Video Lecture on "The Complexity of Identity Who Am I?" FA22
Summary
TLDRProfessor Sexton's lecture delves into the intricate nature of identity, highlighting how it's influenced by various factors like race, sex, age, and class. The lecture emphasizes the distinction between dominant and subordinate groups, noting that members of dominant groups often don't prioritize their status in self-identification. Tatum's essay explores the complex interplay between these groups and challenges readers to reflect on their own identities, encouraging a deeper understanding of how we relate to others within and outside our social groups.
Takeaways
- 📚 Professor Sexton introduces the lecture on Beverly Dam's essay, emphasizing the importance of self-study alongside video lectures.
- 🔍 The concept of identity is presented as complex and multifaceted, influenced by various factors such as race, sex, age, class, and more.
- 👥 Tatum's essay discusses the impact of dominant and subordinate groups on identity, noting that members of dominant groups may not list their status first when describing themselves.
- 🎨 Media representation is highlighted as a factor that reinforces the visibility and normalcy of dominant groups, often at the expense of subordinate groups.
- 🤔 The essay prompts reflection on personal identity, encouraging students to consider how they would describe themselves in 60 seconds.
- 🔄 Tatum suggests that individuals can belong to both dominant and subordinate groups simultaneously, complicating the understanding of identity.
- 🌟 The essay challenges readers to consider their own identities and how they relate to those within and outside of their groups.
- 🤝 The relationship between identity and social interaction is a central theme, with a focus on how individuals perceive and interact with others.
- 💭 Tatum raises thought-provoking questions about identity, such as 'Who am I?', 'Who was I before?', and 'Who will I become?', without providing direct answers.
- 📈 The video lecture is meant to provide highlights and main points rather than a detailed analysis of the essay, encouraging active reading and engagement with the material.
Q & A
What is the main topic of Professor Sexton's video lecture?
-The main topic of the video lecture is the complexity of identity as discussed in Tatum's essay, focusing on the relationship between dominant and subordinate groups and how they shape our identities.
What are the two suggested ways to approach the video lectures and essays?
-The two suggested ways are to either read the essay first and then watch the video lecture, or watch the video lecture first and then read the essay.
Why does Professor Sexton emphasize the importance of reading the essays by oneself?
-Professor Sexton emphasizes this because he does not go over the essays in exact detail, paragraph by paragraph or sentence by sentence, and wants students to engage with the material directly.
What exercise does Tatum often give her students in her psychology classes?
-Tatum asks her students to write 'I am' and then fill in as many adjectives as they can in 60 seconds to describe who they are.
What observation did Tatum make about students of color during the 'I am' exercise?
-Tatum noticed that students of color tend to list their race first, indicating the significance of race in their identity.
Why do dominant group members not tend to list their group identity first in the 'I am' exercise?
-Dominant group members may not list their identity first because they are often exposed to images and representations of their group in media, making it less of a defining characteristic for them.
How does Tatum's essay address the changing representation of subordinate groups in media?
-Tatum's essay acknowledges that while there has been some change in the representation of subordinate groups, there is still a need for more accurate and diverse portrayals beyond stereotypes.
What does Tatum suggest about individuals who belong to both dominant and subordinate groups?
-Tatum suggests that individuals can straddle both categories, being members of both dominant and subordinate groups, which adds complexity to their identity.
What is the significance of Tatum's essay in understanding identity?
-The significance of Tatum's essay is that it explores how identity is not just about personal characteristics but also about how individuals relate to others within and outside their groups.
What reflective exercise does Professor Sexton suggest students do after watching the video lecture?
-Professor Sexton suggests students take 60 seconds to list their own identities, as an exercise to engage with the essay's discussion on identity.
Why does Professor Sexton recommend students to try the 'I am' exercise without prior influence from the lecture or essay?
-He recommends this to encourage students to think independently and authentically about their identities, without being influenced by the perspectives presented in the lecture or essay.
Outlines
📚 Introduction to the Video Lecture on Identity Complexity
Professor Sexton introduces the video lecture on the topic of identity, suggesting two methods for engaging with the material: reading the essay first or watching the lecture, and vice versa. The professor emphasizes that the lectures will not cover the essays in detail but will highlight main points raised by the authors. The focus is on Tatum's essay, which discusses the complexity of identity shaped by various factors such as race, sex, age, class, sexuality, religion, socioeconomic status, language, and upbringing. The professor invites students to consider their own identities and how they are influenced by dominant and subordinate groups.
🔍 Exploring Dominant and Subordinate Groups in Identity
The second paragraph delves into the concept of dominant and subordinate groups within the context of identity. Tatum's essay suggests that individuals from dominant groups may not prioritize their group status when defining their identity, unlike those from subordinate groups who often list their race, gender, or sexuality first. The professor uses examples such as gay men and white women to illustrate how individuals can belong to both dominant and subordinate groups simultaneously. The essay encourages students to reflect on their identities and consider the perspectives of those in different social groups. It also poses thought-provoking questions about identity and self-perception, urging students to examine their own identities beyond the influence of the lecture and essay.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Identity
💡Dominant Group
💡Subordinate Group
💡Psychological Exercise
💡Media Representation
💡Stereotypes
💡Socioeconomic Status
💡Intersectionality
💡Self-Identification
💡Reflection
💡Essentialism
Highlights
Introduction by Professor Sexton on the lecture's approach to complementing the essay with video content.
Emphasis on the importance of reading the essays independently due to the lecture not covering every detail.
Tatum's essay on the complexity of identity shaped by various factors and social interactions.
Listing of categories that affect identity, including race, sex, age, class, sexuality, religion, socioeconomic status, and language.
Observation that students of color tend to list their race first in an identity exercise, unlike those in the dominant group.
Discussion on the visibility and representation of dominant and subordinate groups in media and society.
The changing landscape of media representation of subordinate groups beyond stereotypes.
The dual nature of identity where individuals can belong to both dominant and subordinate groups simultaneously.
The concept of using personal experiences to understand the dynamics between dominant and subordinate groups.
The essay's focus on how individuals relate to others within and outside their identity groups.
Encouragement for students to reflect on their own identities and categorize themselves.
Suggestion to perform a 60-second identity listing exercise to engage with the essay's themes.
The importance of considering one's identity without the influence of the lecture or essay.
The role of video lectures as a tool for highlighting key points rather than a detailed review of the essays.
The value of the lecture in providing a framework for understanding the essays' main arguments and themes.
The conclusion of the lecture with a reminder of the video's purpose and a wish for a good day.
Transcripts
hello i'm professor sexton and this is
our video lecture on beverly dam
safe replacement identity
who am i
um there are two ways that you can watch
these videos you can either read the
essay first and then
watch the video lecture or watch the
video lecture first and then read the
essay or
watch the video lecture read the essay
watch the video lecture again
so whatever technique works for you uh
in these video lectures on the essays
that we are going to cover over the
semester i am not going to go over the
essays and exact details so i'm not
going to go
paragraph by paragraph sentence by
sentence um so it is very important that
you read the essays for yourself uh but
what i do want to do in these video
lectures is hit on some of the main uh
points that the authors raise in their
essays
so for tatum's essay the complexity of
identity she begins the essay by stating
that
the concept of identity is a complex one
that is shaped by a number of factors
and contacts
she says that it is shaped by others
around us that would be our parents our
peers the people that we encounter
uh and then she lists some
categories that affect our identities
things such as race
sex age class sexuality religion
socioeconomic uh status language where
we grew up and so all of these things uh
are things that she states shape our
identity and for most of you this is not
new information you you know this you
know that your identities are shaped by
a number of factors
but what she then does in the essay she
moves on
by talking about
dominant group and subordinate groups
and she says that in a number of her
psycho psychological psychology classes
she often gives her students an exercise
what she asks them to write
i am and then they have 67 i mean 60
seconds to fill in as many adjectives as
they can of who they are and one of the
things that she noticed in all the years
of doing this exercise is that students
of color
tend to list their race first so if
someone is black or puerto rican
or um
korean they'll list that first or
women tend to list that they are women
first or
for those people who are comfortable and
revealing their sexuality they will list
that they're gay or lesbian first
however she knows that the interesting
thing is for those people who are in the
dominant group they don't tend to list
that first so for instance a white
person would list that they are white
first or
that a um
male 1 wouldn't tend to list that he is
male first and likewise that someone who
is heterosexual
would tend to list their heterosexual
first and then she uses that to talk
about this whole sense of the dominant
groups in the subordinate groups and
that those people who belong in belong
in dominant groups don't feel the need
to put that out first and then in her
essay she kind of speculates on why that
is
and one of the things that she says is
that
for
most people the dominant images are the
images that we see often displayed back
to us if you look at media
films tv shows uh print journalism uh
you get plenty of images of white people
you get plenty images of heterosexuals
or you get plenty images of males
um but the subordinate group um
she says that you don't often see those
images or if you do
they're presented in a stereotypical way
now
some of you may argue that that has
changed a lot
since the publication of this essay uh
because i do think um that now with a
number of tv shows and a number of
movies we are seeing those subordinate
groups uh displayed more and not just in
terms of stereotypes that we see them in
you know the full range of um their
experiences and how
they live their lives and so just one
narrative um but for the sake of
argument and for tatum's essay let's
just go on with that
and so this is what her essay is really
about
is about this relationship between the
dominant groups and the subordinate
groups but then she also makes a point
of saying that no one person
tends to fall in just one of those
groups and that some people can be both
a member of a dominant group and a
subordinate group and for instance take
that to element and take example gay men
um
their sex as male
put them in a dominant group but their
sexuality is gay will put them in a
subordinate group um take this situation
of white women uh being white will put
them in the dominant group but then
being women puts them in a subordinate
group and so she says that for a number
of people uh they kind of
straddle both for those categories that
she's talking about dominant and
subordinate and one of the arguments
that she makes is
that what a lot of people can do is if
they finding it difficult to understand
a subordinating group
then maybe what they'll need to look at
is
how it feels for them to hold both parts
i mean
look at me for instance i'm black and a
male so
i myself i am in two groups uh
my male status puts me in a dominant
group my blackness put me in a
subordinating group but then i'm also of
a certain socioeconomic status that puts
me in a dominant group um you know where
i live puts me in a dominant group so
there are some different factors there
and so all of these things according to
tatum is what makes up us make up our
identity but her essay is not focused
just on our identity her essay is
focused really on how we relate to
others uh those who belong in our group
and those who
are not in our group and so as you're
reading the essay or re-reading the
essay pay attention to the various
things that she uh brings up concerning
that and in the essay too she asked a
number of questions um that she never
answers but you know questions of who am
i now
who was i before who will i become and
so in a lot of ways when you're reading
this essay
what i want you to do is i want you to
think of your own identities uh how you
would classify yourself i mean i you
know the experiment that she does with
her students where she gives them 60
seconds to list all their identities you
know that might be a good practice for
you to do this is not something that you
have to do for me and sign in but this
is a good practice to kind of get into
her essay and what she's discussing
maybe you should take 60 seconds and
just think about it and just write now i
know
haven't read the essay and having
watched the video lecture you might be
somewhat influenced by what you've heard
here and what you read in your essay but
if you can try not to let that influence
you i mean try to think about how you
would answer those questions how you not
answered uh have you not read this essay
or watch this video lecture so once
again i want to reiterate
these video lectures on the essays are
not going to be very detailed i'm not
going to go through them paragraph by
paragraph uh sentence by sentence it's
just me giving you some highlights of
some things that you want to pay
attention to i hope that this is helpful
and
have a good day bye
関連動画をさらに表示
John Storey's "What is Popular Culture?" (Summary/Notes)
How a Society is Organized
Understanding the self: Module 1
Race & Ethnicity: Crash Course Sociology #34
Identity Negotiation Theory #simplified #psychology #sociology
Self-Concept, Self-Identity & Social Identity – Psychology & Sociology | Lecturio
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)