Below are some practice questions. Please post practice answers so that we actively create an additional class study guide. I will be able to give feedback ad advice as you do so. Also, please ask questions and raise any concerns that you might have. The exam will be comprised of short answer questions and extended essay questions.
Short Answer Questions
1. Define identity
2. What are classificatory systems? Give an example of a social classification.
3. Outline Hall’s 3 concepts of identity
Study hint:
Enlightenment subject
The sociological subject
The Fragmented subject
4. If essentialists consider cultural symbols to be expressive of a preformed identity, how do anti-essentialists consider the relationship between symbols and identity?
Study hint: anti-essentialists think that identity is socially constructed and they argue that symbols are drawn upon to create identity. Thus, symbols do not express identity, on the contrary, they help to MAKE identity.
5. In what ways is identity ‘relational’?
Study hint: identities gather meaning in relation to other identities; that is, through their difference to other identities. For example, the symbolic systems used to define masculinity are the binary opposite to those symbols used to define femininity. Strong/Weak, Rational/Emotional, etc.
6. In what way are constructions of identity ‘ideological’?
Extended Essay Questions
1. Benedict Anderson describes nations as ‘imagined communities’. Explain what he meant by this term and outline how we actively imagine American identity.
Study hints: consider how we participate in this imagining, from the symbols which mark out US culture to the rituals of raising a flag, swearing allegiance, using pronouns such as ‘we’ which help us to imagine we are part of a collective community. Also, think about systems of representation which help create the idea of the nation: from political rhetoric to national newspapers which have sections dedicated to national news, etc.
2. Drawing on either an anti-essentialist or essentialist perspective, describe how your own identity is made/expressed through cultural symbols, and consider how they position you in society in relation to other identities.
Study hints: be very clear whether you’re arguing from an anti-essentialist or essentialist perspective, and be sure to use consistent language throughout. For example, if anti-essentialism is your conceptual framework, make sure you use words like construct and create rather that express or essence.
3. The documentary The Ad and the Ego makes clear that cultural artifacts including clothing, music, food, and more, are loaded with meaning. Examine how identification with these material objects symbolically positions ‘us’ in society.
4.View the following Ad and consider what identity identity positions are being produced and what meanings are being assigned to certain identities through this system of representation. You should do so with reference to the circuit of culture.
36 comments:
I just have a couple of questions about the exam's layout. About how many 'extended essays' should we be expecting? Also, approximately how long would you expect the essays to be?
3) Hall's Three Concepts of Identity
#1 The Enlightenment Subject: There is aunified self which is not affected by culture. You are born with your identity and you then express yourself through what you do.
#2 The Sociological Subject: A core exists but it must be actively created through the two-way interaction between the inside and outside world.
#3 The Fragmented Self: There is not core. Your identity is always changing depending on the social environment. Each person has many identities.
hi beth, good questions. The extended essays should porbably be about a page... this is not a hard and fast answer, though, as it will depend on how economical you are with words... There will be two extended essays - although you get to choose from four...
Good answers, Lauren!
Alex
I have yet to get to the extended essay questions, and this is going to be a pretty long blog...but here are my answers for the other short answers not posted yet.
1)Identity is where we as individuals view ourselves as belonging in society. It is constructed both symbolically & socially, and it is marked by symbols (i.e. food, clothing, music, etc. that we associate with) & difference (what we actively do not associate with). Thus, it is both a relation & difference that is imagine. We must actively disidentify with some things in order to identify with their opposites.
2)Classificatory systems are how we collectively divide societies by giving them specific restrictions. They are the basis for the Principle of Differenes. An example of a social classification is gender. Whether we are male or female determines what characteristics we are associated with and perceived as having.
4)Anti-essentialists view identity as something imagined & constantly being constructed based on social environment & context at a given moment. Building identity is a continuous process where we choose which characteristics and/or symbols we want to associate with. Therefore, symbols are the "building blocks" for which we base our constantly changing selves/identities.
5)Identity is 'relational' in that, those whom we share an identity with (i.e. American, male, female, etc.) are seen as those we can relate to. This meaning we share characteristics & marked symbols with one another. Furthermore, it is also 'relational' in the sense that it can be defined by what we do not relate to (associate with). We do not share characteristics/symbols with othe identities which we don't associate with.
6)Constructions of identity are constantly changing. These changes are caused by symbols which we choose to associate with based on their meaning. Ideology is an organized way of thinking that allows us to think how we do about the meanings of such symbols. These ideologies & meanings create a systematic way of thinking. This systematic way of thinking is the basis of identity. It is what we share with those who we perceive ourselves as relating to and sharing an identity. It also marks the differences with those identities that we do not associate ourselves with.
I hope these are at least somewhat along the lines that you were looking for.
Also, quick question. Do these practice questions just serve the purpose of telling us how we should be thinking about the topics, or can we expect the exam to be somewhat based on these questions?
With the essay questions in short of just maybe a base to what to focus on to work from on the exam with the imagined community is I think a way that individuals that belong to a certain nation or culture portray that identity as being so they can belong and associate with other people of that certain nation. For example Americans being portrayed as being patriotic by flying flags and saying the national anthem. So with this imagined identity a person would get a sense of belonging to that nation by flying a flag and saying the nation anthem in the morning and things along those lines to have a sense of that identity and sense of belonging to that nation so that can "fit in" and have that national identity with everyone else of that nation.....
Hello everybody!
I am going to post my responses to the short answer questions. Just a couple of questions regarding the exam first.
Having looked over and worked the questions for the readings to help me go over the readings, I noticed many open-ended, vague questions that are not necessarily covered by the readings, such as, "what makes you American?" or "what identities are available to you?" As I am thinking about these, I am noticing that they are first off not covered in the reading, and second of all quite hard and not quick to conceptualize in terms of what we are discussing.
I guess what my question is is that should I expect these to be on the test and if so how to approach them types of questions? Is there no right or wrong to such questions? I think there is, but I'm just verifying.
Anyway, I've been at it for a few hours looking over the reading and study guide questions and going over the readings and class notes so I only have the short answers for now. The rewriting of concepts and questions is boring but most certainly helping I think. I'll post my responses to the essays sometime later on tonight. I welcome anyones positive and negative criticism as it relates to anything I have posted.
Respectfully Submitted,
Shamus
Short Answer Questions
1. Identity is the way we define our self through the use of symbols and how we relate ourselves to certain events and experiences. It is also the way we classify ourselves in terms of origin, national, social, linguistic, and personal ideas, values, beliefs, ethics, preferences, and decisions. Identity can either be fixed or can be shaped by what occurs in our surroundings.
2. Classificatory systems are systems of classification that apply a principle of difference to a population so as to divide mass hoards of people into small groups with which we easily identify with. Such groups help to create a symbol which in turn allows society to create meaning from these symbols. Classifications can also be placed over one-another, such as Christian over Muslim or even pizza over asparagus. An example of a social classification discussed in the Hall reading was food and how food helps us to define the degree of social class, beliefs, and values we belong to.
3. Going along with the outline provided by the study hints, Hall’s three concepts of identity are as follows:
The Enlightenment subject: The Enlightened subject is the essentialist self that we are born with. It is the self that remains conscious and unified with what is happening within ones surroundings. The Enlightened self also is unbounded and unchanged when it comes to ones stance on certain positions.
The sociological subject: The sociological subject is the anti-essentialist concept of identity that humans are most likely to associate with because it is impacted by social, cultural, political, and economic forces that are always changing with the times. Being a sociological subject means that we are self-centered around interactions. The sociological subject is also wrapped around the conflict of nature vs. nurture because they always find security in what is naturally occurring around them. Sociological subjects also tend to think that by internalizing identity that we are unified towards one cause. Sociological subjects, by no surprise, always associate with pop culture.
The Fragmented subject: The fragmented subject is anti-essentialist in the manner that the self is continually shifting and changing. Dissimilar to the sociological subject, however, is the fact that the fragmented subject finds unity through a sense of self security rather than through trends. In fact, the fragmented self has no real sense of unity and is always susceptible to change.
It is also noteworthy to mention the fact that all three of these concepts of identity are neither interchangeable nor compatible with one another. We are either one of these concepts or none at all!
4. If anti-essentialists believe that symbols are used to make identity rather than create it, then the symbols must be used to define symbolic markings which help to relate, compare, and contrast different cultures. This means that anti-essentialists use symbols to define the parameters of cultural identities rather than use it to mark out distinct characteristics of a particular culture. This is because anti-essentialism is not defined by any characteristics; rather defined by symbolic markings as they relate to certain cultures. Since anti-essentialist's make the point that identity is not fixed and always changing, it only makes sense that that symbols are not used to define identity because the meaning of a symbol will always be fixed and never change.
5. Since identities collect significance from identities through their complete opposites, and because opposites attract one another, identities must be relational because they are classified under one general branch of a particular identity. This would probably be best defined through example, where national identities can be used. National identities, a general collective identity, can be classified into even more specific branches of identity, such as American identity and Spanish identity. It is here where the differences between identities lie. Such differences are that the Americans speak English; Spanish speak Spanish. The Americans have dinner at in the early evening; Spanish have dinner later at night. The list of difference could continue, but in other words, it is these identities of difference and how they fall under one umbrella that makes the identities relational.
6. Going back to how identity and ideology compare and contrast one another, ideology and identity relate to one another because ideology, what your thoughts and beliefs are, helps to contribute to your identity and what you will and will not buy into. The construction of identity is influenced by ideology because it is our values, beliefs, and decisions that we make (the ideology component of how our thoughts are organized) that help to construct the subjectivity components of our identity that we are conscious of. In other words, it is our ideology that helps to construct our identity. A good example of this is choosing whether you are going to drink alcohol or not. If you believe that drinking causes accidents because one is not aware of their state of consciousness, which can lead to unsafe, life altering situations to occur that could hurt you for the rest of your life, then you are most likely not going to buy into the message that drinking alcohol promotes, such as having a good time and not being you for a moment of your life. Through ideology in this situation, identity has been established.
Hi Shamus, I'm going to address your concern first. The more open ended questions are asking you to think about the reading and the concepts contained within (for example, how identity is created through language and symbols) and for you to then take that knowledge and to apply it to something else.
So, for example, while the reading doesn't explore specifically what American identity is, I am asking you to conside this question in relation to the ideas. For instance, if you're more essentialist in your thinking, you might argue that there is a shared 'something', intrinsic to your identity, and this binds you to others. The symbols which demarcate American identity being an expression of this inherent quality. On the other hand, if you're more anti-essentialist, you might think about how, like the Croat and Serb in the first reading, your identity is created and marked out through symbols... and how these symbols gain their meaning through the circuit of culture.
Unlike many academic disciplines, there are multiple possible answers. BUT, in order for an answer to be considered right it must be informed.. and in this case, informed by the ideas we've been exploring.
As to what identities are available to you? Some of the readings have been exploring how identity positions are not natural... they have to be created through representation. However, only certain identities are available to us... a person with particular biological markings will only have the option of identifying with one particular gender (although this is changeable, to some extent). Your economic situation also constrains your ability to identify with some identities.
For me, for example, I can identify as a woman, as middle class, as a professional, as a rower, as British... I cannot identify as an American (even with passport others would label me as English if my accent does not change). The concept of ideology helps us to understand why we are encouraged and discouraged from identifying with some positions.
Does that make sense?
Alex
I am curious about the kind of responses you are looking for with some questions. On the extended essay #3, is there something specific you are looking for or do we just explain how we view the identification with things as affecting our identities? Also, on the extended essay #2, besides using express and construct properly, is there a right or wrong answer?
while reading your comment Shamus, i think that you should mention essentialism and anti essentialism in your definition. I know you mention that identity can be fixed or shaped by your surroundings, but i think using the definitions will help you get extra points!
For other questions i have the same as the other people so will be checking back to see if you have answered their questions.
Aholt, some good answers here. Question 2: classificatory systems... think logically about the order of what happens. Consider a whole society without demarcations.. when a principle of difference is applied the society is divided up into competing groups who stand in relation to one another....
The answer on relationality is also good. Think about how identities stand in contrast to one another. Think of the way our language works on binaries: good/bad; strong/weak; brave/cowardly; old/young; black/white... For each term to gain meaning, they stand in opposition to other words... all terms operating along an axis of difference.
As for the questions... the questions will be similar to this. If you feel comfortable with these you'll be okay!
A
Great answers, too, Shamus. For the ideology question, think about hw power operates through ideoogical meaning... That is, ideology is really about power. The way we view identities has powerful effects in society. if we view whites as being more intelligent then we can justify a stratification system under which whites have more.... the fact that white people have more access to representational systems (and thus can shape ideological meanings in such a way that it benefits them) is effectively hidden from view. Power is most effective when we do not see it... When meaning appears natural we are discouraged from examining it. For example, we tend to view the meanings around gender as natural and so we don't tend to examine these meanings too closely or critically... precisely because they seem natural (of course women are more nurturing and emotional; of course men are stronger and more rational!)... but these are ideological meanings and they help ratify the current status-quo.
Does that make sense?
A
Hi Tom, this is a good beginning... Think about the systems of representation which encourage us to identify with nation. What happens if we don't identify? Think about the social sanctions we face... being called unpatriotic, being viewed as an outsider.
Instilling nationalism in the citizenry has historically been about encouraging people to fight for their country. using words such as 'we' 'our', etc., is part of this process. We are almost encouraged to think about the nation like an extended family... something we would die for. So nationalism is also about ideoogy and power...
Does that make sense?!
A
Hi Lauren. for all the extended questions I am asking you to think about the concepts and ideas explored, and for you to contemplate them, analyzing what seems right to you, and for you to apply those ideas in a way that is informed by the work we've done. In other words, there are really no completely wrong answers... BUT only if you explore the question in relation to the ideas covered. They are somewhat open-ended, as this allows me to discern how comfortable you are using the ideas, and thus it gives me a sense of your understanding. There are degrees of rightness, though! And if you misuse concepts or you are not consistent (i.e. if you go back and forth between essentialist and anti-essentialist concepts) in how you use them, then that would count as a wrong answer...
Thus, for questions 2 and 3, I am asking you to lay out the theories and for you to apply those concepts to yourself, using your own identities as an example.
Is that making sense?
A
Great tip, Chelsey!
Okay, class, I won't be up for too much longer, but I will check in a bit later.. and also tomorrow morning. The answers given so far are all looking good. Some general things...
I am looking to see how much you understand these ideas. That means I will be asking you to APPLY these theories and concepts creatively. It means that you're going to be using the ideas to engage in your own analysis... Hence, drawing on what we've learned and applying it to your self-identity (in relation to wider social identities) and other culturally recognizable identities.
please do leave any questions or other concerns you might have. We'll have a bit of time before the exam to go over any last minute items.
There will be no big surprises and I am not wanting to catch you out.
Good luck!
A
I understand when answering the questions that youre supposed to use concepts learned in the class. However, can you answer questions through your own personal opinions and using examples from our own personal experiences to also answer the questions instead on such a broad scale. Does that make sense?
My only question is would it be possible to pick up copies of the readings outside your office before the exam on monday? I have looked everywhere this weekend for one of the packets and must have somehow misplaced it. If not thats fine I ask around.
Hello again!
Prof. Campbell...I have looked over your comments and they are crystal clear to me for the most part. Thanks again for the clarification.
I now have my responses to the four essay questions for everyone to look at. Positive and negative criticisms are again welcome by any and all. I feel like number 2 was quite confusing to me because I was not quite sure how essentialist's and anti-essentialist's distinguish symbols. I guess my question here would be how are symbols carried through by both groups and how do anti-essentialist's express identities through symbols if only essentialist's can? I know that essentialist's use symbols to express identity, and that anti-essentialists use symbols to make identity. I don't think that the meaning of symbols changes over time for people who live in the anti-essentialist position, but then again I might be right. I don't know, maybe there's a part of it I can not explain and I can't find the right question to express that confusion. Maybe I'm not wrapping myself around this particular concept enough or warpping around it too much!
Anyway, if someone could just give me feedback on my second question that would be great! I think the rest went pretty well. Feel free to comment on those as well!
I will be around this blog tomorrow to gather more ideas from other people to help me see where other people are coming from, otherwise I will see everyone later on today for the exam (gosh I can't believe it's 2 AM. What am I doing up?)!
Respectfully Submitted,
Shamus
Extended Essay Questions
1. According to Benedict Anderson, the imagined community is the term Anderson uses, “to describe national culture in his argument that our understanding of national identity must include the idea we have of it” (Hall 18). Basically, the imagined community is whatever the individual visualizes as community. The imagined community is essentially used to solve any crisis of identity that might ever surface; hence it is mentioned in the section where identity crisis is discussed in the reading. The term is also used in the reading to describe an identity crisis between the Serbs and the Croats, where the formation of a national identity depends on the production of a united Serbian culture which corresponds to a territory perceived Serbian homeland. Such negotiation must include a shared idea of what it should constitute.
As people, we are constantly dreaming, visualizing, and imagining. It is our duty as citizens to communicate those thoughts and try to make such ideas reality for the better of the human cause. I believe that in order for each individuals imagined community to become a part of societies imagined community, we as a society must communicate those ideas to the general public for consideration. One way to participate in this imagining is to get involved in local and national rituals such as voting, placing your right hand on your heart during the anthem or swearing allegiance, or even attending your local town meeting. Involvement is key to society. Representation is also critical in terms of dedicated individuals as well as groups of people united in one cause. The same can also be said about systems of representation used to form our own national identity. Every time one sees the national flag or national tragedy occur in the news, take the terrorist attacks for example; help to reinforce the concept of national identity. As we moan from such a tragedy, we also unite under our national cause and patriotism in hopes of making our nation stronger. It is tragedies on the news such as this that do and always will reinforce the concept of national identity for years to come.
2. As a person, I tend to see myself as an anti-essentialist. This means that I feel that my identity is made using symbols and that I use those symbols as a means of showing that my identity is always changing with the times. Arguing from the anti-essentialist perspective, I feel that symbols make my identity rather than help to express it. Over the years, I feel that the meaning of such symbols has changed overtime. What a symbol could mean to me today could mean something completely different to me come tomorrow. One example of such symbols would be the golden arches that are associated with McDonald’s restaurants. As a child, I used to see McDonalds as being something good in terms of taste, degree of likeness, and of course Happy Meal toys and Monopoly giveaways. As I have grown into a more active lifestyle, I see McDonald’s food as more of a health risk that is only to be eaten sparingly and is indeed nothing to diet on. There are also other symbols such as the American flag that also help to make my identity. Over the years, the American flag has become more than the fact that I know I am American. For me, I have constructed the American flag to be a symbol of my own freedom, independence, and patriotism. Also, a shoe has also become more than just something I wear to cover my own two feet. A shoe for me has become a symbol that I like to run. In fact, the shoe fetish that I have creates the different identities that I have. Such as the fact that I like to wear slippers during down time, regular shoes whenever I kick around and do yard work, sandals on the beach, or even Crocks when I am inside a nice carpeted room. The symbol that I associate with is just one examples of how I am open to people’s ideas and that I will always be changing with the times.
3. Within the entourage of commercials the documentary “The Ad and the Ego” presents, there can be a message carved out of it that says a lot about how material objects can position ourselves in society in terms of an essentialist, classification, and cultural manner. In the circuit of culture, the production of such symbols and whether or not we decide to consume their meaning within our own identity symbolically positions us one way or another in society. As essentialists, we use symbols to help express identity and who we are in a specific manner. More importantly, buying into symbols helps society to symbolically position us and who we are into the big picture of society since classifications take large masses of people and classify them into more specific groups that are easier to identify with. In terms of identity and history, the Hall reading discusses the “us and them dichotomy” between the Serbs and the Croats as, “a recognition of difference, but not one that is fixed in the rigidity of binary opposition” (Hall 20-21). In terms of this idea in the discussion of material objects, it is key to note that such material items help to position ourselves in terms of identities of difference that maybe clashed upon, but that as soon as we buy into a certain object and its meaning, we imagine ourselves and others in terms of that item and what it would be like if they could buy into the same values of that certain item. On that note, when specific identities are clashed upon, it is important to seek out the collective identities for a sense of compromise.
The key point in this question, however, is that these materials symbolically position us into society through means of classification. Because a principle of difference is involved in the classification of identity, society is able to make meaning of what we associate with. This is what embeds meanings into symbols; what people think about them. Therefore, it is society’s interpretation of these symbols that helps to position ourselves into society based upon material possessions. For example, the fact that I wear glasses makes me more intelligent even though I feel I am not as intelligent as I in fact am. I just wear glasses because I cannot afford the money to wear contact lenses and because they are a pain in the butt to get used to. In today’s society, glasses indeed count as an example of intelligence because they are not the only option to take care of poor vision, as was not the case two or three decades ago when Lasik Eye Surgery and contacts were not around.
4. In the following Hummer advertisement, the target audience is people who are either on diets and/or environmentally conscious and trying to find the right balance in life. The Hummer company believes this balance can be achieved by purchasing a car that is fuel efficient and can get at least 20 MPG on the highway. Considering this is relatively low gas mileage in today’s fuel economy standards, the Hummer should be considered as a treat that should be purchased. Hence the word treat because the guy in the commercial was slow in wanting to buy the organic tofu, but jumped quick on buying the Hummer. When discussing this example in the context of the systems of representation, the significance of the Hummer is communicated in the commercial. While there are many identity positions that we can buy into, we are limited to only a few because of our own identities and finances (in this particular case) we are constrained by social order. While we are invited through social control to identify with the Hummer, we are held down by constraints that limit us otherwise.
It is also important to note that the term representation is synonymous with both the concepts of systems of representation and the circuit of culture. In the system of representations, some symbols are presented more positively than others. The more positive symbols are the ones we tend to incorporate into our own subjectivity. Representation is the circuit of culture helps us to create new identities; without marking these identities through culture the significance of identity becomes meaningless. Representations in the circuit of culture help to establish symbols into associations of collective identities. In the case of the Hummer ad, the collective identity belongs to the environmentalists and/or people on a diet trying to find the right balance. It is representation that both establishes and regulates ones identity. In the circuit of culture, such identity is used to produce and item that targets a specific identity. Then the productions are consumed; those who consume them buy into the values of the product, in this case it is the belief that the Hummer creates a desirable balance in life. This is then regulated at the macro level because the beliefs now associated with the Hummer in this ad are stereotypical assumptions that are created by society. The process then goes back to representation; hence bringing the concept full circle.
HI Paige, drawing on your personal experience is fine, but it must be in relation to the course material... Thus you'll be arging from an 'informed' perspective.
A
I think that all my questions about the test have been answered. I also agree with the answers that have been posted.
I have read everyone's answers and they were really helpful. I'm not going to add my answers, because I'd pretty much be saying more of the same... I dont have any concerns about the exam. Thanks for everyone's help and input.
Shamus, you are being a star in helping our your classmates with questions!
1) I like the way you integrate the reading here, relating it to the serbs and croats who star in the reading. Think about the sinister underbelly of this process, too. For instance, the Serbs and Croats could have lived as a collective group were the differences not applied; were they not encouraged to imagine themselves as separate and as different from one group.
Imagining communities usually leads us to over-emphasize difference between groups while over-emphasizing similarity within a group. Think, too, how imagining communities is an ideological process. In short, we are invited to see our identity as positive and the other as negative; as us as good and the other as bad... This can (and almost always does) lead to great conflict.
2) you asked about how anti-essentialist's view symbols. For them, symbols are always taking on new meanings as they are represented through the circuit of culture, which means that we are constantly identifying with changing meanings even if we identify with the same symbols. For example., the symbol 'man' does not necessarily change, but the meanings around maleness do change, and we internalize those meanings, and this shifts our sense of self.
Is that making much sense?
In terms of your answer, consider how in actively incorporating symbols you actively create a sense of self. Thus, in buying and using running shoes you are helping to define (construct/make) yourself as a runner. If you were arguing from an essentialist viewpoint you would say that were born to run, and you bought the running shoes to express that innate side of yourself.
3. I really like the examples you give at the end. I am a little confused in the beginning part, though, because it seems like you're starting the answer from an essentialist viewpoint, only to use anti-essentialist ideas to explain your answe. Essentialists condider the meanings around identity and symbols to be FIXED and NATURAL. How they are represented, then, stays consistent because symbols are natural carriers of meaning. However, as you rightly point out, how symbols and their attendant identities are represented changes across cultures and over time... giving rise to new identity positions and meanings.
I'll post this and address question 4!
A
I think this is an interesting ad for a variety of reasons. It is very much about male identity... Shamus, you make some good points here, but think about how the ad is creating meaning around maleness... there you have a seemingly vegetarian male, who is eco-friendly, but these very factors are represented as undermining his masculinity. Thus the hummer... ! Which represents what in our culture? The ad is clearly trying to target males who are mindful of the environment while playing on the anxiety that they are not manly enough. Purchasing the Hummer - which is loaded with meaning (think about its beginning as a military vehicle) - in a way is represented as restoring that masculinity.
And so the ad makes available a certain type of masculine identity...
You are also right, too, about the eco-person and the class implications...
For everyone, think about organization when you're responding to the extended pieces. Define concepts in the beginning (helping to provide a framework) and then apply and analyze.
Good luck! And I hope, Shamus, that you managed to get some sleep!
A
sjohnson, come by my office if you can;'t locate the reading.
A
All answers are really helpful for the test. I agree with all of them and my answers are pretty close to what everyone else said. Thank you for these practice questions and the study guide
There was alot of good material here that really helped my studying. Thank to everyone who answered questions. And also to those who asked questions about the exam setup and expectations.
I'm fairly sure I understand everything well now. I have no further concerns, and the questions have all already been answered pretty completely... especially Shamus. So I have nothing futher.
i think shamus answered all my questions. All the replies really helped to focus my studying. Good job everyone and good luck on the test!
I was just having a bit of trouble with Hall's Three Concepts of Identity. Lauren's Response really helped me out. Thank you.
After reviewing the study guide, I pretty much understand the main points of the questions. Also, thanks to the students' as well as professor's comments, a lot of questions that I had were answered and many ideas were clarified. I still, however, am having a difficult time answering #6..which states..
6. In what way are constructions of identity ‘ideological’?
Am I supposed to answer that question based on the fact that ideology is about power. Should I incorporate how a given identity is a very powerful thing and cannot be easily changed?
I only have one question on the processes of circuit of culture. Everything else I think I have a grasp on.
All comments are very helpful for study. Most of conceps became clrear by this blog. Thank you so much for everyone.
Took me a while to figure out what I had to reset my password to...
Comments were a good guide
circuit of culture:
i found it easy to remember CRRIP
consume
regulate
representation
identity
production
where identity & representation are moreso present throughout the circuit
Fallon
Sorry this is a little after the fact. Busy weekend, busy night making up for it!
As a commentary on the test, I felt the packets did a really good job preparing me for the exam. I didn't have access to the blog or the guide, but most of the answers were pretty clear from what I had available. One thing that really did trip me up was the system of representation. I still haven't found the information regarding it, actually. What did surprise me was how little effort it took to write the essays at the end of the test. The topics presented were concise and easy to elaborate on.
Ummm....considering this is late, I'm just going to give some feedback on the test. I thought it was going to be much harder than what I expected. Having said that, I'm still hesitant about my grade, but that's beside the point. The study guide helped me out a tremendous amount. The packets are just soooooooo long and I'm sorry to say this and you probably don't want to hear it, but I HATE READING! Anyway, the study guide was a smart way to localize all the reading into what was important. All in all, the test wasn't too bad.
Thanks!
After taking the test I happened to think about how your identity is based on what you are surrounded by. While we all have the freedom to have certain beliefs and perform certain actions, we can only grasp ideas from what we already know. Unless you discover something totally new, you based your ideas behind or against an idea that was already in use.
I have read all the comments.
Blog is a wonderful idea!
Thanks a lot everybody! It's fun and very helpful.
Post a Comment