"...who we are is a function of the experiences we've had as raced, classed, gendered, sexualized, (dis)abled, and otherwise culturally marked and mediated individuals" (Warren & Fassett, 2015)
This statement shows the various ways in which individuals' characteristics help to shape the perceptions of our world. For example, a white man is naturally going to have a different perception of the world as an African American or Latino, and someone from a middle class family is likely to have different views on economic issues that someone in the upper or lower class. I believe it's important to consider our differences in order to understand the affect that these differences have on the way we think, speak, and behave.
Being from Southern California, I can notice clear cultural differences between me and say, someone from the midwest or back east. This culture has shaped my political views far left; however, after coming to Boise and absorbing some of the culture here, i've found my political views to sit more in the middle. Clearly the affect of culture, and even socialization within this culture plays a major factor in who we are, however, this can have a negative affect as well.
Take refugees for example. They come to the united states with a completely different culture than us, and with language barriers, it makes it that much harder to adapt to this new culture. However, many find themselves socially isolated due to the challenges that come with moving to a new country. In conclusion, we need to be aware that we all come from different backgrounds, and factors such as race, gender, class, and sexual orientation each play a unique role in forming our identities, and when listening to others, considering these differences can also help build your own worldview to become more of a cultured individual.
No comments:
Post a Comment