American exam #1

In The Ethnography of Everyday Life by John L. Caughey- Identify one key method or approach that researchers use to explore everyday life in American culture?

fieldwork approach- in-context investigation to understand culture/thoughts/behaviors best, helps create close/personal relationship with group while still playing right role in work (participate, do interviews, observations, etc.)

In The Ethnography of Everyday Life by John L. Caughey- Why is it important to engage in ethnographic studies of everyday life?

helps interpret account of group’s life, helps gain deeper understanding of how they live/think, helps relate in cultural context, more natural, studies ordinary people

How has your understanding of American identity evolved through reading Social
Identity and intersectionality by Azmitia, Perza, and Casanova? What key ideas
stood out to you?

key ideas= how system effect each other, how systems now blame the people not the systemic structural issues

American identity is very much shaped by the people around you and how you are treated

Which article or reading from the course did you find most compelling, and why?
Identify a central concept or theme and explain how it shaped or expanded your
understanding of identity.

letter from American farmer- you make own path, lots of diversity (close to wild= more hunting), to succeed need to be honest sober, and have a good industry

Omi and Winant argue that race is fluid, contested, and deeply woven into the
fabric of U.S. society- How does their concept of “racial formation” challenge traditional views of
race?

it is shaped by political, economic, cultural, and ideological forces meaning that it is never neutral but that the master category shapes identity, access to power, and status/resources

classification is reflective of social structures, cultural meanings/practices, and power relations too its lives out, transformed and destroyed since race is just a concept and isn’t real

Omi and Winant argue that race is fluid, contested, and deeply woven into the
fabric of U.S. society- How does it relate to your own observations or experiences?

I agree since in different situations it might be noticed more or there might be a majority of a minority race meaning that in that situation they become the “master category”

Which two of the following videos resonated with you the most, and what key
message do you think others should take away from them?
• I Am Not Your Asian Stereotype – Canwen Xu (TEDxBoise)
• Homeland - Indigenous In Plain Sight | Gregg Deal | TEDxBoulder
• What It’s Like to Be the Child of Immigrants – Michael Rain
• My Identity Is a Superpower — Not an Obstacle | America Ferrera | TED

Xu- everyone has insecurities that usually center around stereotypes- learn that these stereotypes dont define you

Rain- made me think about my combo- can be a mix of multiple things but should ask ant what makes them different

How does David Thelen in Making History and Making United Stated States
challenge traditional ideas about the national identity in United States- What central theme or argument does the article highlight, and how does it deepen your understanding of what it means to be “American”?

wants to discover similarities and act upon them to dissolve differences to become united w/ one history and question why the nation is so set on superiority, many historians add to this tho

makes me notice that I only know as much as I read about, I don’t know everyone’s story

In David Thelen in Making History and Making United States, What role does public memory play in shaping national identity, and how does the article show that ordinary people contribute to constructing the nation’s history?

Makes a national history using public memory because you usually only remember what you hear about most

by telling personal stories

In Facilitators of Sense of Belonging by Ayelet Gur and Rena Bina- What are the five key themes, and how do they support the article’s main argument about belonging?

need 5 themes to feel like you belong

1) subjectivity= feeling respected, accepted, and values (treated equally, meaningful job, etc.)

2) dynamism= safe/familar environment, giver confidence to explore more

3) groundedness= access to structured social platforms (work, teams, groups, etc.)

4) reciprocity= shared experience and mutual relationships

5) self-detirmination= active choice and having power in social interaction, able to immerse self in something

In Facilitators of Sense of Belonging by Ayelet Gur and Rena Bina- What interventions or policy recommendations are suggested to foster belonging for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities?

needs to be more research on ways to measure disability identity as a form of narrative identity (life story) using cross-cultured research to form consistent definition of disability identity and learn about variation

this would help manage stress, navigate social challenges and build coherent positive self concept