This paper looks at the issue of self-expression of identity, focusing on the classroom setting and students with a non traditional sexual orientation or disability.
Abstract This paper explores several educational theories that deal with the formation of individual identity within the context of a classroom. The paper discusses social justice education theories, critical pedagogy theory, and social identity theory and looks at how these theories can help exlplain the development of identity within the classroom, specifically focusing on students with disabilities or a non-traditional sexual orientation. The paper relates that constructing an identity within the context of a classroom is difficult enough, but adding into that a disability or a non traditional sexual orientation makes the process that much more difficult. The paper concludes that several of the theories examined in the paper prove how identity formulation is in some ways hindered within a classroom based on the categories and labels children place upon themselves.
Outline:
Literature Review
References
From the Paper "This is the same concept for students with different sexual orientations; they should first be acknowledged for all of their various identities, and then treated and taught accordingly based on the collaboration of those identities. This type of teaching environment must begin in grade school and continue on into higher education in order to present a solid foundation for these student's identities to grow and flourish all throughout their educational career.
"Children who are forced with a disability have an especially hard time in formulating their own unique identity when compared to physically normal children. Deaf children of all ages suffer a lag in their language and communication skills, which in turn delays their own formation of a conception of a self ..."
Offers an analysis of characters and the issue of identity in literature by African writers including "Houseboy" (F. Oyono), "Mission to Kala" (Mongo Beti), "Song of Lawino" (Okot p?Bitek) and "Nervous Conditions" (Tsitsi Dangarembga).
Abstract The paper shows that in Tsitsi Dangarembga's "Nervous Conditions", both Nyasha and Tambu experience confusion about their own identity after enduring substantial influence from the English. Unlike Tambu's veiled self-delusions, Nyasha's confusion about her identity is painfully obvious. The paper shows that Toundi, in the novel "Houseboy" by Ferdinand Oyono, asks questions which reveal that his feelings mirror those confused feelings of Nyasha. The character Medza, from Mongo Beti's "Mission to Kala", can be seen as a binding example of identity-confusion for all of the previously mentioned characters. The paper looks at the opposite side of the spectrum, with the character Lawino from Okot p'Bitek's "Song of Lawino". In each of the stories discussed in the paper, a sense of identity plays a substantial role in the characterization of those affected by the European colonization.
From the Paper "The character Medza, from Mission to Kala, can be seen as a binding example of identity-confusion for all of the previously mentioned characters. His struggle is not so much between being African and being a Frenchman, as they are between what his family wants him to become and what he wants to accomplish. When his uncle asks him the definition of blood, Medza replies with a literal definition. His uncle laughs at him stating, "I was thinking of it in a different way, a way that comes naturally to folk like our selves, who haven"t been to school? (Beti 88). In this passage, Medza's uncle clearly draws a line between those who are educated and those who are not. His uncle meant blood as a term for kinship but Medza's education has changed his outlook on his relationship with his family, so his natural instinct provided a scientific response."
Abstract This paper explains that works of literature often focus on the nature of what people strive for, questioning what society suggests people should try to attain, such as the ambition for American identity as seen in the standards set by society on what is ideal and the impact this has on people. The author points out that, in "The Bluest Eye", Toni Morrison shows the tragedy of what happens when an individual cannot achieve the standard and, in "The Great Gatsby", F. Scott Fitzgerald shows the tragedy inherent in achieving the dream. The paper relates that, while the characters and situations are quite different in the two novels, they do have the same basic reasons at their base; they are both novels about the tragedy of accepting the American dream and striving to become the American ideal.
From the Paper "It is also important to note that the life that Gatsby and Daisy have is what the American dream is about. They have becomes what the standards of society say makes them the highest class and the happiest people. However, they have not truly achieved happiness. Certainly, they have achieved riches. But rather than enjoy them, Daisy spends her time worrying about losing them. It is also seen that Daisy's wealthy upbringing has made her a shallow person who only cares about wealth. The greatest sign of this is that she seems to be incapable of love."
Abstract The paper first looks at Kate Chopin's "The Storm" and how it indicates the cultural discontent facing the American woman and then turns to E.A. Robinson's "Mr. Flood's Party," that highlights the often cruel and exclusive American experience. The paper also examines Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", focusing on how the main character, Huck, captures the internal conflict that would identify America on its path to Civil War. Finally, the paper shows how T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of Alfred J. Prufrock" points to the conflict between American culture and individual identity.
From the Paper "The America which entered into the 20th century would be one in constant flux. In the century since its birth, the nation had established itself as an independent body with progressive dreams and deep cultural rifts. These would unfold into the Civil War and its attendant implications regarding America's struggle for a unified identity. The literature which paints a portrait of this struggle during the late 19th and early 20th century shows that America's future would in many ways only be colored by further splintering of individual and cultural tendencies."
Abstract This paper explores Jack Kerouac's famous book, "On the Road", about rootless kids looking for kicks. The writer discusses the characters in light of America's loss of identity from the time of the Puritans until the modern era, and how Kerouac used Black culture to fill the identity void.
From the Paper "Kerouac's" On the Road" has a complicated relationship to America and American literature. On the one hand, it breaks from the evolving literary tradition within America through its elevation of Afro-American culture, and its depiction of largely irresponsible individuals driven by their need for excess and stimulation. On the other hand, "On the Road" seems to embrace, even subsume, the themes and impulses of earlier literary traditions-traditions that paralleled and somehow responded to the changing cultural and political climates in which they found themselves."
Abstract This paper explains that both plays highlight the importance of ?identity? and the consequences of not having one. The author points out that "Death of a Salesman" revolves around the disillusioned and delusional world of Willy Loman; whereas, "A Doll's House" focuses on the life of a na?ve housewife, Nora, who again has no identity of her own and lives in a world defined and dictated by her husband. The paper relates that, in both plays, the tension is built up for cataclysmic endings; only something appalling or close to a miracle could wake Willy and Nora to the reality of their situations.
From the Paper "Willy Loman, on the other hand, also suffers from identity crisis; and this stems from his inability to realize his dreams in the cruel capitalist world of America. Unlike some men who made it big in the land of opportunities, Willy remains a salesman all his life, and just the realization that he had failed was profound enough to turn his life upside down. From this point onwards, he builds his own illusionary world where everything goes according to his wishes, and his insanity negatively affects everyone in his family. His insane world is guided by wrong principles and beliefs."
In this literary study the theme of feminist identity is presented in relation to the public identity of women and that of how they are represented within classical Greek drama.
900 words (approx. 3.6 pages), 3 sources, 2006, $ 35.95
Abstract This paper explains that the basis of feminist identity in Sophocles' "Oedipus the King" and "Antigone" is directly related to class status and the power that women wield in the royal courts. Virginia Woolf observes the power differential between the powerful women of Sophocles, and the reality of women being subjected to the patriarchal values of British society. In many ways, Jocasta and Antigone represent the rare and powerful voices of women from the royal family who were allowed to speak their minds.
From the Paper "The heroine in the works of Sophocles represent the upper class strata of Grecian society, explaining the reasons why women have more power on the stage. Contrary to the "common woman" on differing levels of society, one can realize that feminist identity is greatly subdued according to wealth and class. In essence, the feminist identity in Oedipus the King and Antigone by Sophocles represent women of power in the upper classes, while woman from different classes are treated differently due to their lesser power and wealth in British society."
This paper is a research project that evaluates the degree to which there is sexually identity communication on CNN's Town Hall style program, "Talk Back Live".
Abstract This paper first reviews the feminist literature on communication between and among men and women. The author in her research project asks questions about gender communication differentiation in more structured environments such as CNN's program. The author reports reviewing fourteen transcripts between October 21st and November 12th and comparing the three different types of verbal communication: Man-to-Woman, Man-to-Man, and Woman-to-Woman. This paper concludes that the study showed very limited gender biases and that the producers actively counterweighted any bias to maintain the show's image of circumspection and impartiality.
From the Paper "The first thing that the "Talk Back Live" transcripts revealed about gender identities was the nature of the positions played by men and women on the show. Women weren?t in positions that were "inferior" to those of the men, but men were consulted by the host of the show about a number of topics considered the traditional domain of men, and vice versa. This was much more apparent than the nature of the way people were addressed by the anchors, which sounded almost pre-scripted. When the men would explain these topics, the female host would keep quiet, not asking many questions."
Abstract This paper discusses the ways in which the authors Sandra Cisneros and Jamaica Kincaid both use a first person narrative that is constructed to define a feminist point of view within a racially charged patriarchal society. Although Miss Annie and Esperanza reflect different cultural views of both Caribbean and Latino perspectives, the paper describes how both women reflect an inward and intelligent first person view of a developing feminist identity within the novels.
From the Paper "Feminist Identity in the First Person Narrative Styles of Sandra Cisneros and Jamaica Kincaid This literary study will examine the use of the first person narrative to bring forth a feminist identity in the works of Sandra Cisneros and Jamaica Kincaid. By analyzing The House on Mango Street by Cisneros and Annie John by Kincaid, one can utilize the problems of race and the feminist search for identity within a male dominated society. In essence, the first person narrative of these novels reflect a struggle for a racially motivated feminist identity, which is reflected through the idiom of race, family and "coming of age" issues. The quest for female identity in the character Esperanza in The House on Mango Street is the main source of first person narrative that defines a woman's point of view."
Abstract The paper relates that Thailand willingly accepted different kinds of national and philosophical influences from other nations while the Philippines were subject to foreign control and colonial influence. The paper shows, therefore, how Philippine literature has emerged in a primarily popular and oppositional context unlike Thailand's literature that is from an academic and complementary historical context.
From the Paper "Thailand and the Philippines provide interesting contrasting studies of East Asian literature because of their unique geographic locations and histories. Thailand in its early incarnation was a kind of crossroads of South East Asian cultural life and it willingly accepted different kinds of national and philosophical influences from other nations. Its traditional literature up to the 19th century encompasses Buddhist, Chinese, and Indian traditions. The Philippines are islands that were subject to foreign control and colonial influence. They were exposed to the influence of other nations not through geographic proximity, but the imposition of foreign ideas and concepts that were supposed to override the voices of its national, indigenous literature."
Abstract An examination of the relationship between ethnicity and identity as understood as basis structures of individual life-worlds. The essay is divided into two parts. The first part is devoted to sketching conceptual fieldwork, while the second part deals with the analysis of collected data. Therefore, in the first part, the writer explains the concepts ?identity?, and "ethnicity" and indicates possible ramifications the particular usage of concepts implies. In the second part, identity is discussed as a variable that influences ethnic ideologies one adheres to. In this part he also shows how the level which a particular ethnic group occupies at the stratification level, influences the shape of one's identity. In conclusion, the writer summarizes the findings by suggesting that identity and ethnicity mutually influence each other and they are both complementary expressions of each other.
From the Paper "In the following essay, I am going to locate the focal point of this problem in the one particular community - Highland Park High School. Highland Park is a small town in New Jersey, Middlesex County, where many emigrants from Eastern Europe, Asia, and Latin America are there. At the Highland Park High School, although not apparently seen, the question of identity and ethnic belonging is still a problem among the American youths. While staying a year at Highland Park, I have been thinking a lot about the problems characteristic for the multicultural societies. All the questions I have asked myself may be boiled down to one single question ? namely, whether ethnicity and identity should be treated as interdependent variables, or rather one of them is more fundamental?"
Reviews two articles about identity formation in adolescence: "The Development of the Sense of Self in Adolescence" by A. Blasi and K. Milton and "Styles of Identity Formation in Early and Middle Adolescence" by H. Flum.
Abstract This paper examines and compares "The Development of the Sense of Self in Adolescence" by A. Blasi and K. Milton and "Styles of Identity Formation in Early and Middle Adolescence" by H. Flum, which both explore different adolescent identity styles and how they are formed. The paper points out that both articles are influenced by Erik Erikson's concept of the development of personality during adolescence. The paper also explains that Flum explores styles of identity within the framework of a number of issues, which concern adolescents at different age levels and represent the intrapersonal and interpersonal facets of the adolescent's experience; whereas, Blasi and Milton clarify an adolescent's sense of self, which underlies the experience of their evolving identity.
From the Paper "Flum (1994) results were categorized based on Marcia's ego-identity statuses. These showed whether the participant demonstrated identity diffusion, foreclosure, moratorium, diffused type of moratorium and a less-diffused type of moratorium. The participants who fit into the identify diffusion category showed high external orientation and low decisiveness. The lower SES group had the most extreme cases of identity diffusion. The results for sex differences showed that 8 out of 10 of the extreme identity cases where males. There was no difference found for age for participants with extreme identity diffusion and the extreme non diffusion participants."
Abstract This paper discusses identity theft in terms of its impact, its character and its prevention. In the paper, particular attention is given to the types of primary identity theft classifications, some online methodologies of identity theft and finally, some preventive measures. The paper discusses how identity theft is found to be a massive problem in terms of financial losses to both corporations and individuals and is expected to grow in severity over the next few years.
From the Paper "Identity theft occurs when an unauthorized person obtains another's name and a piece of critical identifying information about that person such as a credit card or bank account number, social security number or driver's license number. With these two pieces of information, someone can open credit card accounts in someone else's name and go on spending sprees for personal items or for things that can easily be sold. When bills are not paid, the delinquent account shows up on that person's credit report. The identity thief can change the mailing address on the victim's credit card account thus delaying the discovery of the theft. The imposter then runs up big bills on the victim's account, and since they are being sent to the new address, one would have no way of knowing any of this was going on."
Abstract This paper addresses broad concepts, such as identity, cultural awareness, cultural communication, social norms, and sustainable global harmony, without compromising detail or completeness. It uses Chapters One through Four of anthropology professor Dr. Fitzgerald's book, "Metaphors of Identity: A Culture-Communication Dialogue", to illustrate the key factors contributing to effective interpersonal and intercultural relations. his paper not only summarizes the ideas in Fitzgerald's book, but also analyzes their content in terms of identity, culture, and anthropological ideals.
From the Paper "In chapter 1 of Thomas Fitzgerald's Metaphors, important concepts such as identity, cultural awareness, and cross-cultural communication are introduced. The prominent theme in this chapter is cultural awareness, which is becoming more and more necessary to create an effective global society. Communication is the key to achieving effective cultural awareness (Fitzgerald 1993: 2). Cultural awareness is actually a broad notion that recognizes and accepts all attitudes, values, social customs, and traditions different from the ones we are accustomed to (Fitzgerald 1993: 1). Additionally, it is essential to recognize minority groups within your own culture, such as the elderly or handicapped, to sustain harmony on a smaller scale."
Abstract This paper discusses the ways in which institutions help to construct social identities. The paper uses various paradigms to consider how identity is constructed in two different settings: a secondary school and a trauma center emergency room. The paper contends that the processes of identity-building is impacted by education, as well as other socializing factors.
From the Paper "Working in the spirit of Goffman's study of the psychiatric clinic and the resulting description of how a social identity is constructed as an evolutionary process dependent in large measure upon the social...."
