Document paper proposal - Essay Example

Module Paper Proposal Self identity is the main factor that determines a person’s level of self confidence. Even though it is one of the most written-about subjects, ideas on how to generate and internalize it are still not clearly understood. The expression ‘self-identity’ is descriptive of the qualities as well as skills that people around the world use to describe who they are. Usually these personal beliefs about one’s characteristics are taken from one’s family members, as well as the beliefs held by the surrounding community (Perry 148).

From a sociological standpoint, the self is basically organized around a certain beliefs that a person has about him or herself. Beliefs about the self can also be structured around cultural notions about the status of one’s family. For instance, a woman who bears a child will use her community’s beliefs about mothers to construct her own convictions about who she is. If she is a working mother, she may also use her society’s ideas about different occupations to create her own self identity (Shoemaker 49).

Society, for the most part, can help an individual to construct meaningful ideas about their worth. However, this is not always the case, and when society is judgmental towards one’s particular community or gender, it will inevitably influence how people see themselves. According to Mohamed Rafiq, Maya Angelou’s poem, ‘Phenomenal Woman’, appears to have been an exercise in encouraging women to define themselves by qualities other than those stipulated by society (Rafiq, 36). The scholar Mary Lupton, who has studied the poetry of Maya Angelou has also stated that the poetess used statements such as "the curl of my lips" (Line 9) and "the stride of my steps" (Line 8) in her poem, ‘Phenomenal Woman’, to show that a woman is more than a body that has society’s standards of beauty.

She wanted to stress that women are already fully female without necessarily adding all the things that society stipulates (Lupton, 5). According to Chasar, Langston Hughes, who lived at a time when African Americans were subjected to segregation in all areas of life, allowed his warped self identity to show itself in his poems (Chasar, 59). This is an example of how society’s warped view of something can influence a person’s self identity. In his poem, ‘Cross’, Hughes stated, ‘My father is a white old man And my mother is black.

If ever I cursed my father, I take back my curses. If ever I slandered my mother And wished she were doomed to hell, I repent that evil wish…’ (Mehta and Sharma, 3)According to the scholar, Shaduri, Langston expresses regret for saying things that were the result of his doubt in who he was and the worth of that (Shaduri, 94). He had inherited that legacy from his society. This paper is written with the view to further examine the positive or negative roles of a person’s culture and family members on the formation of his self-identity, from a sociological point of view.

It will also seek to establish if people can change their identities successfully if they are brought up in cultures that have retrogressive of harmful beliefs and practices. Works CitedChasar, Mike. “The Sounds of Black Laughter And The Harlem Renaissance: Claude Mckay, Sterling Brown, Langston Hughes.” American Literature 80.1 (2008): 57-81. Lupton, Mary Jane. "Spinning in a Whirlwind": Sexuality in Maya Angelous Sixth Autobiography. " MAWA Review 18.1-2 (2003): 1-6.Mehta, Sangita, and Ajay Sharma.

“A tale of Slavery through Hughes’ Poetry.” Journal of Arts Science & Commerce 2.1 (2011). Web. 23 Jul. 2013. http://www.researchersworld.com/vol2/PAPER_21.pdf Perry, John. Personal Identity: Second Edition. California: University of California Press, 2008. Rafiq, Mohammed. “Woman in Introspection: Maya Angelou – The Phenomenal Woman.” The IUP Journal of American Literature 3.3 (2010): 32-42.Shaduri, George. "Double Consciousness" and the Poetry of Langston Hughes On the example of The Weary Blues (1923).

” IBSU Scientific Journal 4.1 (2010): 89-98.Shoemaker, David. Personal Identity and Ethics: A Brief Introduction. New York: Broadview Press, 2008.