Narratives of Difference and Belonging - Assignment Example

Narratives of Difference and BelongingKey arguments/concepts presented in the article: The main concept presented in the article speaks of the various influencing factors that shape the adolescents, or the youth of a particular age. It speaks of the various traditional approaches in understanding the developmental processes of this age group (the teen group, till 24 yrs) and focuses on the post modern age of globalization, and the need to change our style of education. Here a very interesting concept is presented, known as emergence of a ‘hybridized’ class of youth, owing to the present wave of globalization, and resultant social structure, which is more open in all aspects, and consists of something of a goulash of various diverse economies, cultures, and traditions.

Interesting fact, illuminating statement, personal connection: An interesting fact mentioned in the article is that of the presence of the same set of things, starting from consumer products, to eateries, groceries, and shopping malls, which are seen everywhere in today’s globalised world. So there is a definite loss of individualism, or uniqueness of a certain place, and one always ends up getting the same thing anywhere they go. This is something we are evidencing today in all parts of the world.

There is always a McDonalds, a Café Coffee Day or a Barista, and somehow the local flavor is slowly disappearing under the burgeoning pressure from these huge multinationals. I can personally connect to this observation, as wherever I have travelled looking for new things, I have always met these giants standing tall, dishing out the same set of standardized products.Author’s perspective/value position: The author feels that in this changed scenario of globalization and high-tech communication era, the youth needs to be first acknowledged as a source of power.

Accordingly their education should be offered in a different manner, inculcated with new values that would be more fitting in this hybridized world. To make this effective, the educators have to change their mindset or else as the author comments “We need new ways of thinking of and working with kids, otherwise we will become irrelevant as we produce education for categories of kids that no longer exist in the postmodern world” (Besley, 74).Validity/usefulness of the article for thinking about issues of cultural diversity: This article is very important in today’s context, as it speaks of the new age culture that we can see all around us.

It also speaks of new ways of handling the youth, so as to make their education better and more effective in this globalised world. This piece of article is very contemporary and helps us to understand the fallacies that we see in our education system today.Implications for education: The article has great implications for the betterment of youth education. Handling a very contemporary topic, this article outlines the reasons as to why the educators and the educational system as a whole needs a complete overhauling, if they really wish to produce a young generation that would not only be well educated, competent, but also be fit enough to survive in this hybridized and high-tech world.

ReferenceBesley, A. C. Hybridized and Globalized: Youth Cultures in the Postmodern Era, Review of Education, Pedagogy, and Cultural Studies, 25: 2, 2003. Print.NOTES FOR TUTORIAL READING Article: C. WeedonKey arguments/concepts presented in the article: The main concept that the author theorizes here is about the formation of human identities, and how they are manifested by certain typical outward expressions like gender, wealth etc., and identification forms the core subject through which a person becomes a ‘knowing subject’ or a sovereign person.

(Weedon, 7). Identities may form from social, cultural or institutional aspects of life, and once acquired, it becomes an intrinsic part of the person concerned. Here the author stresses on the fact that identity of an individual formed under whatever circumstances, be it from gender, power, or class consciousness, or racial discrimination, or good looks, it becomes the central point or pivot, upon which the individual moves. Another important concept is that how globalization and resulting migrations, have also affected the identities of individuals of a nation.

Interesting fact, illuminating statement, personal connection: An interesting fact mentioned in the article is that how often identity forms even through casual remarks made by another person who in reality, is not meaning any harm. Here the author mentions about his looks, and the frequently heard comment “but you do not have the looks”, and how it slowly became his ‘identity claim”. This is so true in the context of our daily lives, especially in the case of a young girl, where she may be persistently compared to her better looking elder sisters or her mother.

It would create a sort identity crisis in the child’s mind, often leading to other psychological problems. This is also true in cases where one is taunted for his color, his wealth, or even stature.Author’s perspective/value position: The author feels that our identities are created by how we perceive ourselves, and what others as a society perceive and tell us about their observations. As for example America is always identified with capitalism and exploitation, though it may not be true in all cases.

However it is what who don’t stay in America perceive, and say so, with the result that the identity persists. The author is of the view that once an identity is formed, it becomes the centre point for the existence of that person.Validity/usefulness of the article for thinking about issues of cultural diversity: This article is very important as it speaks about and explains the various theories that create an identity of a person. In this globalised world there have taken place large numbers of migrations, leading to change in identity perceptions and creating completely new identities.

Such migrations have very often changed the very face of existent societies, as for example when the white colonials migrated to America, they changed the identity of the local Native Americans who were already staying there.Implications for education: The article has great implications for the betterment of youth education. Handling a very contemporary and relevant topic, this article tells us how the society helps to create the identity of an individual. Bearing this in mind, and the effects that a globalised world and the resultant migrating crowds have caused, we have to shape our educational system in such a manner that we help the young minds form strong positive identities about themselves.

An identity that is confident enough to believe in its own self worth, irrespective of race, color, wealth or class, is the objective all educators should aim for, and strive to achieve, by instilling proper values in the young minds that they prepare for the future. Works CitedWeedon, C. Identity and Culture: Narratives of difference and belonging. Subjectivity and Identity, 6-20. Madenhead: Open University Press, 2004.