Skin - We Can Only Understand Our Identity Once We...

One’s identity is who or what a person is and how they are perceived by themselves and others. Your identity defines who you are and where you fit in. It is a self-representation of your interests, relationship, social activity and much more. Some believe our sense of identity and belonging is shaped by various factors, including our experiences, relationships, and our environments. Conversely, others believe that personality is shaped by nature, and that one is defined by their biological characteristics and hereditary traits passed down from previous generations. Nevertheless a combination of both nature and nurture shapes us throughout life. For a majority of the population their journey to find their identity and belonging can often†¦show more content†¦Just as family does, education plays a major role in the shaping and development of your identity throughout your childhood and adolescence, during primary and secondary school. Although completely unaware, the t eachers, bullies and friends at school are influencing the decisions made and ultimately are part of the personality that defines who you are. Sandra Laing, although having a coloured appearance, was for a short time allowed to attend an all-white school; because at first, legally Sandra was white. However after many beatings, bullying and downright humiliation, Sandra was expelled from the school, because, as her parents were told, â€Å"Sandra does not belong here†. Little did they know this action turned out to define the way Sandra accepted white people into her difficult life. Point being that, no matter how insignificant situations, experiences or environments may seem; the interpretations, memories and influences can last a whole life long. This fact plays out not only in the school yard, but also later in life in work places and in relationships. Everyone has struggled with their identity and belonging during a chapter of their life. There comes a time when our opinions and beliefs begin to differ from those around us. During this time, some people may discover which relationships they belong in, and those which they may not. However relationships are importantShow MoreRelatedWhite Privilege : Unpacking The Invisible Knapsack967 Words   |  4 PagesWise’s examination of the inconspicuous character of racism 2.0 dovetails fittingly with our course’s recurring theme of institutionalized racism. In class lectures we have defined institutionalized racism as the discriminatory practices that have become regularized and routinized by state agencies, organizations, industries, or anywhere else in society. Although such practices might not be intentionally racist, they end up being racist nevertheless as consequence of the systematized and unspokenRead MoreAdvantages And Disadvantages Of Being Mistreated Essay1219 Wor ds   |  5 PagesNot only do I, but all of us have advantages and disadvantages in our lives based on the many different aspects of who we are. Some disadvantages will outweigh the advantages greatly and vice versa. However, just because a person may have advantages in their lives, does not overthrow or deny the disadvantages in their lives. The word privilege according to the feminist mind, is easily defined as a set of unearned benefits given to people who are appropriate for a specific social group. The reasonRead MoreUnderstanding Different Cultures Of A Racially Diverse Society1958 Words   |  8 Pagesin finding a way that could help people to better understand each other and the different cultures that make up our society today. I acknowledge the fact that there are some who may hold the view that All Lives Matter and respect their view but by covering the Black Lives Matter under such a broad veil does the movement an injustice by losing sight on the very thing they are f ighting for the consistent ignoring of black lives. I also acknowledge that there are some who under the name of Black LivesRead MoreEssay on Exploring Race and Challenging Privilege1610 Words   |  7 Pagesbased on their skin color before you get to know them, and a cause of hate crimes and foul language. I think I’m not racist, and as a white woman I’m not likely to be the victim of racism, so I usually think racism has nothing to do with my life. But I’m uncomfortable with the idea of race because what I’ve learned about race is contradictory. I’m taught that people of different races are equal, but I see that they live separately. I’m told that they should get along, but the past and the presentRead MoreThe Rights Code Of The United States1355 Words   |  6 Pages and Transgender, with the plus extending to those who are intersex and anyone who does not identify as straight (having sexual and/or romantic attraction to another gende r) or cisgender (having one’s gender identity match the one in which they were assigned at birth), the two â€Å"norms† of our society. The country’s first strides in equality came in the arrest of Everett Klippert, a gay mechanic in the Northwest Territories, in 1967. This act brought a long series of protests that lead to several changesRead MoreStuart Halls Cultural Identity and Diaspora2380 Words   |  10 PagesRichard L. W. Clarke LITS3304 Notes 12B 1 STUART HALL â€Å"CULTURAL IDENTITY AND DIASPORA† (1993) Hall, Stuart. â€Å"Cultural Identity and Diaspora.† Colonial Discourse and Post-colonial Theory: a Reader. Ed. Patrick Williams and Chrisman. London: Harvester Wheatsheaf, 1994. 392-401. In this essay, Hall considers the nature of the â€Å"black subject† (392) who is represented by â€Å"film and other forms of visual representation of the Afro-Caribbean (and Asian) ‘blacks’ of the diasporas of the West† (392). â€Å"WhoRead MoreEssay about Construction of the Self1194 Words   |  5 PagesConstruction of the Self How does one create the â€Å"self†? How do we form as individuals? Whether a person is male or female, white or black, rich or poor, tall or short, pretty or ugly, fat or skinny, the most important factor is the development of the â€Å"self†. The self refers to the unique set of traits, behaviors, and attitudes that distinguishes one person from another (Newman 283). To distinguish between oneself from others, one must be able to recognize their unique traits and characteristicsRead MorePhillis Wheatley Poem On Religion1527 Words   |  7 Pagesshe bestows upon the Europeans that we know have taken her from her homeland due to the enslavement of the African people. Her passion to write about the importance of the Christian religion is reflected in her work including her poem â€Å"On Being Brought from Africa to America.† In this poem, she explains her appreciation for the white race. Being of the enslaved people during this time, is puzzling to read such th ings but intrigues one to comprehensively understand why she feels this way. She touchesRead MoreWorking With The Multi Cultural Population2266 Words   |  10 PagesWorking With The Multi-Cultural Population Counseling is a field that can be very rewarding for both the client as well as the clinician. Nevertheless, it can also offer great challenges. The benefits of counseling far outweigh the bad. Nonetheless, there is a certain population of individuals who some clinicians may have a difficult time counseling more than others. The recent concerns for gender and sexual orientation constantly are in the limelight, especially amongst the political forefrontRead MoreEssay on The Category of the Individual4933 Words   |  20 Pagesthat it is necessary. Foucault is concerned with language because it is a mode by which we maintain order in the world, and according to his argument, what we should fear are heterotopias, which undermine language, make it impossible to name this and that, shatter or tangle common names, and destroy syntax in advance (Foucault xviii). When Foucault refers to syntax, he is not just talking about our method of constructing sentences but also that less apparent syntax which causes words