Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Influence of culture on personal development
Culture contributes to personal development of an individual
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Influence of culture on personal development
In terms of the personal and professional journey related to race I am at two distinct positions. First, from a personal perspective, I am aware and accepting of my racial identity. Further, I am aware and accepting of other’s perception of self in their process of becoming. Notwithstanding this reflection, I recognize that I am also always in the process of becoming. A lot of the challenges I encounter revolve around the methods I use to intervene with others who I perceive as struggling within the transecting spheres of race, privilege, bias, stereotypes and prejudices. Whereas before this class I was more fixed on a “matter-of-fact” type intervention, where I would point out the behavior of others (their comments, the “underlying” meaning of their remarks, etc.), and force them into a realization of their incoherence, I am now creating a less antagonistic deportment. This step of my personal journey involves categorizing importance on the underlying reactions of others towards racial dialogues (cognitive, behavioral, and emotional), and the various types of microagression being utilized in the presentation of dialogue; then, converging my energy towards finding exceptions to their biases, and providing understanding rather than a comprehensive …show more content…
I no longer will be beholden to a system of dialectics that works fine (occasionally); nevertheless, neglects the important role that emotions and experience play in the ultimate process of becoming non-racist. As a commitment to myself, and to those who experience the impact of racism, I will continue to research the benefits of engaging in different modes of communication. Moreover, I will consistently challenge myself to be aware that when it comes to being an anti-racist, action speaks louder than
Kohli and Solórzano’s theory of racial microaggression is described as subtle daily verbal and non-verbal racial insults that are often carried out automatically or unconsciously. People of color are usually targeted through layers based on their language, culture, and phenotype, and Eurocentric cultural values through the act of microaggressions often replace these layers. The authors argued that these microaggressions, although said unconsciously or subtly, the consequences of an individual’s experiences can have a detrimental impact on their well-being and self-perceptions (Kholi & Solórzano, 2012).
Mills (2017) outlines the difficulty that some multiracial people have with others categorizing their identity for them and the resulting feeling of being forced to identify with one group over another, while not making room for the experience of multiracial identity in of itself. Moreover, this can be a marker of oppression and discrimination, which can then impact a person’s identity as their turmoil is internalized. Mock’s (2014) experience as a biracial Black and Native Hawaiian parallels this. During her time in California and Texas, Mock grew up in a community of black people of colour and was perceived as a black person, so her identity as a Native Hawaiian was erased and not externally visible. In contrast, when living in Hawaii, Mock was treated as an outsider and nonlocal because she presented as a black woman of colour. This goes to show that intersectional identity is more than what is presented on the outside and that all racial identities need to be recognized and affirmed. Moreover, social workers can utilize the art of meeting clients where they are by letting the client tell their story, learning about their experiences, and empowering, recognizing, and validating their multiracial identities (Harkey, Sortedahl, Crook, & Sminkey, 2017). Every client will construct and experience their racial identity in a
Courageous Conversations About Race: Chapter 5. Authors Glenn E. Singleton and Curtis Linton in Chapter Five of Courageous Conversations About Race broach the topic of race, by asking the reader to evaluate his or her own consciousness of race. According to the authors, in order to address the achievement gaps between African American students and White students, educators should shift their energy towards focusing on the factors that they have direct control of inside the classroom rather than on the factors that influence this achievement disparity between races outside the classroom. The first step towards addressing the racial achievement gap begins with educators addressing their individual racial attitudes for, as the authors purport, “As we become personally aware of our own racialized existence, we can more deeply understand the racial experiences of others” (Singleton, Linton, 2006). In all honesty, I think Singleton and Linton hit the bull’s eye by suggesting that the first step towards initiating culturally relevant teaching is for the teacher to really examine his or her attitudes, values, and principles.
The idea of racism has evolved and has become less prevalent throughout the last century. Schools and public areas are unsegregated, voting rights, racial slurs being considered as unacceptable behavior etc. American sociologist and race theorist, Howard Winant states that’s “The ensuing approaches increased recognition of racial injustice and inequality, but did not overcome the discriminatory processes” (Winant,2000)Although the United states has come a long way to try to end racism, one cannot ignore the fact that it still exists. It is something that may seem invisible in society, but everybody knows that it still thrives and that it’s racial attitudes affect the way our society functions. One of these invisible forms of racism is called microagression. Microagression is the theory that certain interactions between different races can be interpreted as small acts of verbal aggression. Racial micro aggression has caused many behavior and identity problems between races in today’s society. In the article, "Microagressions in everyday life", Dr. Derald Wing Sue states that “Microaggressions are similar to carbon monoxide - “invisible, but potentially lethal” - continuous exposure to these type of interactions “can be a sort of death by a thousand cuts to the victim” It is a common experience that many people of different racial groups deal within their every day lives. They are harmful to society, creating a hostile environment, dividing people apart, creating inequalities, and decreasing productivity in the work and school environment.
Sue, D. W., Capodilupo, C. M., & Holder, A. (2008). Racial microaggressions in the life experience of Black Americans. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 39(3), 329.
Even though Black music such as blues did not end oppression, it helped rehabilitate the oppressed by creating a new identity through music such as blues. The Social construction of racial formation categorized racial groups to construct their social identity. A form of this basis is determined from skin color or skin pigment. Black music such as blues were used as a form of arts to escape the oppression that was placed upon them based on their skin color.
Our daily lives are affected by race whether we are aware of it or not. How we live different aspects of our lives depend on the colour of our skin. From the types of jobs we have, the income we earn, where we live etc. In societies fundamentally structured by race, it is important that we do not abandon the notion of race, but instead pioneer a revolution in the way that races are understood. In this paper, I will examine how the dominant groups in society define race in terms of biology, which leads to the notion of white privilege, which is their advantaged position in society, at the expense of other racial groups.
From the data they collected, they acknowledged two intergroup dialectical tension categories and three intra-individual dialectical tension categories that highlighted Black and White cultural identities. The three main dialectics within the individual emerged from the data are: Blackness-Whiteness, Talking-Silence, and Past-Future. The Blackness-Whiteness dialectic specifies that some African-American students struggle to sustain pride in their Blackness, while at the same time, adopting and learning the White culture. Therefore, this tension may force students to question their own abilities in trying to adapt to a culture they do not understand. Talking-Silence explains that African-American Students because frustrated when they became
The connection of race and race relations in the United States was an ongoing issue, and while much progress was made, there are still people who revert back to old and ignorant takes on different races as the white man. This clearly relates to my own history based on the fact that various races are still being discriminated and treated unfairly and looked at as unequal. I can only hope that one day the whole population of the world can do the right thing and look at everyone as equals.
Race relations are always a scary or uncomfortable topic for people to discuss amongst groups of different ethnicities and racial identities. It is a long standing tradition in the United States to walk a fine line and use politically correct terms in the above mentioned setting but to feel perfectly comfortable to speak freely when in a setting surrounded by likeminded people who share similar political affiliations and race. This is the main reason discussions surrounding the idea of race are too often avoided in today’s school systems and in society in general. If we are to encourage our students and children to be free thinking future citizens of our global society, we must first become one ourselves. The only way to accomplish this
Everyday the future in America looks brighter for the issues dealing with race and identity. Brave souls are not letting racism, class discrimination, or sexism holds them back anymore. The fight for a balanced society that pushes for equality is on the horizon. My identity has grown since researching other peoples’ opinion of identity. I have been in America for fourteen years now, and I am still searching for where I actually belong. I was born on September 17, 1995 in Savanna-La-Mar, Jamaica. At the mere age of five, my family left Jamaica and moved to Atlanta, Georgia. This is truly where my life story and identity began.
I was aware of these oppressions and have often times struggled with what I can do individually to work towards alleviating these oppressions. The Next Steps portion of the chapter on racism really outlined methods of actions that could be applied to all forms of oppression. One method entitled “FLEXing Cross- cultural Communications,” outlines productive communication, depersonalization, and open- mindedness when it comes to understanding and practicing competency. This model serves as a tool to motivate action to those form other cultures in ways that in the end everyone can
My perception of our world is that racism exists everywhere, even in the land of liberty, America. I am aware of the fact that there is racism against not only blacks, but also whites, Asians, along with people from all other ethnicities. I believe racism is deplorable in any form. Therefore I do my best not to be racist in any way.
Mellody Hobson’s speech “Colorblind or Colorbrave” about encouraging others to speak openly and courageously about race and promoting diversity in businesses uses experience, expert testimony, and logos to support her argument and persuade her audience. She begins her speech with two anecdotes: one about being the only black girl invited to a birthday party (and her realization that, “[White people] will not always treat you well.”), and another about being confused for the help at an editorial board lunch. She talks about her own experiences dealing with race while using pathos to talk about them lightheartedly and on a more personal level because she understands that race is an uncomfortable topic for some. She also uses another experience (her swimming trainer giving her breath-holding exercises to teach her to deal with her discomfort) to promote a theme in her argument. She wants to urge people to have more conversations about race, despite them being uncomfortable, because, “If we can learn to deal with our discomfort, and just relax into it, we’ll have a better life.” She presents this theme as more of a life lesson, as opposed
Wait. Be still. Don't go over the line. Don't let go. Wait for it. "BANG!" My reactions were precise as I sprung out of the blocks. The sun was beating down on my back as my feet clawed at the blistering, red turf. With every step I took, my toes sunk into the squishy, foul smelling surface, as my lungs grasped for air. Everything felt the way it should as I plunged toward my destination. I clutched the baton in my sweaty palms, promising myself not to let go. My long legs moved me as fast as I could go as I hugged the corner of the line like a little girl hugging her favorite teddy bear. The steps were just like I had practiced. As I came closer to my final steps, my stomach started twisting and my heart beat began to rise. The different colors of arrows started to pass under my feet, and I knew it was time.