“All cultures ‘dress’ the body in some way, be it through clothing, tattooing, cosmetics or other forms of body painting.” (Entwistle,”2000: 323) she, successfully summaries the international culture of self-decoration. Using two examples: the living skeleton also known as Zombie Boy, concealed with Dermablend, a full coverage make up brand, which has also helped Cheri Lindsay and Cassandra Bankson whom suffer from somewhat common skin conditions. This essay will discusses how the body can be seen as a canvas of identity creation.
“Perhaps it's impossible to wear an identity without becoming what you pretend to be.” (O, S, Card, 2014).
Identity, of course it is not just one’s given name, but it what defines you as an individual. There are many factors that influence identity, such as culture, personality, ethnicity and your sense of fashion. Throughout a person’s life he/she builds and develops a personality, we are initially influenced by our parents and the culture around us, as we grow we are influenced by our social surroundings, which in today’s world are established by online social media and pop/social icons. These factors promote fashion designers, new trends and creative ideas.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs shows that psychologically we have an innate need for a good self-esteem. Self-esteem is a key element for human beings, to reach the top of the hierarchy (self-actualisation), you must go through each level. Self-esteem has its own level highlighting the importance of confidence in a person’s identity.
We create images of how we want to see ourselves through advertisements, inspirational messages and what we develop or surrender to be more often than not influenced by the outside world.
There are different ways people...
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...t the same time more alike, because as Naomi Klein said, “ By respecting one another we can reach all cultures and communities.” Klein, Naomi.1999.
It is through mutual respect and positive validation that we grow as people and expand in our own ways.
Bibliography
Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/identity (Accessed 22.03.2014)
Entwistle,”2000: 323
(Armstrong,1991; Armstrong and Gabriel,1993;Armstrong et al.,1996;Blanchard,1994;Curry,1993;Demello,1995a,1995b;Mercer and Davies,1991;Myers,1992;Rubin,1988;Sanders,1989).
Fig1. Dailymail.com, (2011) (accessed 22.03.2014)
Fig2. http://www.dermablend.com/ (accessed 22.03.2014)
Klein, Naomi.1999. No Logo
Dove Evolution Advert http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U (accessed 22.03.2014)
Dove Real Beauty Sketches http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=litXW91UauE (accessed 22.03.2014)
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a theory that includes a five level pyramid of basic human
Following Joan Jacobs Brumberg throughout her conveying research of adolescents turning their bodies into projects the reader is able to see where all of the external beauty fascination came from following up to the 21st century. Brumberg effectively proves her point, and any girl of today’s age knows the struggle of which she continuously portrays throughout her book. Beauty has become such a preoccupation that it has gone from soap and washcloths, to makeup, to cosmetic reconstruction of body parts.
Maslow believed that there was a hierarchy of five innate needs that influence people’s behaviors (Schultz & Schultz, 2013, p.246-247). In a pyramid fashion, at the base are physiological needs, followed by safety needs, then belonginess and love needs, succeeded by esteem needs, and finally the need for self-actualization. Maslow claimed that lower order needs must be at least partially satisfied before higher level needs are addressed. Furthermore, behavior is dominated by solely one need
We live in a world of differences. Our world differs view with the people we encounter, the things we learn and the ways we perceive things . We are world of individuals where no person is exactly alike or no group of people is exactly alike. Society is made up of different cultures and religions. Most of us belong to some type of group, these groups give us comfort, we are always more comfortable with those who are similar to us. But when does this become detrimental? Our grouping and separation becomes detrimental when we are presented with someone with differences. The lack of integration within different cultures in today’s society is what keeps us grounded in our own ignorance. It is detrimental to the individual because it keeps us from
“The images produced by popular culture play a real role in shaping people’s perceptions (Bird 11).
Psychologist Abraham Maslow created the hierarchy of needs, outlining and suggesting what a person need to reach self-actualization and reveal the true potential of themselves. In the model, Maslow propose that a person has to meet basic needs in order to reach the true potential of themselves. Biological/physiological needs, safety needs, love/belonging need, esteem needs according to Maslow is the fundamental frame for reaching the peak of self. The last need to be met on the scale
One’s identity is influenced by many things. It’s something that one has a choice of what he wants to become. One has a personal choice as to what identity he possesses; for instance, he can choose what he likes, who he wishes to be friends with, and what he wears. After all, “Fashion is an expression of personal identity” (Latterell 11). Queen Latifah states, “All things start inside your soul and work outward” meaning that it is one’s choice as to what he lets work its way out (Latifah 34). People have even made personal choices that affect their identity by changing their name. Just as Firoozeh Dumas describes in The “F Word”, “Thus I started sixth grade with my new, easy name and life became infinitely simpler” (Dumas 86). People made fun of Dumas’ name, Firoozeh, and thus made her want to change her name to fit in; she changed her identity. An identity is mainly comprised of personal choice.
Identity can be described as the way we view ourselves; the way that we distinguish ourselves from others while also comparing our similarities. In other words identity is what makes someone unique and average at the same time. To start off with I was born and raised in Jamaica for 6 years with my parents, but due to the fact that my parents were offered an opportunity to attend school in America they dove for a chance of a better life. My first home was in Jefferson, Missouri where it seemed like it snowed every day. White sheets of snow would cover every inch of the city, no stone or rock was left without an inch of snow. The city was so beautiful to me because it would always light up in front of my eyes. The people there was so nice that
Thomas Paine said, “To argue with a man who has renounced the use and authority of reason, and whose philosophy consists in holding humanity in contempt, is like administering medicine to the dead, or endeavoring to convert an atheist by scripture.” In a world so diverse, it is difficult to find relationships that don’t have conflict. An abundance of these conflicts happen by narrow mindedness towards others cultures. Even though hostility and narrow-mindedness occur, that is not always the case. The possibility of unity with different people are possible, you will even find similarities that you wouldn’t have found before knowing that person.
An identity is more than just a name. Sometimes an identity is the first thing and possible the only thing a person notices about one or the other. A person's identity can represent their culture, their race and sometimes, even possible their family background. My identity is what represents me. For those who does not know me personally but knows my name, knows my identity. This identity is what people will recognize me as for now and possible for ever.
On a more individual level, openness to human diversity plays a role in adjusting to the changes of the future. People are discovering that even within cultures, individuals come from diverse backgrounds, have different personalities, and prefer different ways of life. Young leaders can build a stronger relationship with their followers as they enhance their own appreciation for human diversity. As people become more diverse, leaders must learn how to communicate with them as individuals if a vision is to be shared, a cohesive group to be formed, and a goal to be achieved. Despite differences in opinions, the leader and followers can work together to complement each other as they move toward the mission of the group. By exposing themselves to all kinds of situation and communicating with many types of people, young leaders can develop an appreciation of human diversity. Conflicts caused by differences among individuals' personalities and cultures have created many ethical issues, and the number will only increase in this global society.
Unlike many of his colleagues at the time who were focusing on psychopathology, or what is wrong with individuals, he focused on how individuals are motivated to fulfill their potential and what needs govern their respective behaviors (McLeod)). Maslow developed the hierarchy over time, adjusting from a rigid structure where needs must be met before being able to achieve a higher level, to where the individuals can experience and behave in ways across the hierarchy multiple times daily depending on their needs. The hierarchy is comprised of 5 levels; Physiological, Safety and Security, Love and Belonging, Esteem, and Self-Actualization. The bottom two levels are considered basic needs, or deficiency needs because once the needs are met they cease to be a driving factor, unlike psychological needs. Loving and Belonging and Esteem needs are considered psychological needs, and are different from basic needs because they don’t stem from a lack of something, but rather the desire to grow. Maslow theorizes that individual’s decisions and behavior are determined based on their current level of needs, and the ideal level to achieve full potential culminates in self-actualization; however, operating on this level cannot be achieved until the preceding levels of needs have been
In my own research I have come to believe that in the consumer and media societies, identity has been increasingly linked to style, to producing an image, to how one looks. To have an identity people must develop their own look, style and image.
There are countless factors that influence the way people personify themselves. In the end, the forming of one’s identity is dependent on a person themselves. Things such as media, culture, and education definitely have a part in determining identity, but it is important for people to determine their own uniqueness by not conforming to everything they may see or hear from these influences. The way people decide to forge their own personalities directly affects their futures.
Similarly, Maslow's theory also reflects that humans have an internal force to reach their highest potential (Maslow, 1968). Maslow examined the hierarchy of basic human needs and developed a pyramid of requirements which motivates human beings and shapes their personality. At the bottom of his pyramid are found the basic physiological motivations which are necessary for survival such as food and shelter. The next level incorporates the need for safety, both physical and psychological. This is followed by love and belongingness which relate to receiving and giving affection. Presuming the love need is met, the next level up is the need for esteem which includes the feeling of self-esteem and self-respect. At the top of the pyramid stands the complex need for self-actualization which is a meta-need as per Maslow (1964) and we can reach it through peak experiences. It is the highest level of growth when someone reached her or his capacity to the fullest. Maslow estimated that only 1 percent of people ever really fulfil this need (Maslow,