Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
EDU 215
Pratt
15 November 2016
How did I get to where I am today? Who am I when I look in the mirror? And most
importantly, how did I get to be this way? All of these questions of identity can be traced back to
the many personal factors that have made up my life so far: my parents, my childhood, my
experiences, and my educational upbringing. Everyday is a new opportunity to learn, and as Ive
grown and matured throughout the days and years of my life, I have learned a lot.
As far as who I am, there are many ways to describe myself. I am a female, a biracial
individual, a daughter, a sister, a student, a teammate, and a friend. As far as these factors
affecting how I view the world I definitely think my race and gender has been a huge influence
on my viewpoint on society. As a biracial female I have always found myself the neutral stance
to many arguments regarding black and white relations, considering I am black and white.
Throughout my life my parents never emphasized the fact that I was biracial, or the fact that I
was different than other people, and when controversies arise about race relations and problems
in the media, I was never taught to fight for one side or the other. However, as Ive grown up and
found my own voice I have become more of an advocate for equal rights, not only for African
Americans, but other minority groups including the LGBTQ+ community. Ive come to realize
over my years of schooling and exposure to others that are passionate about the rights of others
that you dont have to look like someone to fight for their equal treatment. Just because I am a
straight female, doesnt mean I shouldnt stand up for the rights of lesbian/gay individuals. Just
because Im only half black doesnt mean I shouldnt fight for the elimination of discrimination
and stereotypes in our society so that minorities can live the same lives as white Americans.
Although I have this more empowered viewpoint now, I definitely havent felt this way
my whole life. Ive encountered many situations and experiences that have made me who I am
today. Whether it be being stared at in the mall as a kid for holding my white moms hand, or
being looked over in class by my teacher because I was the only one who looked different, Ive
come to realize how being different can be both a blessing and a curse. Black people in America
are still fighting everyday to get the same treatment that white Americans take advantage of, and
although I am half-black, I still find myself struggling to understand why people are treated so
differently solely based on skin color. Yes, there are some differences that come along with
having darker skin, (thick curly hair being the best/worst thing in my life), there are even more
similarities that Ive come to accept. I definitely have a group of black friends and a group of
white friends but I also know that thats not the only thing I see when I hang out with them.
Instead I see their personalities and their senses of humor, and I find myself not judging them
based on the color of their skin but by the contents of their character.
Another aspect of my identity that I have come to terms with over the years is my
position in society and the privileges that I have been given without doing anything to deserve
them. My family is the only partially black family in an upper middle class, predominately white
neighborhood. I attended a great school system in the suburbs and was given many opportunities
that other people wont see in their lifetime. All of these privileges that I was born with are
privileges and opportunities that other people work all of their life to achieve, and without
acknowledging my privilege I would be ignorant to all the good fortune I have in my life while
others struggle.
When looking at society there are many theoretical perspectives that can be applied to the
relations between races in the United States. The theory of Functionalism by Emile Durkheim for
example claims that there are patterns in social behavior that change throughout the years, and
that social institutions work alongside each other well until there are temporary conflicts that
arise. According to a Functionalist perspective, when new groups of people are incorporated into
the major society, there are bound to be problems that arise at the beginning but smooth out as
the dominant culture become more familiar with the new culture. This is evident in classrooms
when children who come from different cultural or ethnic backgrounds are put in classrooms that
are mostly homogenous. At first the students may be intimidated and confused about why that
other student may look or act differently, however, as the year goes on the children learn to
coexist and learn from one another. Another perspective introduced by Karl Marx is Conflict
theory. This theory states that society is based off of conflict between groups, usually the
oppressed and the oppressors. The oppressors in the case of social issues, would be the dominant
culture in society which in America would be white males while the oppressed are any minorities
or even women in some cases. This perspective follows the thought that social change comes
about when there is issue between the dominant culture and those that are less represented, which
can be applied when students that belong to a minority group are competing with white students
to get the same representation and rights in the classroom. Lastly the Symbolic Interaction
perspective is another theory that social relations are based on in society. This perspective is
different in the sense that it deals with individuals and how they view themselves in society
rather than social structures at large. Mead, the father of this perspective believed that children
learn their position in society and who they are by learning from others. I think through my
experience in school this perspective is the most powerful, because it has a large impact on an
individuals identity, and once a student learns where they feel they fall in society and their social
ranking they start to play into that role in many aspects of their life.