What It Feels To Be Me; Culture Defined

LAB:

Please read the very famous essay: "How It Feels to Be Colored Me" by Zora Neale Hurston in class (or you completed it as homework as requested). I would suggest not starting your writing until you have read this essay.

Creative Writing Task (for your quarter portfolio):

Write a personal creative non-fiction essay on an aspect of you. Write an essay about your experience within a specific hegemonic group or culture that you identify with (one, perhaps, that you listed last time in class). This can be an examination of your gender, your "race" or "class", your heritage, your identity or involvement in a sub-group or minority, your religion, a family tradition, etc.

Consider how you identify yourself. Consider what "mask" you put on or what group you define yourself by and think about where this mask initially comes from or why you are part of a particular "group". What part of your personality/tradition/culture is unique to you? Focus on this idea in your creative essay. You want to borrow Hurston's idea of "What it feels to be you..."

Remember:

• Non-fiction is creative--remember to use poetic/literary devices (imagery, metaphor, detail, tone, character, etc.)
• Non-fiction tells an interesting story--show us the scenes, paint them with imagery, remember to use your writing skills and make your audience appreciate your story. 
• Non-fiction includes dialogue, description of setting, and can include teaching new ideas to your audience
• Non-fiction includes reflection of the subject matter. You should make sure before you end your essay that you reflect on what it means to be you.

Length and style is up to you, but you should develop and tell a good story.

This assignment is ongoing. When you complete a draft, print it out or save it for your writing portfolio. You may workshop this draft when we workshop our writing.

If you finish or find you cannot continue, feel free to do any of the following in our lab:

1. Work on your creative writing.

2. Make sure you completed the required homework from last class: please complete the first chapter (pp. 1 - 21) of The Namesake. As you read, notice how the author introduces ideology and culture as a frame for the theme of this book.

CLASSROOM:

Culture: What is it?

Culture Scientists and Anthropologists define culture as learned behavior acquired by individuals as members of a social group.

According to Edward Tyler in 1871: culture includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom and other capabilities or habits acquired by a group.

• Culture is a learned behavior.
• Culture is also used to refer to a highly cultivated person versed in art, philosophy, etc.
• Culture includes insignificant behavior such as behavior traits, etiquette, food habits, as well as refined arts of a society.
• Culture can also be considered as the sum total of human knowledge and acquired behavior of humankind.
• Habits or behavior is generally transmitted from members to the young or outsiders until the outsider is also an insider, part of the group.

Language: common way of communication.

Language is a system of verbal and nonverbal symbols used to communicate ideas. The study of these symbols is what is known as semiotics.

Taboos: strict mores or behavior that is looked down upon in a culture (usually sexual)

Hegemony: an influential social group to which one owes allegiance. Often used to discuss how these groups use power or dominate other groups. We all belong to several hegemonic groups, depending on time, place, and situation. For example, you and your classmates belong to the social group: SOTA. "We are School of the Arts" as the slogan goes.

Regardless of culture, all cultures include:

• a primary means of subsistence
• a primary family
• a system of kinship
• a set of rules of social conduct
• religion (belief)
• material culture (tools, weapons, clothing)
• forms of art

cultural relativism: All cultures are rational in their own terms.

Culture Wars: the term coined for the conflict between traditionalist or conservative values and progressive or liberal values (specifically in politics, but also in social philosophy and the media)

Let's read and respond to a group of essays involving the "culture wars" in America.

After responding, if time allows, please see the post above this one on summarizing. What we don't finish today, we will cover on Wednesday, September 14.

HOMEWORK: Continue reading The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. For Wednesday's class, please complete the second chapter (pp. 22 - 47). Again as you read, notice how the author's narrative style and use of POV helps introduce ideology and culture as a frame for the theme of this book--in particular: how our culture responds to names. Next class we work on a creative exercise/poem draft involving your name, and continue (or start) our conversation about summary.