Table of Contents

Table of Contents Reflection Letter Critical Thinking Introduction Critical Thinking Choice Revision Selection Introduction Revision of Identity Awareness of Audience and Voice Introduction Awareness of Audience and Voice Selection Writer’s Choice Introduction Writer’s Choice Selection

Reflection Letter

Welcome to my world as seen through the eyes of English 101D. My name is Debbie McBrayer, I turned 50 this year and welcomed this rite of passage. After all, I’ve earned it. I have been married 32 of my years. I am more in love with my husband than ever before. I have a 30 year old son that proudly serves his country in the United States Air Force.

I have a 28 year old daughter, who is married and has had the dubious honor of making me a grandmother. Being Nana, by the way, is the best thing ever! I have a 21 year old daughter who is in college and works with me full time. I have a 16 year old son that is a good and creative student and will promise to be the child that makes me say, “None of my other children ever did that.” I have an Associate’s Degree in Electronic Technology and am working to finally finish a second degree in Early Childhood Education. All of this information pales in comparison to the knowledge that I am a child of God. I love and serve in the church that I call home, Northlake Christian Church.

The first of the themes introduced in this English class was identity. This theme was introduced a week after my Psychology class opened with an Identity unit as well. I felt like that gave me an advantage to looking deeper into the subject. What I have come to realize is that it barely scratched the surface of what identity is and can be. Besides race, age, gender, job or vocation, hobby, family role, religion, political views and sexual orientation, ethnicity, and culture, my identity is all mine. It is mine to be embraced and developed. As I stated in my discussion board post on identity markers, I wrote, “the text brings out gender as being a key factor in identity and I truly appreciate Queen Latifa's stand on how women are treated and how we allow someone to treat us.” There are some things about our identity that we can’t change, but what’s more exciting, is that there are things about our identity we can change and that is what has landed me in English 101D.

The second theme was community. My thoughts raced about the community that I identify with most, my church. As I read through the essays assigned, my mind was opened to the variety of communities that are available to us. A classmate, Rebecca Tarbert, wrote on the 2nd community discussion board on February 2, 2011, “I want to be a part of a community that shares the same morals and beliefs as myself, a community that does not try to twist or interfere with my integrity. Like the Amish, I have chosen to be a part of the Christian Community. Although the rules are not nearly as strict at theirs, I have chosen to devout my life to my religion and I am willing to abide by the rules whether it may be difficult or not. Because I know it pleases my God, me, and the rest of my community.” As easy as it would be to be included in Rebecca’s community, I realize now that my workplace is a community, scrapbookers are a community, and Nanas are even a community. How lucky am I? I have even found that through this class and the discussion boards and paper talks, we have become a community. We have become a community of struggling students. We have come to share a disappointment in ourselves as we come to the realization that we are not quite the writers that we thought we were. We have come to share satisfaction in working together to gain points and understanding as we continued our writing assignments and as we will soon find, our community will be solidified with completing this class, just to join the community of survivors of Andrea and Lolly’s ENGL&101D!

As we ventured into our third theme of the class, tradition, it brought me to a much deeper thought process. It forced me to think about what was considered tradition in my childhood home and what I have set before my children as tradition, and what they will take with them as they form new traditions of their own. I have realized that my parents were not driven by family traditions and we didn’t maintain any. I have found that the traditions that I have instilled in my home as a adult, were basically all “borrowed” from other family’s traditions. We have basically” tried them on for size”. We have kept the ones that we like and just brushed the others off as an experiment. I find myself hoping that as my children find themselves in reflective situations that they will have a little more to carry forward with them in life than what I brought from my childhood. “As far as the conventional sense of tradition my family, meaning my parents and my childhood, we had very few traditions especially around food. Being in a military family, we did not ever celebrate holidays with extended family. I'm sure that we had full meals, but I don't remember much about big turkeys and a table full of food. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.” My tradition blog post, February 18, 2011.

Drawing this reflection to an end, I am looking to where my writings are taking me and looking at where they have brought me from. From a place that I thought that I was quite competent at writing to a place where I doubted everything that I thought I knew and certainly what our instructors think they know. For the readers entertainment, I will be posting My Identity paper as my revision piece. I will be posting a post and 2 replies from the Identity Marker discussion board. For my awareness of voice and audience piece, I will be posting from the discussion forum for DB 1: "Traditions: Embrace Them or Attack Them?" For my Writer’s Choice piece I will be posting my Food Family Tradition Blog post

I know that going forward I will be continually reminded that we are always in a place that we can afford to learn and English 101D has been a time of rebellion and a time of submission although neither of those attributes are attractive, the best outcome is that I am still teachable! I am still flexible and I haven’t surrendered my identity to get there. I have asserted my strength and my leadership qualities and hopefully been respectful and submissive when appropriate. I believe that I will walk away with the best of qualities that I can imagine.

Critical Thinking Introduction

For my critical thinking piece, I have chosen post from Identity discussion forum 3: "What's an Identity Marker?" and 2 of my reply posts from the same discussion board. I find that I provided quite a bit of information about identity markers and then provided deeper thoughts on how they fit into my thoughts of what identity markers are. Two passages from my post help to show my detailed thoughts and responses on this subject. “Race, culture and ethnicity as an identity marker can divide us into groups.  Most of these markers are distinguishable visually, but I can see how race and ethnicity can define us quickly. I am sure that it can still have some impact on our social grouping.” and “Age is definitely an Identity Marker; we see how groups’ peel off all the time based on age.  We usually do not share the same view, life experiences or tastes. We also don't have the same responsibilities. In the Overachievers, we learn about "Julie" working so hard, just to get into a great college and that was her dream.” 1/18/2011

I also added, at no extra charge, 2 of replies to classmate’s posts about how identity markers applied to their thoughts. I believe that by challenging their statements

Critical Thinking Choice

I recognize that the text brings out gender as being a key factor in identity and I truly appreciate Queen Latifa's stand on how women are treated and how we allow someone to treat us. I get that same feeling from parent's at our childcare center that treat us like we are teenage babysitters, instead of the people that are raising up the next generation.  We have taken a stand that our parents will not disrespect our staff and that a parent's behavior toward the staff can be a reason that we would disenroll their child.

Some of the choices were; race, age, gender, job or vocation, hobby, family role, religion, political views and sexual orientation, race, ethnicity and culture.  I may still be missing one or two.  So I do believe that all of these can be "Identity Markers" - They are, to some extent how we are defined by others as well as how define ourselves. Race, culture and ethnicity as an identity marker can divide us into groups.  Most of these markers are distinguishable visually, but I can see how race and ethnicity can define us quickly. I am sure that it can still have some impact on our social grouping. 

Age is definitely an Identity Marker; we see how groups’ peel off all the time based on age.  We usually do not share the same view, life experiences or tastes. We also don't have the same responsibilities. In the Overachievers, we learn about "Julie" working so hard, just to get into a great college and that was her dream.  In the reading, Alpha male; we hear about men and being strong and fighting their way to the top and about women who fight their way to the top, but listen to others on the way up. So we also see how gender falls into place as a marker and because it is a visual marker, it is instantaneous. It is another way that we divide ourselves into groups.  Society as a whole tends to view men as stronger and women as emotional.  Those social preconceptions help to use it to define us. Our jobs define us, usually more so for success evaluation.  If I tell you that I am an Early Childhood Program Director, you might think more of me that if I say that I work in Child Care.  I 'm not sure how hobbies can define identity unless you think about the skydiver's, racecar drivers or something else physical and thrill seeking, that just tells me that you're crazy. Family roles define us by who else we are responsible for.  As a mother, I have trained children to become intelligent, productive citizens and because of that, at least one of my children serves to provide freedom for our country every day. In our reading about Baba and Daddy Gus, The reading from Bell Hooks, We learn about the family roles of the grandparents and how strong those roles were Baba's as outspoken and harsh and Daddy Gus' as reserved and loving.  We also hear about how Bell's mother and Aunts didn't agree with their mother, but didn't mess with her either. Religion, to me, is the most important Identity Marker. For without a belief that I am a child of God, I would have or be nothing. I hold a very personal responsibility in serving people and raising my children to honor God and others. Political views and sexual orientation rank very low, not only on my list, but on most people's lists (in our class).  Whether I'm republican or married to a man, seems to bother no one that I run with except my husband.

"Where you are from is a large part of who you are. Where you grow up can have an immeasurable impact on who you are."  Amanda Vandenbosch

Hmmmm, I'm not sure that I'm buyin' this, Amanda. I grew up in the Air Force.

I was born in Illinois, I got stitches in Georgia, I became a big sister in Kansas, learned to play the clarinet in California and graduated from High School and College in Florida. Is where I'm from bigger than the events of my life? Does it really matter where I got stitches or a baby brother or got my first clarinet?  Where I was is just geography. My friends from High School are all over the world. My parents have passed away, what does Tampa hold? Memories of Tampa or memories of people?

Thank you for making me think.  It was a nice stroll down memory lane.

Debbie

 "An identity marker is any obvious feature a person has that other people use to generalize opinions about them." Connor Blikre

Connor,

Do you think that Identity markers are only on the outside? Do you have any thoughts about how religion, politics or sexual orientation define our identity?

You wouldn't know it to look at me, but I play the acoustic guitar and bass, I'm quite talented.  Music is a big part of my identity especially as it applies to being active with my church's worship ministry. This leads to a vital part of my identity as a Child of God.

Let me know what you think.

Debbie

Revision Selection Introduction

The revision piece was an easy choice for me. It was my lowest scoring essay. This essay was the first formal writing submitted. I had a difficult time with this writing because it was so far from me personally. I’ve always believed that I was a competent writer, but this first assignment shook that belief to its foundation. With the opportunity to revisit this piece (which I would not have done without having to work on the E-Portfolio), I realize the challenge that I put before our instructors. Now, as I revisit and revise this first writing, I am hoping that it will represent the revision of the skills and the revision of my mind that have developed over this short ten weeks. Enjoy -

The Revision of Identity

The Value in Identity

The value that people have in themselves is the main contributor to their self- identity. A person’s self-worth is built throughout the journey of life. Language, culture and expectations are heaped upon a person by his or her family. A person’s peers influence him through acceptance, values, and even exclusion and his success in life will be measured by the power and money that he possesses and in his position at work. The positive or negative influences that come from their family, peers and personal success determines the value that people place in themselves and their identity. 

Someone can define personal value based on the expectations his family has for him. A person’s family defines his value through language and expectations. I feel that Gloria Anzaldua, in her essay, “How To Tame a Wild Tongue” was unhappy with her mother’s directive;”I want you to speak English” (78). Her mother recognized how important her vocal qualities were especially back in the mid 1950’s.  Conformity was a big expectation for all immigrants, not only speaking English but speaking it well. Speaking in a non-traditional dialect or in slang is only suited for less formal situations, even in current time, so speaking with her siblings and cousins would be one of the very few appropriate choices for her. In Alexandra Robbins’s, essay “The Overacheivers” (254), she speaks of the educational expectations that “Julie” placed on herself. Although not defined as pressure, the pressure to achieve high grades for college placement by her parents was also felt. “Julie’s parents had hired a private college counselor to help her work through these decisions.” (254). Her friends and teammates also had expectations of her participation, not only in sports, but in other informal activities as well. Queen Latifah shares the impact her mother had on her personal sense of value in her essay, “That was my mother, Rita Owens. She laid the foundation for me to become a self-proclaimed queen.” (35) and she shows a zeal for young women, especially African-American women, to own a great sense of self-worth. These convictions became her mantra after an incident with the boys in her neighborhood.

A person’s peers play a part in defining a person’s value through acceptance and exclusion.  Peers from school, neighborhoods and extracurricular activities all have input in this value.  In Queen Latifah’s essay, “I know who I am. I am confident. I know God. I can take care of myself. I share my life with others, and I love. – I am worthy of the title Queen. So are you.” (36). Written in the essay “The Overachievers’”, Alexandra Robbins expresses a girl’s surprise that after years of academic work to excel and build her academic resume she is told by a college counselor, hired by her parents that she “not to bother applying early to Stanford because she was unlikely to get in.” (254) What did she work so hard for? As someone considers the exclusions that he has experienced over his academic years, he is drawn to the memories of not having someone to sit with at lunch or next to on the bus. In “High School’s Secret Life” the writer, Emily White, writes about how isolating the experience of “looking around furtively, trying to find her two friends” (15) was “Sitting on the sidelines now, I can still feel the adolescent loneliness in my guts.” (15) These feelings are obviously strong and have motivated several writings as she has pursued her education and career A person’s success adds value to him personally.  As the value of success becomes the focus of this portion of the essay it draws us to a couple of assigned readings by Donald Trump, Kate Ludaman, Eddie Erlandson and Queen Latifah. People do not want to overlook the importance of the pressure to achieve that is brought to light in the essay, “The Overachievers”. Julie recognizes getting into Stanford is all she has been working for.  She feels that she has failed even though she has done absolutely everything she could do prior to applying to the admissions board. Kate Ludaman and Eddie Erlandson acknowledge that the confidence required to succeed is directly linked the power an alpha male seeks. 

Language, expectations, acceptance, exclusion, money, power and position simply set the stage for what comes to light. The way a person feels about himself is a direct reflection of the value he puts on himself. That value is a direct result of the positive or negative influences that come from the way that our family, peers and personal success apply. That is where someone’s Identity is based.

Latterell, Catherine G. Remix: reading and composing culture. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2010.

Strength In People

            People are born and then they die. What they do in between will leave an indelible impression. People influence other people’s lives. It is virtually impossible to live without relating to another person. The greatest contributors to developing a strong sense of self-identity are people. People can contribute as family members, peers, or as an influential person.

            Family members have a vested interest in contributing to someone’s identity. One interest is the expectation that a child will have more opportunities than his parents did. In Gloria Anzaldua’s essay, “How To Tame a Wild Tongue.” Gloria was unhappy with her mother’s directive;”I want you to speak English.” (78) Gloria’s mother was simply expressing that she didn’t want her daughter’s intelligence to be judged because of her accent or slang use of language. Words that come out of a family member’s mouth are very powerful. They can hurt, heal and empower. In Queen Latifa’s essay she states, “That was my mother, Rita Owens, she laid the foundation for me to become a self-proclaimed queen.” (35) Queen Latifa speaks highly of how powerful her mother’s words were to her. Obviously that strength transformed her self-identity. Families can build or inhibit a person’s self-identity by adding to or subtracting to their self-worth. From Alexandra Robbin’s essay, “The Overacheivers”, that “Julie’s parents had hired a private college counselor to help her work through these decisions.” (254) Julie’s parents are expressing their support of Julie and the choices that she will make. As powerful as a family member’s expectations, words and expressions can be, the power of a person’s peers can contribute equally to their developing a strong sense of self-identity.

            Peers also have a significant influence on a person’s self-identity through inclusion and exclusion. A person’s peers have a great influence over the choices that they make. I won’t say that they have sole influence, but the influence is strong. In Emily White’s essay, “High School’s Secret Life”, she remembers the isolating experience of “looking around furtively, trying to find her two friends.” (15) Those friends gave White a sense of belonging and were her safe guard from isolation. The power of exclusion also impacts a person’s identity. People place a value on belonging which adds to the impact of exclusion. A person starts exploring the reasoning for the exclusion. They look for their flaws that caused the exclusion. It becomes a powerful influence in the development of self-identity.

            Beyond family and peers, there are influential people that make appearances in the timeline of a person’s life. Those people usually come to deliver encouragement and evaluations. When I think of a person that is bringing a message of encouragement, I think of Queen Latifa’s statement in her essay, “I know who I am. I am confident. I know God. I can take care of myself. I share my life with others, and I love. – I am worthy of the title Queen. So are you.” (36) That kind of encouragement and those powerful words can have a deep impact on the development of a person’s self-identity. Evaluation is vital for self-improvement. As written in the essay “The Overachievers’”, Alexandra Robbins expresses a girl’s surprise that after years of academic work to excel and build her academic resume she is told by a college counselor, hired by her parents that she “not to bother applying early to Stanford because she was unlikely to get in.” (254) As difficult as this was to hear, it was the truth. This type of truth or evaluation can do one of two things: It can make a person angry, they might find it insulting and intrusive, but it can also spur a person on to try something new or approach something differently. Through encouragement and evaluation a person can grow and strengthen who they are and who they will become, in turn, impacting their sense of self-identity.

            A person’s life will have people come and go. It is the impression that they leave when they go that matters most. Those people contribute to our development as family members through their expectations, words and expressions. They also come as peers that will choose to either include or exclude a person, causing them to search themselves and people of influence also enter lives. Influential people can be in someone’s life for a very short time and yet say something that will encourage a person or cause someone to evaluate their choices. A person will find that the people in their life are the greatest contributors to developing a strong sense of self-identity.          

Awareness of Audience and Voice Introduction

For my “Awareness of voice and audience” piece, I have chosen my discussion board post in the Discussion Forum for DB 1: "Traditions: Embrace Them or Attack Them?" on February 18, 2011. I wrote this for my classmates and especially for my younger classmates. I wrote this from the voice of an “older person” as I made note of me being “a young child (about 100 years ago)”, from this perspective, I wanted to let my classmates know that it’s okay to challenge and question tradition, but to be respectful as I wrote, “I have found that although I didn't "embrace" Catholicism, I do respect it and in my father's mind, rebelled against it.” I challenged my audience to not follow blindly, follow their convictions and love one another at all cost. Like most writers, I feel like I have a lot to say. I hope that I am interesting, intelligent and entertaining enough that people will agree.