I was going to blog about pie, but that blog will have to wait. Instead I want to share a few nuggets from yesterday's Introduction to Mass Communication class with you.
Every semester, I try to introduce the idea of identity construction and "the other". In a nutshell, this entails the idea that how we view ourselves depend on the people we're surrounded with. So, you may not explicitly define yourself as a woman unless you're surrounded by all men. You may not think of yourself as Dutch/American/whatever nationality you have unless you're surrounded by people who are of a different nationality.
The way I explain this idea to my students is by explaining that I was never conscious of the fact that I am white until I came to this school (where 95% of the students are African American). And I really wasn't. I mean, sure, I knew I was white, but I never identified myself in that way. I was Dutch, blond, a woman, short, and so on. I would have never thought to call myself white. Until I came here, and I suddenly found myself saying things like, "Oh cool, there's another white person". As a white person, I don't think I was ever this aware of what it was like to be different from the majority of the people around me.
Anyway, usually this leads to an interesting discussion about race and identity. But yesterday was different. Yesterday I could two responses that I really want to share with you.
Student 1: What do you mean you never realized you were white? Did you never look in a mirror or something?
Me: Uhm.....(Saved from the oddest of odd questions by a hand to the left of the room)
Student 2: But, but, you're not white are you? No! (this in response to her classmates' jeers) No, I mean, you're Dutch, not white.
Me: Uhm..well, I'm both, really.
Student 2: Yes, but isn't Dutch a race too?
And there you go. I could write a 7000-word paper on the confusion surrounding the definition of race, addressing whether it's a social construct, a biological given, or a sociobiologically acquired awareness. Or I could just quote my student, and claim that everything that sets us apart from everyone else is race. Or perhaps that it's our experience of our own race that sets us apart. Or, if you want to get truly philosophical, that others' perception of our race is what defines who we are. Hm. Perhaps I should just stick to writing that 7000-word paper after all.
4 comments:
hmmm... I guess something went wrong with this post? It looks unfinished, or was that your intention?
Oh wow, I can completely relate to that post. When I lived in England my voice alone would identify me as an American, which was something I never had to really recognize before. And even more so, I was a Hispanic American.
It sounds like most people don't know the difference between race and nationality? Maybe it's something similar to people getting "sex" and "gender" confused?
P.S. I wanna hear about pie!
@ Vic - Actually, it was my intention, but going back, I saw how it seemed "unfinished". So I went back in and finished my train of thought. Not sure if it will help you out any though!
@ Jessica - I know the feeling. When I was over in England, people would identify me as an American, while, obviously, I'm not. That was definitely an interesting experience. Race and nationality are two interesting categories. After this discussion came to a close, we actually delved into "ethnicity", and how that seems to work a whole lot better.
And yes, I will write about pie soon :)
Interesting... Dutch is a race? Well, after experiencing Dutch people on vacation in the US I can see how one would think the Dutch are a race... A strange and alien race... ;-)
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