The Main Idea of Identity of People - Essay Example

Summary In Stuart Hall’s “Old and New Identities, Old and New Ethnicities,” the main idea was that the identity of people can be examine by their actions and their actions define their identity. For example, it is easy to gather that people want a future that has economic prosperity that will be more abundant, which this action becomes a part of their identity. This is because life consists of material prosperity as much as in civil liberties or political democracy is an old on as the content of the book suggests. However, since the structure of globalization has to be reconstructed in order to following. If economics and political figures do not fix the globalization structure, people will not have what they want, which will become a part of their identity. Therefore, each decision that man makes affects his true self and identity. In the twenty-first century, economic changes were threatening the third American middle class because U.S. corporations started to transfer production jobs and service jobs to low-wage workers. Along with that, in many Third World countries of export-oriented development strategies made the global market for both skilled and unskilled labor to grow bigger. Reducing the cost of such imports as toys from China and shoes from Indonesia, it destroyed the jobs. Unfortunately, every sector from foreign competition, an ever growing number of manufacturing and service jobs were eliminated by technological innovations, which is a trend that will probably prove even more important than globalization over time.. Due to technologically driven increases in productivity, advances in manufacturing and automation have slashed the prices of consumer appliances such as televisions and personal computers. However, productivity growth threatens the middle class and other social classes in three ways due to the poor structure of globalization, which could increase economic growth if reconstructed correctly. Within the book, it seems that a cow in a foreign country makes more money than anyone in the world, which most economists cannot realize as a problem. With that fact, the book suggest that globalization needs to be restructured in order to benefit everyone since their actions define their identity. Summary #2 In “Art of Darkness,” blacks are settled in Britain, however some do not receive the same education and treatment as white students due to the fact that they are viewed as a minority race Furthermore, because of their lack culture acknowledgement from teachers, sometimes British blacks students require were ignored, which is actually lacking knowledge in their culture even though they have settled in there for hundreds of years. From there, this is why she recorded blacks were very proud when they had a chance of education. They expressed frustrations though some form of art rather it was music or painting. Most British blacks take their beliefs to a higher level to understand their God and themselves on a spiritual plane, which makes them open to new ideas of music and dance. From there, religion is not just about finding an understanding of God, it is also about finding one’s spirituality, which helps someone to accept and have knowledge of themselves and places them in the right cultures. Many blacks were still not allowed to attend school due to fact that some states found it illegal to educate them. Furthermore, there were only a few women who were allowed to attain an education rather they were white or black. Some British blacks express themselves through jazz, which helped them to deal with their place in the culture. From there, the blues music had become a part of the African American culture in the early twentieth century. “Blues music reflected the new status of blacks. Slaves’ newly acquired freedom, Booker T. Washington’s teachings, and the Horatio Alger model, which asserted that the individual molds his own destiny, influenced this form of personalized music. According to historian Lawrence Levine, "there was a direct relationship between the national ideological emphasis upon the individual, the popularity of Booker T. Washingtons teachings, and the rise of the blues. Psychologically, socially, and economically, Negroes were being acculturated in a way that would have been impossible during slavery, and it is hardly surprising that their secular music reflected this as much as their religious music did." (Levine, Lawrence W., Black Culture and Black Consciousness) As a consequence, it was the emphasis on the individual that influenced the blues personalized form of song” (McElrath). Research has demonstrated that peoples values and beliefs in association with their culture will influence their views about decision-making. Culture gives individuals a sense of identity; self-worth and belonging and also provides the rules for peoples behavior. Therefore, culture, values and ethnicity will influence black and minority ethnic people and family member views. Summary #3 Within “The Gangsta and the Diva,” culture has been defined as music and styles for nearly 30 years especially since the increasing use of the Internet. Due to the age of MTV, culture has a different light on blacks. Following the growth of black culture, culture has become more accessible and less exclusive to people in general. Therefore, cultures define music and style, which has become a life of its own due to the increasing exposure to society. By examining the African American culture, it is apparent that race is about a social construct rather than biological since society has a different set of rules for each racial group. Furthermore, the\re is no alternative conceptualization of race that I would advocate because it is a social construct. This is due to the fact that society has defined what is expected of each racial group, which has nothing to do with biological aspects of being while, and black that is being presented in American history. Despite the struggles, African Americans have contributed to the foundations of some of American events through culture and music. With the age of MTV, social support is related to healthier functioning blacks. Support, as a construct, has been defined as a sense of belonging, specifically among peers, teammates, community or family members. Blacks reporting strong social support/low isolation exhibit higher levels of resilience and lower levels of depression. Blacks are also less likely to be depressed if they perceive their family, friends, and peers to be more accepting, and if they have more positive friendships. Those who feel supported by counselors, parents, or peers exhibit healthier coping mechanisms and maintain a more positive outlook about their future. In contrast, blacks who lack social support and experience isolation may behave in self-injurious ways. References McElrath, Jessica. The History of Blues Music. Available http://afroamhistory.about.com/od/bluesmusic/a/bluesmusic.htm [20, August 2008] Read More