaining about himself, “If he'd been anything but an Indian boy living on the reservation, he might have been called a prodigy. But he is an Indian boy living on the reservation and is simply an oddity” (17). Alexie compares the life and treatment of an Indian to life as a more privileged child. This side-by-side comparison furthers his point that
Clark, Charles S. "Feminism's Future." CQ Researcher 28 Feb. 1997: 169-92. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.
Racism, stereotypes, and white privilege are all concepts that affect all of us, whether we believe it or not. If an adolescent of a minority can distinguish these concepts in his society, then we all should be aware of them. These concepts are all clearly demonstrated in “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian”. Anyone and everyone could clearly understand this novel, but the intended audience is middle school to college level students. The novel’s goal is to help white students understand the effects of white privilege in an easier, more understandable way.
Chimamanda Adichie, in one of her eye-opening speeches, The Danger of a Single Story, provides the audience with a new insight into the negative impacts that can occur as a result of viewing a story from a single perspective and not putting in an effort to know it from all available viewpoints. Adichie in her simple, yet well-grounded speech, filled with anecdotes of her personal experiences effectively puts across her argument against believing in stereotypes and limiting oneself to just a single story using a remarkable opening, the elements of logos, pathos and ethos, repetitions, as well as maintaining a good flow of thoughts throughout the speech.
I am Monise Ghandchi. I am a 17-Year-Old persian girl who holds many personalities. I am energetic, athletic, generous, loud, quiet, innocent, guilty, and etc. However, the youths i grew up with narrowed my presence down to one thought. A single story. Although i’ve wondered, I never actually knew why people at my school wouldn 't interact with me since I’ve always been extremely friendly and generous towards anyone who got to know me. Then again, not many people tried to get to know me. I remember trying so hard to make friends that i have even straight up asked other kids if i could be their best friend. All they would do is give me an odd look and brush it off, ignore me, or shout at me until i went away. Needless to say, my strategies of not
Watch this Ted Talk, The Danger of a Single Story: https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story?language=en (Links to an external site.)
In 2009 Chimamanda Adichie gave a TED talk about the ‘danger of a single story’. A single story meaning, one thought or one example of a person becoming what we think about all people that fit that description, a stereotype if you will. In today’s America, I believe that we have all felt the wave of stereotypical views at some point or another. Adichie gives many relatable examples throughout her life of how she has been affected by the single story. Her story brings about an issue that all humans, from every inch of the earth, have come to understand on some level. A young child reading only foreign books, a domestic helper that she only perceived as poor. Her college roommates single story about Africans and her own formation of a single
In the book Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center written by bell hooks, an African-American author, social activist and feminist first published in 1984 the author explains what she believes are the core principles of feminism. Throughout the book the author examines the early feminist theory and goes on to criticize it saying that it did not aim for a systematic change also that the movement has the potential to improve the lives of both men and women immensely. In the book the author investigates the performance of African-American women in the movement and what is needed to drive the movement towards ending oppression of all kinds.
King’s essay and video enlightened me on Indian stereotyping, a stereotyping that I did not know existed, even though I have been subjected to it my entire life. I have been subjected to this stereotype because of people like Curtis and May, who created the stereotype of Indians through pictures and writings. These stereotypes continued on throughout the years and can be seen in cartoons, movies, and pictures; but because of King’s essay and video I now have an understanding of the Indian stereotype. Since I now have an understanding of this stereotype I can educate people by showing them King’s video, so they as well can understand the
The purpose of the speech provided by Chimamanda Adichie is to portray the various impacts a single story can have on both an individual and a society. This is because of the usage of stereotypes provided by the media which creates an overall image, that everyone believes to be true. This is prominent when she says “A single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete.” Having a single story also confines the world to generalized outlooks on cultures, religions and nationalities. Due to this, individuals must seek for diversity and different perspectives, in which everyone should be able to see the world as it is, not just the aspect that the media portrays. Through
The word danger probably makes you want to turn away and stop doing whatever it is that you are doing. Well, what do you do when you see the words, “The Danger of a Single Story?” These words had me nervous about what I was going to be watching. However, there was a lot of information that was explained throughout this 20-minute TED talk from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. This paper will explore compelling ideas she mentioned that relate to things I have experienced when I went to another culture, the risks of telling a single story narrative in intercultural interactions, ways to protect myself from single story misconceptions, and how I was able to see how a single story might affect the way I communicate with others in different cultures.