Avowed Identity ------ Ascribed Identity
Religious ------- Familial
Individualized ------ Age
Familial ------- Gender
I think that a person's identities say a lot about them. The identities that I have are important to me because they have shaped who I am and who I am going to become. Family has always been an important thing to me and I think that it is because of my family. I think that because I have an Italian family, we tend to be even more close than some people would consider families to be. I like to compare my family to the family on My Big Fat Greek Wedding because they are a large, loud family but they are also very interested in what each person does. Everything that Nia did, her family had to put their two cents worth in. My family does this, and I used to really hate this about my family - I just wanted a normal family who stayed out of my business. I think that now that I am a little bit older (and so many of my family members are old and/or passed on) I have come to appreciate this. I think that because I grew up with a family that was so "involved" in my life, they have always had a huge influence on me and who I am. I put familial in the ascribed column because of the fact that my family knows that they are a huge influence on my life. I also put it in this category because there have been times when hanging out with people that I have met possibly once or twice before that they will make a comment to me about my family. Whether this comment is good or bad, they can always tell what my response is going to be - that my family is the most important thing in the world to me and I would do anything for them. Even my friends have noted this before, that I pay extra attention to things that are being said if it anything to do with my family.
I also put age in the ascribed identities column because there have been many times when my age has caused me to be seen differently - especially when I was younger. I think that when you are young people tend to look at you in a way that implies that you are not very knowledgeable. I have most often noticed this with the older generation - they look at my generation and people younger than me as if we are stupid kids. My grandfather did this a lot - especially with my brother. He felt that because my brother is a boy and young he should help my parents out when it came to lifting things and doing things that my parents could not. My brother did not see it the same way. There was definitely age discrimination between the two of them. Another way in which my grandfather used to discriminate the grandchildren was gender.
In our culture, there are certain things that are considered more masculine or more feminine. When I was younger, I used to be really into sports, I played softball, soccer, basketball and ran track. My brother on the other hand - did nothing. This used to drive my grandfather crazy. He used to think that because I was really into sports it made me look like I was a tomboy. He was always trying to get me into the kitchen to help my grandmother cook - which I hated to do. My brother had no interest in sports and while that was fine with my parents - it was not fine with my grandfather.
Ascribed ----- Who Was ----- Actions To
Identity ----- Responsible ----- Resist
Familial ----- Family, Friends ----- Do not allow decisions to be influenced.
Age ----- Media, Peers ----- Do not allow others' feelings about your age to influence what you wish to do.
Gender ----- Family, Media, Society --- Do not allow others to dictate what is right for you. Do not give up something you want because they say it is not masculine/feminine - Just Do It!
Do you think that your identities have been shaped more by your family and friends or by the media?
Why do you think other people can have such a huge impact on our identities and who we become?
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Our families have the biggest impact on our identities because, when we start out at life, we are immediately ascribed identities. The clothes we wear and toys we play with influence our self-image. From there it is our friends, and then the media. People have such a large impact on what we become because it is human to strive to fit in. Things are easier once a person is a part of a group. I can recall wanting a certain toy or brand of whatever when I was little because my friends thought it was cool or already had something like it. That more than likely stemmed from that wanting to be part of a group.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Laura, our families have a big impact on who we are. My family has shown me that the media is not always realistic and to do what I want, they have tried to help me find who I am, not the media. How someone acts is directly related to their family, their personality, speech and values. Friends are another big part of who you are. If your friends are doing something you think is cool then you will do it too, they are a huge influence. The media is also an influence with the commercials that influence self image. Families have to teach their children to be smart about the media or it will be the biggest influence in a childs life.
ReplyDeleteI think my friends and family have had a bigger impact on my identity. The media does have a big influence because they tell you how to act and what to do/not to do, but our friends and family shape us. They help to define us and make us who we are. They are the ones who will tell us if we are making a foolish decision or if we are making the right choice. We are often always very similar to our friends and families, and often make similar choices to them. I think other people can have a big impact on us because of competition. We sometimes try to be what we are, which can really change how others perceive us. Once we realize that we shouldn't be acting like that, we notice what we want to be and how we want to act.
ReplyDeleteI think that my family has had the biggest impact on my ascribed identities. As Laura already keyed in on above, we are raised in a home that places most of our identities upon us, whether we choose them for ourselves or not. This has been a primary concern for me, as I have had to come to terms with my own personal conflicting ideologies that significantly differ from those ascribed to me by my parents, particularly when it comes to religion and politics. I guess you don't really see your own perspective through the eyes of other people often enough to really challenge your own ascribed and avowed identities, but doing so does a lot to help see how the way you are identified by others shapes who you are.
ReplyDelete