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Example research essay topic: Stages Of Social Identity Development - 1,713 words

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Stages of Social Identity Development In her autobiographical novel Coming of Age in Mississippi, Anne Moody provides us with the insight on the essence of ones identity development, within a context of race. It has been noticed that structural properties of Moody book correspond to the stages of such development, as described by Hardiman and Jackson in their work Conceptual Foundations for Social Justice. Therefore, it is quite appropriate to refer to Moody's novel as such that helps readers to understand the psychological foundations of Civil Rights movement. (1) Coming of Age in Mississippi is divided into four sections: Childhood; High School, College and The Movement. In section one; we get to learn about Essie Maes early life. Being born in the family of Black sharecroppers, Essie was subjected to constant hunger, ever since she was very young. She witnessed the practical implications of White racism with her own eyes.

However, while being a child, Essie was not aware of the fact that it is the racial affiliation of her parents that defined their social status. The policy of racial segregation, which used to define socio-political reality in Mississippi at the time, prevented Essie from viewing herself as integral element of American society. Therefore, we can say that this section of Moody's book correspond to Pre-Encounter stage of ethnic identity development. During her childhood years, Essie was being surrounded by people of her own kind, without being able to socialize with Whites. She knew that there was something very wrong about the fact that Black people are associated with significantly lower social status. However, at this point of her life, Essie was not being personally affected by racial prejudices, which prevented her from adequately assessing the social reality.

Essie knew that she was Black, but she did not associate her blackness with any cultural values, while being unaware of the fact that it is peoples racial affiliation that define their existential mode. During the course of Pre-Encounter stage of her identity development, Essie learned that the degree of ones skin darkness directly corresponds to his or her social standing, within a particular ethnic group: They were Negroes and we were also Negroes. I just didnt see Negroes hating each other so much (Moody, p. 25). However, it is only when Essie begins to attend high school that she gets to realize the full extent of racial prejudices affecting socio-political reality in Mississippi, at the time. Essie's high school years correspond to the Encounter stage of her identity development. This stage is usually associated with people getting a some kind of personal revelation, in regards to their ethnic affiliation, which is usually negative.

The lynching of Emmett Till prompted Essie to conclude that White racism needs to be actively opposed. She realized that, in order for African-Americans to improve their lives, they would need to learn how to appreciate their race as such that has value in itself. In other words, Essie's personal experience served as the catalyst of her racial awakening. She gradually began to understand that the racial affiliation of Black people often does not allow them to gain social prominence and that such state of affairs is unnatural. In its turn, it prompted Essie to become a member of National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). She also changes her name to Anne, because she thought that being named Essie downgrades her: After much persuasion on my part, Mama decided to let me keep the name Annie.

I was so glad, I had always thought of Essie as a name suitable for a cow or hog (Moody, p. 93). The Encounter stage identity development is often associated with persons social alienation. This is exactly what happened to Anne, during her high school years. She was convinced that Blacks needed to be instilled with racial pride. At the same time, Anne was growing increasingly ignorant of the issues that American nation was faced with, as whole. She started to think that indulging in racial secularism would help African-Americans to realize their true destiny, without understanding that this would also prevent them from integrating into society. (3) During the course of Immersion stage of her identity development, which is associated with Annes college years, she becomes convinced that it is impossible to give Black people a sense of racial pride, without convincing them to think of their ethnic affiliation as such that has a positive value: I wanted our people to get rid of their inferiority complex (Moody, p. 240).

During the time when she studied at Natchez Junior College, Anne began to understand that the establishment of racial justice in U. S. is impossible, unless oppressors and oppressed change their mentality. Long before celebration of diversity became the official doctrine, upon which social policies are now based, Anne began to promote racial tolerance as the only appropriate mode of existence. This resulted in creation of numerous conflicting situations between Anne and her teachers, which was the reason why she decided to transfer to Tougaloo College.

The time spent in this college, convinced Anne even further that Blacks and Whites need to be spending more time together, in order become more tolerant. She also came to conclusion that African-Americans would benefit immensely out of bringing the elements of organization in Civil Rights movement. Anne becomes the member of Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), which strived to weaken the effects of racial prejudices on academic process. At the same time, Anne remains largely unaware of the fact that persons racial affiliation is what defines his or her intelligence more than anything else does. It is quite clear from novels context that it were her social activities that negatively affected Annes grades, during her studies at Tougaloo College. This, however, did not prevent Anne from considering it as another proof of racial badness, on teachers part.

Thus, in section College, we get to see the picture of enforcer of political correctness in making. Anne does not seem to understand that, in order for ethnically defined culture to be appreciated, it must represent an objective value. She is shown as being in constant search for empirical proofs, which would allow Anne to validate her worldview. This is an essential element of Immersion stage of racial identity development. (3) Section Movement, in Moody's novel, corresponds to Internalization stage of identity development. In this part of the book, we get to see Anne gaining a political prominence through participation in various activities that we now associate with Civil Rights movement. After having learned how to appreciate her own racial identity, Anne strives to encourage other Blacks to do the same, because she sees it as the most important precondition for integration of African-Americans in American society.

She realizes that it was a part of her destiny helping Black people to awaken, in racial context of this word: It no longer seemed important to prove anything. I had found something outside myself that gave meaning to my life (Moody. p. 390). Anne promotes the idea of African-Americans participating in activities that have traditionally been associated with the lifestyle of White people and she also realizes that indulging in racial secularism, can hardly be beneficial for Black people, as it only strengthens historical stereotypes that view representatives of Black race as such that are biologically incapable of existing in socially appropriate mode. In the final part of Moody's book, Anne comes to conclusion that, instead of mentally locking themselves from the outside world, Blacks should strive to become an essential part of it: At that time I realized that White racism was not the hardest thing to deal with, but Black apathy (Moody, p. 225). Thus, we can say that the final stage of Annes identity development is associated with her tendency to look inwards, while trying to find a solution to social problematic's.

This is because, during the final stage of their identity development, people tend to think of their racial affiliation as such that has universal value. The fact that they remain racially conscious does not prevent them from broadening their intellectual horizons. (4) The development of racial identity cannot be completely rationalized, as Hardiman and Jackson suggest in their book, because of many subconscious factors that define the essence of this process. Their sociological theory helps us to get a better understanding of what causes people, whose racial identity is in the process of development, to act in one way or another. However, it would be wrong to claim that that the mechanics of such process are now being fully understood.

Authors seem to be ignorant of the fact that it is not the color of persons skin, which characterizes social attitude towards him, but the empirical value, associated with every particular race. The reason why many White people have a negative attitude towards African-Americans is that Black people are generally less capable of grasping the essence of abstract ideas, which has been proven by numerous IQ tests. At the same time, such ability differentiates man from a beast. Therefore, racial prejudices reside deep in peoples subconsciousness, because they have evolutionary essence. In Moody's novel, Anne strives to make Black people feel better about themselves by instilling them with respect towards their own cultural traditions, but it does not seem to have much of an effect. It is only when Civil Rights movement begins to represent a real power that 'African-Americans are being slowly dispossessed of their mental inferiority.

This provides us with the insight on the true nature of racial identity development, as such that corresponds to the notion of strength more than to anything else. The reason why wall grafitti es, for example, are now being referred to as art, because, despite their primitivism, they represent the vitality of Black race, while the examples of real European art are now being slowly covered with the thick layer of dust in museums. History teaches us that the existence of racially tolerant society is impossible in principle. We can only talk about the racial dynamics, in every particular society, within a context of oppressors and oppressed switching their roles.

Bibliography: Hardiman, Rita and Jackson, Bailey Conceptual Foundations for Social Justice. New York: Routledge, 1997. Moody, Anne Coming of Age in Mississippi. New York: Dell, 1992.


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