Evaluation of Self-Identity - Essay Example

Running Head: Self - Identity Evaluation of Self - Identity Evaluation of Self – Identity It is important to know one’s self-identity in terms of race, culture and linguistics. Self-identity exclusively implies one’s image regarding one’s self and other around them. It is important to develop positive images of self and of others to be able to form amiable relationships. If a person tends to degrade one’s own identity, one tends to shy away from others’ company. However, in case of the contrary, one tends to become self-centered and overzealous, promoting racial discriminations and prejudices prevalent in the society since time unknown. It is an important aspect of the educational system to avoid breeding racial injustices into the newer generations so that a better balanced world can be expected in the near future. However, as a person steps into adolescence, one tends to become more aware about their heritage and racial background. It is essential that people are led the right way at this particular stage so that racial equality can be established. Race has been defined as “a sub-group of people possessing a definite combination of physical characteristics, of genetic origin, the combination of which to varying degrees distinguishes the sub-group from other sub-groups of mankind” (Casas 3). Hence any group of people that can be differentiated from another group of people on the basis of certain characteristics are said to belong to a specific race. These common characteristics are established more on a physical note than mental. Numerous materials and models are available online that help in racial identity development. The concept of self-identity is more often complicated and may include a combination of identities instead of a single identity. The self-identity generally encompasses three fields; the gender, the racial background and the sexual orientation. Biologically, I am a fit male in my early twenties. I recognize myself as an African American since I can trace back my origins to Liberia, Africa. I possess a distinctively dark skin color characteristic of African Blacks. I have lived a major part of my life in America, with my ancestral linage consisting of African Americans. Several of my distant relatives still reside in my homeland Africa. I do not feel ashamed to belong to the African American nation, and I am fully aware of my enslaved past. However, today, the scenario regarding “color” discrimination is very different from what it was before the Civil War. There are three traditional models of racial/cultural identity development; (Cass, 1979), (Cross, 1971) and (Phinney, 1990). All these three models revolve around the idea that cultural and environmental factors induce a sense of uniqueness in individuals thereby arousing their racial identity crisis. All racial identity development models eventually result in the person realizing his/her true identity and being at peace with it. Sometime after these theories were formulated, The Helm’s White Racial Identity Model was developed in 1984. Helm’s White Racial Identity Model attempted to abridge the important points of the earlier models. It was designed in a manner that it spread over six distinct statuses encompassing two phases. The Phases include: (i) Abandonment of Racism and (ii) Defining a Non-Racist Identity. The six statuses are: 1) Contact Status: One’s inability to recognize racial differences. 2) Disintegration Status: One’s awareness about racial discriminations but his/her simultaneous ignorance in this regard. 3) Reintegration Status: Acceptance of White superiority over Black with an adamant attitude. 4) Pseudo-Independence Status: An approach to understand the minority group (Blacks) by effective interactions with them. 5) Immersion/Emersion Status: Grasping knowledge regarding one’s racial identity and the racial identity of others, and forming personal opinions about it. 6) Autonomy: Acceptance of the racial discrimination and attempts to establish a non-racist identity. Helm’s White Racial Identity Model saw its popularity in the late twentieth century, followed by a revision of the theory in 1995. However, it effectively covers the identification of whites in America. Being an African American, what a majority Americans recognize as a “minority”, I have witnessed Whites approaching me for knowing more about my African American race, and formulating anti-racist opinions thereafter. The African American heritage is just as richly textured and literature-crested as any other race. The African American contribution to the American history is more substantial than any other race’s contributions. However, a fourth contemporary model had been established which is more effective in racial identity development. This model, developed by Atinkson, Morten and Sue in 1989, summarizes the steps of all previous models into five stages: 1) Conformity 2) Dissonance 3) Resistance and Immersion 4) Introspection 5) Integrative Awareness These steps are in effect similar to Helm’s White Racial Identity Model with slight differences. This model inspects the effects of these stages on in individual according to four attitudes: (i) attitude about self, (ii) attitude about others of same minority, (iii) attitude about others of another minority, and, (iv) attitudes regarding dominant groups. Conformity refers to the stage where the minority is greatly influenced by the dominant culture’s beliefs and norms. Having spent all my life in America, my beliefs and norms had been influenced by the American culture. Due to lack of adequate knowledge and understanding, and the discriminatory practices I witnessed in some occurrences earlier on, I was inclined to degrade my own race and hold the Whites in highest esteem. Other minorities were more or less ignored. The Dissonance stage, or conflict stage, arises as a result of discrepancies between the perceived and the reality. In my case, I tried to study my race and its history. I was shocked to find immense disparities between the projected “bully” images of Blacks and their actual history of a century of enslavement. I dug deeper into my historical cultures only to discover that what I knew or what I had gained from the surroundings was nowhere near the rich cultural heritage African Americans possessed. These conflicts gave rise to confusions and I was frustrated with the fakeness projected to masses. These discrepancies had me more inclined towards the dominant white group because of their popularity and normalcy. African Americans seemed like a nation out-of-place; one that should never have been in America. For some time, I was under the delusion that Whites version of Black propaganda was true. However, soon I realized this was not the case. Extensive reasoning, questioning and researching bestowed me with my share of guilt, shame and doubt about the saneness of my choices. I was not entirely sure whether African American history was as detestable as I had made it for myself. With due time, I accepted that being an African American was not in fact something I should be so ignorant about. It was my identity; I was born this way. There was nothing I could do to change my roots and my exclusive African physique and nature. It wasn’t as though Africans were aliens or ants – they were just as human as anyone else, and they had rights equivalent to everyone. As I accepted my racial background, I had started feeling a certain pride and honor in being what I am. This was the Resistance and Immersion stage of the Atinkson, Morten and Sue Model. Introspection came next. An individual tends to be more objective about one’s own culture and beliefs and of other minority and dominant groups and begin appreciating the similarities and differences between the two. Same was the case with me. As I accepted my racial background, I tried to investigate the racial backgrounds of other races, and saw striking similarities between the two. For example, the White literates from the pre-Civil War era were equal in numbers with the African American literate journalists. A number of Black writers have existed despite the generally destitute history of African Americans. It is no achievement to eat from a golden spoon out of a plate someone else prepared for you; the real achievement is when resources are low and people are able to make way for their own wills. This does not imply that all other groups fall under this category. As we know, the Native Americans were severely wronged, significantly more than African Americans. However, the racial backgrounds of all races seldom lack richness. The table below summarizes the reactions according to the Atinkson, Morten and Sue Model: Lastly, Integrative Awareness is when an individual realizes and appreciates all races and knows every race lacks perfection. Every group has their good and bad factors – none comprises entirely of good practices or bad practices. Rather, history is a homogenous mixture of heroics and failures. This way, a general appreciation is achieved for all races and a balance is created, eliminating racial discriminations and prejudices. After learning all racial backgrounds and their strengths and weaknesses, I decided none was superior – they all lay at the same level. My race, though important in identifying myself, was nevertheless just as sacred as any other race. I found racial discrimination as futile means of destroying the unity of American nation, and as a senseless baseless subject of unknown origin. That said, my self-identity developed as an African American male. The last orientation of self-identity remains the sexual orientation of an individual. Cass’s personal development model provides an analysis and acceptance procedure for heterosexual individuals. The six stages of this model are: 1) Identity Confusion: Who am I? Am I fine, socially acceptable and natural? Observation said I was normal. 2) Identity Comparison: Am I different? Do I deviate from normalcy? The answer was an outright No! 3) Identity Tolerance: Can I bear my identity? Am I comfortable with it? I definitely was comfortable with my attraction to women instead of men. 4) Identity Acceptance: I am straight – no doubt about that. 5) Identity Pride: I am normal and I am straight, so I am definitely on the right path to Heaven. Homosexuals are not good; which makes me good instead. 6) Identity Synthesis: My straightness and my normality is a part of me that makes me what I am. I am not afraid to accept it, neither am I uncomfortable with it. It is a part of me and I appreciate it. According to this model and by answering the questions on the way, I developed a self-identity of being straight and heterosexual instead of homosexual. Hence my over all self-identity on all three dimensions can be briefed into “a Straight African American Male”. I am peaceful and satisfied with all three aspects of my identity and I appreciate the existence of others as well. However, the objective of this self-identity formulation has been achieved. I no longer believe in racial discrimination – I believe in equality for all. References Casas from Helms, J. E. (1990). “Black and White Racial Identity: Theory, Research and Practice”. Praeger: Westport CT. Retrieved from https://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=98877906 Cass, V. C. (1979). “Homosexual identity formation: A theoretical model”. Journal of Homosexuality, 219-235. Cross, W. E., Jr. (1971). “Toward a psychology of Black liberation: The Negro-to-Black Conversion experience”. Black World, 13-27. Phinney, J. S. (1990). “Ethnic identity in adolescents and adults: Review of research”. Psychological Bulletin, 499-514. Helms, J. E. (1984). “Toward a theoretical explanation of the effects of race on counseling: A Black and White model”. The Counseling Psychologist, 153-165. Atkinson, D. R., Morten, G., & Sue, D. W. (1989). “A minority identity development model”. Counseling American Minorities, 35-52. Read More