Avowed (how an individual portrays oneself): girl, young, old, student, worker, daughter, sister, girlfriend, granddaughter, cousin, friend, role model, child, adult, short, fun, special, lovable, loving, caring, exciting
Ascribed (how others attribute identities to an individual): girl, young, old, student, child, friend, daughter, sister, girlfriend, granddaughter, cousin, fun, boring, annoying, exciting, loving, controlling, teacher, friend
I think I got most of my ascribed identities from my peers, my family, and my friends. There are certain qualities that came from each type of person and there are some qualities that came from multiple people.
The obvious ones would be daughter, sister, girlfriend, granddaughter, cousin, and friend. These obviously came from one person. Daughter is from my parents, sister is from my brother, girlfriend is from my boyfriend, etc., but some of them could have double meanings. Friend, most people, would assume is from my friends, but this is not necessarily true. Friend could be from my family too, and my boyfriend. It is not just from one person, but also from many.
Girl, young, student, fun, boring, annoying, and a few more really depend on how an individual looks at me. Girl is obvious because I am obviously a girl, but in some cultures, maybe I wouldn’t be looked at as that. Young is just a way of viewing someone. To my parents, I am young. To my class, I am young because I have a late birthday. To my 11-year old cousin, I am probably old. It really depends on the person and on the perspective.
I sometimes struggle with labels and do not really being stereotyped. I am sometimes looked as a being controlling because if I am in a situation that does not have a leader or is a little messy, I feel free to step up and take control, however, I do not see this as being controlling. I see this as a responsibility. I am going to school to be a teacher, so often times I am put in these situations and from the experience I have had throughout my education, I am often able to step up and take responsibility. This is just one of many cases where some people look at an identity as being negative, when it is not necessarily that. It is just the way people perceive an individual.
Overall, I think many people have distinct ascribed identities, but not everyone can place where they are from. Most of these ascribed identities come from friends and family, but not all of them are from people that we would appreciate getting labels from. Although some identities are kind, not all of them are positive. We need to look past them and be our own person and take our own paths. Just because we are labeled with them doesn’t mean they are true, it is just how others perceive us.
Have you had any ascribed identities that have negatively hurt you? How do you deal with a situation like this?
I don't believe I have had any ascribed identies that have hurt me. I think that is because I accept my ascribed identities and don't let other people influence how I act. When someone is a certain age society has a stereotype about how that person should act but I don't let it bother me I do what I think is right for me.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely with what ashley said. Not everyone will like you for everything that you are. Sometimes there are specific qualities of a given person that someone may not agree with or mesh with. I agree I do not personally care if others don't accept who I am. Sometimes I hide come of my identity for respect of someone who may be offended by something by me, but for the most part I accet myself for who I am and if others don't then they dont need to be around me.
ReplyDeleteOne ascribed identity that I feel hurts me is being viewed as weak. This hurts because I am going into veterinary medicine. If farmers view me as this, they might made assumptions about my skills as a veterinarian before I even work with their animals. The only way to overcome this is to show them that I can handle their animals even though I am petite.
ReplyDeleteI don't know that I've been hurt by an ascribed identity. I would say that it was more bothersome than anything else. My dad always treated me like a kid and I just was annoyed by it. I addressed it by trying to be responsible and showing him I'm an adult.
ReplyDeleteAs Cheryl stated, I think the word "hurt" may be a little to strong. I don't think that I've ever had an ascribed identity lead to physical harm, but I think being labeled a "white male" has hurt me mentally, because of the negative connotations that are associated with this label. Additionally, I am always hurt when people make the assumption that I am Christian simply because it is some kind of Americanized default. I am not Christian, and I think that this is another stereotype that people tend to throw around a lot, even with the religious diversity of our country.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've had any that personally have hurt me either. Maybe I have felt a little negatively towards some of the things have a been identified as, but overall I just look past them. I don't spend much time worrying about negative identies enough to make them hurt my feelings or anything, and if they do I just simply move past them and carry on.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the identities are more bothersome than hurtful. I sometimes get aggravated or impatient with ascribed identities based on my age, etc. but I never let them hurt me. I just deal with the situations as they come.
ReplyDeleteWell, my ascribed identity of "shy" has really negatively impacted me. When I was younger, for instance, I started to feel that something was wrong with me because I didn't talk as much as other peers. More to the point, when I was younger I tended to act even more shy whenever I felt uncomfortable. But as I have grown older, I now handle the ascription of "shy" in different ways. For instance, I might verbally express my displeasure with the description of "shy" rather than, say, "quiet" or "reserved." Nonetheless, I absolutely think ascribed identities can really hurt a person, even if the pain is mentally. In my experience, mental pain is always more painful than physical pain.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that I have had any ascribed identities that have hurt me. I think that this is in large part due to the fact that I have accepted my ascribed identities for what they are. I have also accepted the fact that no matter where one goes, people are always going to say things to try and get a rise out of that person. I have come to realize that it is just human nature.
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