ktmeng/mec huggingface dataset:
Topic: identity

Susan Reeve, a self-esteem expert and author of The Inspired Life: Unleashing Your Mind’s Capacity for Joy, says that unfortunately, many people haven’t even started on the road to self-actualization. “They don’t understand how the brain works, the creative process, and that everything that exists begins inside and then is brought to form outside,” she says “Most people suffer from low self-esteem and do not believe in themselves- they feel unworthy, unloved, and are ashamed of these feelings. Their fears, worries, and anxieties stop them in their tracks. They give more credence to the opinion of others and fail to honor their inner knowing.” To self-actualize is to discover and cultivate one’s own personal potential. Being all you can be. “But often people aren’t actively actualizing because they are focused on survival, or getting their basic emotional needs met” (Maslow). In order to self-actualize, you’re lower needs must first be met- as per Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs.
Topic: identity

“Self-actualized individuals are often motivated by a strong sense of personal ethics and responsibility. They enjoy applying their problem-solving skills to real-world situations and like helping other people improve their own lives” (Kendra Cherry). The well-known achievers of self-actualization, Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, possessed the rare qualities necessary to achieve this level. But a self-actualized person can also be a homemaker, a teacher, or a mechanic. In my opinion this level is hard to achieve, but the topic as I researched it has definitely given me food for thought. What I have learned is that we are all on our own journey, we all have hopes and dreams. If some people make it to self-actualization then that’s great. The process in getting there is the journey in itself. To aspire to be greater and better ourselves is the beginning of the journey, and most of all to remember if we persevere we can all achieve self-actualization.
Topic: identity

The hundreds of different involvements we experience throughout life will each play a role in developing our unique personality. The context of identity is fraught with complexities and as a result, there are many factors that influence our overall persona. Throughout our lifespan, there are many experiences that may compel us to alter our sense of self. Our physical attributes are inherited from our family which consequently shapes our identity from birth. Although we do not consciously choose our family, they are a factor that shapes our character from conception due to family being our first social group.
Topic: identity

The baby’s life is destined to revolve around football due to the family being football supporters and him being ‘laid in beribboned cots, having already begun a lifetime’s barracking’. Due to our family being the first social group we encounter in life, it with be from these people our standards and culture will develop from, with this family passing on their love of football. Sometime parents fail to teach these basics, due to society being focused on teaching the technicalities in the modernised world we live in today. Teaching the Syllabus presents the idea that we have somewhat failed to instruct a child on the basics in life. Forgetting to teach ‘Dogs to bark again; lions to roar…’ we have instead focused on ‘teaching lions to leap through flaming hoops’. Through this exploration, the poem has shown that some things cannot be taught in life, and instead must be naturally experienced. Moreover the family unit is just one factor that influences our final identity.
Topic: identity

Belonging to the human race has benefits and drawbacks, but while it may be difficult to determine the relative importance of personal choice, chance, nature or nurture in shaping identity, our impulse to belong remains a fundamental component of our humanity. This compelling need to belong is therefore another factor that influences our character. Individuals make sacrifices, both positive and negative, in order to belong to a group. During Secondary School, there is huge pressure to ‘fit in’ to a social group. Peers can become increasingly influential and our desire to belong to certain groups can overpower that of the values our family have taught us. Furthermore our peers and social groups influence our character. Enter Without So Much as Knocking, presents an extremely powerful message of the dangers of conforming to the values of a consumerists society, in which individual integrity and identity have been made redundant. In seeking acceptance and a sense of belonging, the characters life becomes essentially hollow and devoid of any real meaning.
Topic: identity

The poem pleads we do not identify with society today to avoid becoming the self-centred person who kicks others when they are down. It is these influences, of both conforming to society and thriving on a sense of belonging, which moulds our final identity. Contrastingly, if a person fails to find a group to associate with, often they will lead isolated and occasionally unhappy lives. If unaccounted for, a person’s natural cravings for interactions and connections can result in a sense of disappointment and underachievement in life. The Family Man is a dark expression of the result of not being able to connect and belong in today’s unforgiving society. Although the man ‘had the earmarks of a friend’ and was ‘kindly no man’s enemy’, he obviously felt very different about himself and his life.
Topic: identity

Although appearing to be content with himself, the man is found dead a couple of days just after he was having family discussions. This shows that although connecting his family, the man felt severely isolated and lonely, to the point where he committed suicide. Reverie of a Swimmer shows a similar situation where our materialistic society has caused a man to give up his life. Explaining that he was out to sea to ‘escape from the poison of office’ the man clearly feels he does not fit in and is unaccepted in his work place. As a result, the man has taken his life, simply because he was unhappy with his life. Furthermore, there are a number of influences that shape our character, some being extremely negative causing people to take their lives. The social and geographical environment in which one is raised has a permanent and significant impact on their personality.
Topic: identity

Children born in different countries will lead vastly different lives simply because of the socioeconomic status in which they were raised. A child’s needs in Australia are more often than not met; however a child’s needs in Africa are almost never completely accounted for. Although two children may be born at exactly the same time, because of the country and area in which they are born, their wants and needs in life will be close to opposite. It is often where we chose to live that influences our identity as well. Living in suburbia is something people often prefer as shown in Homo Suburbiensis. Dawe suggests that in a suburban garden a man can be at peace with nature, himself and his neighbours without the hectic environment of the city. Because the man is surrounded by familiar sounds and smells of suburbia he seems content and has gained a sense of belonging.
Topic: identity

In opposition, some people prefer to lead a hectic lifestyle in the city. Moreover the social and geographical environment in which one lives and is raised, is just one of many factors that develops our identity. Identity does not belong in isolation. Interactions with friends, family and other help to define it. It is here that we realise there is more than just one factor that contributes to our persona. Inheritance of personality plays a large role in forming a sense of self because environmental pressures are of no interest at a young age. Because of this, our parent’s influence will directly play a role in shaping our forever developing character. The desire to belong is another significant factor that can influence our identity. Because it is human nature to strive for a sense of belonging, it is notoriously difficult to balance being part of a group while retaining ones sense of individual identity. As a result we often make decisions on our identity and personality in order to conform to groups within society.
Topic: identity

Complementary to this, those that struggle to gain a sense of belonging either accept this and live their lives in isolation to the consumerist driven world today, or struggle to conform with the idea that they do not fit into today’s society. If this is the case, those that find it difficult to come to terms with not belonging to a certain group can either change their personality to gain a sense of belonging with a different group, or sadly take their own lives. Another factor that plays a direct role in moulding our character is the environment in which we are raised. Even as the family unit provides a powerful initial context for shared experience, shared bonds of blood can also bring drawbacks as we do not choose the family or culture we are born into. If born into a under developed country or lower class within Australia, negative influences will shape a child identity different to that of a child born into a high class family. Moreover there are many issues and experiences in life that will shape and mould the hundreds of different personalities we are capable of presenting throughout life.
Topic: identity

There are also different degrees of murder including first-degree, second-degree and manslaughter. These different degrees of murder depend on the purpose behind the killing and the way the killing is committed. The specific definition of each degree depends on the state or country that the crime is committed in. First-degree murder is different from the other two types of murder because it is planned. Normally, first-degree murder is a criminal offense involving intent, homicides that are planned, or homicides that occur during the commission of another felony.
Topic: identity

The crime of first-degree murder needs the intent to kill, premeditation of that killing and deliberation of that killing. Some examples of first-degree murder are poisoning, bombing and assault with a deadly weapon. The penalty for committing first-degree murder is different depending on which state the crime is committed in but is most likely life imprisonment or even the death penalty. Defenses against first-degree murder include actual innocence, mistaken identity, justified homicide, self-defense, defense of others and insanity. Second-degree murder is a crime of passion or an unlawful killing where the intent to kill and the act of killing itself happen almost simultaneously (Schmalleger, 2012).
Topic: identity

For example, a person who commits a killing in a fit of rage or a person who is motivated to kill by receiving insults or physical abuse, are likely to be charged with second-degree murder. But the act of killing must happen instantly after the fit of rage or insults because if time lapses between the two than it permits the chance for thought to occur which would turn into premeditation and therefore become first-degree murder. Defenses against second-degree murder include actual innocence, insanity, and self-defense. Third-degree murder or manslaughter is different from the other degrees because it refers to homicides that result from someone’s action that is unlawful or negligent. Other names for third-degree murder include negligent homicide, negligent manslaughter, or involuntary manslaughter. Manslaughter is a less serious crime than first or second degree murder because it involves carelessness and not purposeful killing. An example of manslaughter is a drunk driver who causes a fatal accident can be charged with vehicular manslaughter. Defenses against manslaughter include actual innocence, accidental killing and intoxication.
Topic: identity

A strong sense of identity & belonging are vital for personal happiness. Intro; Imagine youre a child on a playground who is bullied. You feel rejected and left out. At home with your family you are comforted and warm, and you are able to play games and do what you like, be yourself. Although you do not feel as though you belong at school, you feel as though you belong. This makes you happy. You can be yourself and your identity is not lost when you are at home.
Topic: identity

In saying this, it is important to have a strong sense of who you are and where you belong, regardless of who this is and where this person belongs. Belonging to multiple groups means sometimes changing your identity for these groups. You might be the confident coach of a soccer team, but also the quiet and demure listener of a book reading evry week. Identity is formed around what a person is like. gaga. To not understand oneself adds difficulty in finding where you belong. Perfect chinese children; ‘ Erica doesn’t speak to [her] for the rest of the day.
Topic: identity

Without knowing why, [she is] ashamed’. Vanessa is ashamed because Erica saw her as resembling the Australians more than an Asian, but she doesn’t understand when she is just as ridiculed as Erica is. This puts Vanessa in a confusing and upsetting place, not knowing who she is and who she belongs with. She doesn’t understand if she is Asian or aussie, and in her world those seem to be the only two places to fit in.
Topic: identity

The switching between languages clearly conveys the multiple and complementary identities its speakers create for themselves. They have created a ‘social community’ taking on the role of stereotype images of Spaniards or Americans that exist in the Philippine popular imagination adding “local color” to their everyday discourse. They communicate with other ‘conyo’ speakers directly, without the need of explanations. Discussions on why ‘conyo’ talk exists have gone beyond face-to-face everyday conversation. ‘Conyo’ speakers have created an effective space through the help of Internet where anyone from anywhere can join in. And “space is fundamental in any form of power of communal life” (Foucault 2000, p. 361).
Topic: identity

The Philippine linguistic and cultural phenomenon “coño talk” (a mix of predominantly Spanish and English with tagalog) is a type of discourse that purportedly identifies and differentiates people of ‘power’ from the common masses, and arose from the impact of Spanish and American colonization. Due to steady linguistic influences, resulting from contacts with different peoples and cultures, a word or a phrase may take on another meaning among a given group of people, entirely different from its original significance, where “a meeting of cultures in the intercultural sphere results in irreversible intra-cultural changes” (Mey 2007, p. 171). In the last decade, it has become the solution to problems of intercommunication where some Filipinos draw on the languages they know and tailor them for their specific shifting communicative needs.
Topic: identity

‘Conyo’ talk became an emulation of how English and/or Spanish speakers talked to native Filipinos: a sentence in English and/or Spanish with some Filipino words. In time, it has become a stance among the middle class and the preferred means of communicating with others and establishing potential relationships. In conclusion, this study reflects the contradictory and shifting positions and boundaries of some Filipinos due to lack of confidence in their language fluency, social and economic status. The participants of the web discussions analyzed are searching for a comfortable position to show societal identification. On one hand, they want to affirm their right to be different and highlight their individuality, and on the other hand, they criticize everything that separates them from other individuals or threaten their individuality. Philippines is a hybridized society, and many Filipinos want to preserve the double cultural standard, maintaining the dominance of English and Spanish as languages of power, but embracing as well their complex identities manifesting openly the hybridity of their identity as Filipino, Hispanic and Anglophone.“Conyo talk”: the affirmation of hybrid identity and power in contemporary Philippine discourse.
Topic: identity

The common ground that unites all ‘conyo’ speakers is their cultural peculiarity and historical memory. In the Philippines, despite being a colony of Spain for more than 300 years (1521-1898), Spanish has remained an exclusive language. It continues to be reserved only for the upper/middle class and university-educated people. Later, when the islands as a nation was transferred to the Americans through the Treaty of Paris in 1898, English – spoken by the educated, upper/middle class – was accorded the same privileged status. Social structures are the determining factors on how speakers behave, their particular ways of speaking, choices of words and rules for conversing. Filipinos who speak fluently Spanish and/or English are perceived to be from upper/middle class and are treated with more respect. On the other hand, Philippine languages are considered inferior and the languages of the poor and illiterates. And because of the continuous disregard for Philippine languages and the high esteem held for Spanish and English, some Filipinos who have not come to terms with their perception of themselves as the ‘other’ created a hybrid language where they persistently identify with their former colonizers.
Topic: identity

Consequently, ‘conyo’ talk has become the response for many Filipinos who, constrained by their background and having been deprived, at one point, of ‘power’ -economic as well as social – , are constantly subjected to the idea of being ‘the other’. ‘Conyo’ talk has become a metaphor of what they have been denied – the Spanish language, and an affirmation of their existence and the power that should be theirs and should continually flow to them. Its representation, as Blumenberg (2010) aptly wrote, “indicates the fundamental certainties, conjectures, and judgments in relation to which the attitudes and expectations, actions and inactions, longings and disappointments, interests and indifferences, of an epoch” (p. 14). ‘Conyo’ talk has become a social-cultural default for many who want to be perceived as coming from upper-middle class, or simply an individual with ‘power’. The advent of Internet and Web discussions has opened new venues for people to discuss matters that affect society without being prejudiced. The opening threads of “What is conyo ba?”, “Why do Filipinos love to mix languages?” and “Why are conyos discriminated?” shed light on the need to comprehend how this discourse came into being, why speakers have chosen to speak it, what it represents to them.
Topic: identity

Participants facilitate, and even guide the flow of conversations – from discussing its possible origins, their position towards its speakers or the discourse itself to expressing themselves in ‘conyo’. It is evident, from the examples cited, that its speakers endeavor to assert their identity as Filipino, Hispanic and Anglophone. They have created among themselves a type of jargon that is textually mediated where norms and rules are flexible, subject to interlocutors’ interpretations, and as in many social practices, they facilitate “perceived anomalies to pass, in order to make sense of the rules and make the coding categories ‘fit’ the data” (Firth 2009, p. 69).
Topic: identity

Thus, when two participants wrote in Spanish: “?porque hay conyo? para el pene puede lo entre.” and “exactamente, Una mujer tiene un conyo así que puedo utilizar mi pene será malo que una mujer tenga”, no one seemed to mind the faulty grammar; on the contrary, the intention was accurately understood by some and were amused by these remarks. ‘Conyo’ talk’s unwritten rules of conduct aremultifunctional and reflexively relate to its context of use. It is like a language game where the interactants position themselves intersubjectively. Thus, when one reads “Yu-uck, that’s sooo s-q-H2o!” or “OMGeesshh dude pare bro labuyo!”, only a person familiar with this type of discourse can understand and infer the utterances’ meanings and allow themselves to be subjected to it. In this case, comprehension is achieved “procedurally and contextually in what is said is invariably assessed in a particular, local context, by particular persons, at particular moment” (Ibid., p. 71)
Topic: identity

Just like English and Tagalog, “conyo” talk is just another way of Filipinos, especially the teens, to express and to communicate. Despite being referred to as the way of the “rich kids” to talk, “conyo” talk can be heard almost all around the Philippines, especially, in conversations in almost all of the universities in the Metro Manila. Students from private schools and universities are more likely to be heard talking in a “conyo” way. English and Tagalog words are combined to make a sentence or phrase. I
Topic: identity

can say that to talk in a “conyo” way is part of the Filipino students’ culture, especially those who are in the “higher ups” in our society. But looking on the brighter side of it, I noticed that this “conyo” talk shows how intelligent the Filipinos are. It may sound annoying, but only the Filipinos can do that to talk with each other using a combination of two languages. They can position themselves more easily without fear of retaliation or ridicule as well as express solidarity, difference and/or power similar to everyday interactions or the hybridity-of-the-everyday.
Topic: identity

Participants use a more informal language, colloquial forms and other features that are usually associated with spoken language. In this case, hybridity occurs in the responses to the threads posted in reaction to positioning within the ambiguity of what is a Filipino. Are Filipinos only Asians, Hispanics, or Anglophones, or all of these? At the same time, in their continual accommodations of positions and power differences the idea of otherness may haunt the possibility of identification, for in many multiethnic societies such as the Philippines, “discourse is bounded by the essentialism of social status” (Tate 2007). Factors independent of specific speakers and circumstances, such as economic forces, power relation as well as factors directly related to speakers’ social networks and relationships, their attitudes and their self-perception and perception of others, influence their use of one or another language, or both. In virtual interactions, due to anonymity, member participants have more freedom to create identities to reflect their thoughts and belief.
Topic: identity

is a diverse concept that has developed overtime through significant events in our history. As a result of these events, it is has established Australia into a multicultural society that now includes numerous new lifestyles. However, it is an evolving concept that is still becoming, as further cultures are migrating to Australia and introducing unique traditions to the Australian life. This idea is further explored in the poem ’No more boomerang’ by Kath Walker, which exhibits how the Australian Aboriginals were forced into a westernized lifestyle by the British migrants.
Topic: identity

In ‘But I was born here, Miss’ by an unnamed migrant child, we venture into the life of an Australian migrant child who underwent difficulties at his school because of his ethnic background. In Tim Winton’s ‘Neighbours’, we witness how the juxtaposing lifestyles of the migrants and the Australians come together and live as one, peaceful community. Comprehending a new way of life is frequently a difficult task to undertake, especially if it is forced upon.
Topic: identity

This notion is reinforced in the third stanza of the poem through repetition of ‘No more’ in the line, “No more sharing of food”. This stanza refers to how the Aboriginals are now no longer following their old customary lifestyles and instead are slowly familiarizing themselves to the new British way of life. It is unmistakable that the Aboriginal’s had a problematic period adapting to the new way of life installed by the British. However because of the British colonization we are now a country equal to Britain and one that provides all its citizens with a good life. Nevertheless a new wave of migrants arrived from southern Europe and thus cultural diversity started in schools around Australia. But this wasn’t always a good thing as a migrant child wrote in ‘But I was born here, Miss’.
Topic: identity

Australian migrant children went through troublesome obstacles at school because of their ethnicities. In this poem the author has used the repetition of the motif, ‘’But I was born here, Miss’’ to emphasize how the child is still seen as a migrant even though he claims as being born in Australia. It further highlights how unaccepted a child was because of his or her cultural background which is supported by the rhetorical question “Where do I live?”. In addition, the rhetorical question gives further insights into how the migrant child did not feel like he belonged because of his differences between the other children. This intolerance led to a clash between the cultures which caused fights and misunderstandings at schools across Australia. It is therefore evident that Australian migrant children endured harsh circumstances at school because of their ethnicities and the intolerance of the Australian born children. Maybe due to the fact of this intolerance many migrant children didn’t regard themselves as an Australian. Maybe they simply did not want to be associated with a group of people that could not accept someone for whom he or she truly is. In time however the two cultures would learn to live with each other and create a tolerant society as apparent in Tim Winton’s ‘Neighbours’.
Topic: identity

Countless of Australians and migrants were not accustomed to the lifestyles of each other and often wrongly misinterpreted each other’s actions. In the text, the author Tim Winton uses a hyperbole within the line, “Their neighbours were not murdering each other, merely talking”. He uses it to demonstrate how the new couple were not use to people casually talking to each other in that loud manner which had been influenced by the European culture of the neighbours. Australians and migrants wrongly misinterpreted each other’s actions which lead to one believing the other was crazy and vice versa. This exemplifies the different cultures each one lived by and the traditions that went along with them. The Australians were quiet and friendly people who are always respectful and knew their boundaries. Whereas the migrants were loud and critical people who always had an opinion and did not know what boundaries were. This is conveyed in the story when the new couple planted vegetables in their backyard which caught the attention of their neighbours, who were quick to give them advice on how to plant and maintain the vegetables.
Topic: identity

The couple would then share their vegetables with their neighbours who in turn provided vegetables for them to plant. The gap between the Australian couple and their European neighbours was finally reduced as they learned to live together in harmony. Therefore it is seen that the Australians and migrants could learn to live with each other and create a society that accepts other cultures. In conclusion, it is clear that the Australian identity is a diverse concept that has changed over the course of Australia’s history. This is effectively highlighted in the texts, ‘No more boomerang’, ‘But I was born here, Miss’ and in, ‘Neighbours’, as they convey different aspects of the Australian identity which have been affected by events in our history. Simultaneously these events have created a multicultural society that positively interacts with each other and shares cultural traditions.
Topic: identity

In her essay Looking for Zora, Alice Walker ventures out to Eatonville Florida to find out more about Zora Hurston. Walker masquerades as Zora’s niece and goes around inquiring on what was the cause of Zora’s death, where her grave is currently, and what was she like, alive. Walker argues that the writer’s undignified and unfamiliar resting place is far less important than the memories and influence she has left behind. The main appeal Walker uses is pathos, to evoke empathy in the audience.
Topic: identity

In a way, it is seems like she has made it a personal quest to get a stone to put on Zora’s grave as a sign of homage for a great author she was. The author shows an element of surprise when she find out that Zora died of malnutrition. In surprise she states “ Hell, our condition hasn’t changed any since Phillis Wheatley’s time. She died of malnutrition!(Pg.401)” This sounds incredulous to her, so she seeks to find out from another cause of Zora’s death from a Dr.
Topic: identity

Walker concludes her visit by buying a monument stone and has it engraved then visits where Zora used to live before her illness and death. I think this was a very interesting piece by Walker. She narrates her journey vividly to show the readers her emotional journey to find out about Zora Hurston. Zora must have been a really interesting person. From the essay, even Dr. Benton kept saying how she always used her mind and she was so intelligent.
Topic: identity

Today, most scholars, veterans and other people of significance are given a sort of ‘decent’ burial, but Zora had pauper’s funeral without any tombstone, yet ‘alot’ of people seemed to know her. Through Walker’s essay, she emphasizes the fact that Zora did not necessarily identify with one race, white or black, in particular and did not even have a good relationship with her own family. I believe that Walker’s argument had to do with Zora’s admiral ability to identify with cultures besides what many thought should have been her own, black community. I felt that this directly relates to the way in which Zora tried to eliminate the importance of color from her life, although it was an enormous influence on everything she did.
Topic: identity

Monica Ali’s Brick Lane and Amulya Malladi’s Serving Crazy with Curry both portray the rising identity changes that occur with the first and second generation immigrants. Both novels reveal that when it comes to immigration, due to a difference in their surroundings and exposure to different cultures the second generation experiences a different setting which contributes to their developing identity. However, their developing identities becomes a contrast to the identities of the elder generation; thus creating a “culture clash”.
Topic: identity

“Culture Clash” is the act when one or more cultures are incorporated into one environment and as a result, traditions are challenged causing a disruption. First generation characters share the traits of being indignant of changing cultural values during immigration while the second generation are keen on conforming and leave their roots in exchange for freedom of being accepted into society. Through the characters and use of language, both Monica Ali’s Brick Lane and Amulya Malladi’s Serving Crazy with Curry demonstrates how immigration creates a difference in identity that exists between the first and second generation.
Topic: identity

Coming to a completely different country, not knowing anyone at all, the first generation characters tend to be indignant. In both these novels the first generation immigrants express bitterness when adapting to different surrounding. Saroj Venturi from Serving Crazy with Curry, expresses her resentment towards the new culture, when she says “It was coming here, to this white pit that changed things between Avi and her. If they stayed in India, if only he’d wanted to stay, they would’ve been happy” (Malladi, 15).
Topic: identity

By comparing her new place of residence to a hole, Saroj feels trapped or exiled within this alien land, proving to be the motive for her resentment. Saroj displays her regret when she wishes to have stayed in India by saying that she would have been happier there thus providing a reason for her refusal to find happiness in her new environment. Similarly in Monica Ali’s novel Brick Lane, Chanu Ahmed was asked for permission by his wife, Nazeen, to attend English lessons and here he demonstrate the characteristic of resentment: Your going to be a mother…Will that not keep you busy enough? And you can’t take a baby to college. Babies have to be fed; they have to have their bottoms cleaned. It’s not so simple as that. Just to go to college, like that.
Topic: identity

In this passage, Chanu rejects his wife’s idea of attending English classes and uses the excuse of his wife’s pregnancy and awaiting motherhood as a way of discouraging her. On top of that he also asks questions upon questions which may suggest bitterness towards her idea of going to school and attempting to fit in with society. Not only does Chanu discourage conform into society, he also discourages his daughters from becoming too westernized because he wanted to keep their Bengali culture rooted within themselves. Both Saroj from Serving Crazy with Curry and Chanu from Brick Lane being first generation immigrants demonstrate a common trait of resentment.
Topic: identity

Growing up in a place that is nothing like your place of origin, second generation immigrants convey acceptance while being raised in a different environment than their parents. The second generation immigrants identify themselves according to where they were born instead of their place of origin. Both Devi from Serving Crazy with Curry and Shahana Ahmed from Brick Lane, were both raised in a western environment and identify themselves as either “American” or “British”. Shahana presents her determination to fit into society when she states that “She wanted to have her lip pierced. This was latest thing. Last week she wanted to get a tattoo.” (Ali, 240). The act of getting piercings and tattoo’s are activities that are classified under western culture and when Shahana wishes to get them, it shows that she is eager to get involved and fit in with the society she is from. Getting a tattoo on her body, will represent the permanent residence of western culture within her life. Both Malladi and Ali portray the difference between resent and acceptance along with the idea of opposite traits enhancing the thought of conflict between generations.
Topic: identity

In both novels, Monica Ali and Amulya Malladi portray the fact that first generation immigrants tend to retain their cultural values while the second generation are willing to exchange their roots for greater freedom. In Serving Crazy with Curry, Saroj Venturi wishes to instil Indian values within her children when she says, “Why couldn’t she learn to cook like all good Indian girls?” (Malladi, 19). She feels that her children do not know enough about their country of origin, and wishes to incorporate some Indian traditions into her daughters’ western lives so that they do not stray away from their Indian culture. Chanu from Brick Lane, faces a similar situation to Saroj as he also tries to incorporate Bengali culture into his daughters. Chanu uses language to discourage his daughters from becoming too westernized: “[…]that I am going to tie her up and cut her tongue. Tell the Memsahib that when I have skinned her [Shahana] alive she will not be looking so pleased with herself” (Ali, 162).
Topic: identity

Chanu refers to his daughter as a Memsahib which is a title used in colonial India as a form of respectful address for a prestigious woman. Chanu addresses his daughter, Shahana as a memsahib due to her behaviour such as acting snobbish and stubborn like a prestigious woman; qualities that he finds to be developed as a result of westernization. Chanu uses words such as “cut” and “skinned” to threaten his daughter so that she would behave. In contrast to the first generation, the second generation exchanges their cultural values for more freedom. In Serving Crazy with Curry, Devi Venturi gets a taste of her own freedoms in the area of dating: “And each time she [Saroj] snooped, she expected to find an unsuitable man lying naked in Devi’s bedroom, or worse, naked women” (Malladi, 19). The fact that Devi’s mother has to snoop around to find a naked man or women in Devi’s room shows her limits when it comes to controlling her daughters life and dating lifestyle. As well as the word “naked” represents Devi’s growing freedoms that she later uncover after certain stages she comes across within this western culture. From Brick Lane, Shahana has the newfound freedom of wearing what she wants.
Topic: identity

Having the freedom of choice in clothing Shahana chose to wear a skirt, which is an article of clothing that exposes the legs. When Shahana walks past a group of boys they turn around “She looked at them and cocked her head. Nazeen wished that Shahana had her trousers on” (Ali, 217). Choosing an article that exposes body parts strongly goes against the typical Bengali culture which proves that her choice in clothing is affected by the western society that she lives in. Both authors use characters to inform that the first generation attempts to protect their cultural values while the second generation lets go of it, demonstrating their clashing ways of adjusting to changes due to immigration.
Topic: identity

Many people make the decision to leave their country of origin and immigrate to a foreign land due to the idea of finding success and living a better life. First generation immigrants have an eagerness to acquire success and the second generation has a lack of commitment. In Brick Lane, Chanu graduated with a degree in English literature and moves to London because he finds it to be the key to success. Chanu’s determination is shown when he says “Now I have to get the promotion” (Ali,36). The term promotion means to move to a higher, more important position than previously and Chanu’s desire to move onto the next level symbolizes his desire to be successful. Avi Venturi from Serving Crazy with Curry, deals with a similar situation as he learns that the military was not the right path for him when he says “This is all I am left with.
Topic: identity

The army gave me this and what else? No medal, no nothing.” (Malladi, 85). Avi feels he must obtain achievement, therefore he travels to San Francisco, when he was offered a job there, which leads him to be where he is now, a successful business man. Avi had the determination to be successful and fulfill his ambitions, unlike the second generation who lack this trait. The beginning of Serving Crazy with curry demonstrates Devi Venturi’s character as a failure: After Devi was laid off (yet again) a week ago, it started to dawn on her that she was not going to be able to change her life. Everything she ever wanted had become elusive and the decision to end her life, she realized, was not only a good decision, but her only option.
Topic: identity

This quote in particular shows Devi’s lack of determination and commitment in achieving her goals to complete tasks and achieve what they want. In the first sentence, Malladi describes Devi’s failure being quite continuous when she states “yet again”. When she states that “she was not going to be able to change her life” (Malladi, 1) this displays Devi’s lack of commitment and determination in accomplishing her goals because once she fails, she no longer has hope and decides that her fate will never change thus cancelling out any possibilities for improvement. The idea of not improving and changing what she thinks could be her fate leads Devi to think that the only choice she has is to end her life, which shows her lack of enthusiasm and determination to fulfill her ambitions and desires.
Topic: identity

Our identity is constantly changing; we never truly know who we are. In many movies and books we often see the line “I need to go and find who I really am.” In our society, we understand and relate to the ambition of finding oneself. We also recognize that it is not suggesting that we have misplaced our body or left it behind but that we need to realize our true identity and learn who we are. Identity is defined as the combination of personal, social and cultural experiences that combine to form an individual’s identity.
Topic: identity

Death is witnessed all around the world every day. People die due to sickness, war, old age, suicide, fights gone wrong, accidents, and many more ways. If someone close to a person died, it may change the person’s personality and identity entirely. When we learn and understand about our background history and culture. This can sometimes be the wakeup call for people who are lost and are finding out who they truly are. For example; you find out that your grandparent fought in a war to protect his/her country. You feel a sense of pride and are obliged to help your country by joining the navy or army. All individuals make the development from child to teenager to adult. During this growth, our identity is always in movement as we attempt to discover ourselves. As a child, we are moulded by our parent’s beliefs and values. The way we are brought up is crucial to identity development at a young age as we are very strongly influenced by the personalities of those around us. We are encouraged to be like what our parents are like. We aspire to be like them in every way possible. At a young age, toddlers often copy their parents and follow their actions. Whether it is actions, words or even music, we always copy them and aspire to be like adults around us as we grow up.
Topic: identity

However, once people reach their teenage years, many people forge their own identity and clash with their parent’s teachings and rebel against them. This is when many teenagers realise that they don’t want to do what their parents want them to do. Usually this is caused by developing any relationship with someone and they change a person’s belief and thoughts introducing them to a new perspective of things. “True identity is something people must create for themselves by making choices that are significant and that require a courageous commitment in the face of challenges.”- Thomas Merton. This quote shows us that our identity is not something that we are born with and that it can’t change at all, but in fact, our identity is something that changes every minute, after every decision and after every idea we have. In a book called “Halo” by Zizou Corder, the main character goes on a journey to find herself and throughout the novel; we see her changing into a young woman instead of this child who is innocent and sheltered from evil.
Topic: identity

We also see that her identity changes as she sees life in a different perspective when she is taken from her family three times, we see her grow into a doctor and find love. She says the line “until you know who you are, you’re no one” this line shows us that we need to find out who we are. We can go on a long journey and we will still come back home. We never stop moving and always are changing our identity. Our identity is always and constantly changing due to the fact that we never stop learning new things, meeting new people and are always moving. Although many people get confused with the pathway of their identity, they usually find the right way and keep moving forward. People always find who they are and wake up from their rebellious years and find the right path for their future. Our identity always changes in response to life experiences. Everyone wears a mask of what they think society wants them to be and we need to be able to rip that façade off and show the world who we truly are.
Topic: identity

Personal development includes activities that improve awareness and identity, develop talents and potential, build human capital and facilitate employability, enhance quality of life and contribute to the realization of dreams and aspirations. The concept is not limited to self-help but includes formal and informal activities for developing others in roles such as teacher, guide, counselor, manager, life coach or mentor. When personal development takes place in the context of institutions, it refers to the methods, programs, tools, techniques, and assessment systems that support human development at the individual level in organizations.
Topic: identity

Any sort of development—whether economic, political, biological, organizational or personal—requires a framework if one wishes to know whether change has actually occurred. In the case of personal development, an individual often functions as the primary judge of improvement, but validation of objective improvement requires assessment using standard criteria. Personal development frameworks may include goals or benchmarks that define the end-points, strategies or plans for reaching goals, measurement and assessment of progress, levels or stages that define milestones along a development path, and a feedback system to provide information on changes.
Topic: identity

Identity is not something fixed once and for all, but rather in a state of flux. This aspect is well illustrated in The Reluctant Fundamentalist as the character of Changez (whose very name implies change) takes on different identities throughout the novel, rather than simply losing or acquiring a given one. He first becomes the quintessentially-American success immigrant story, believing in the corporate ethos of meritocracy, only to reject this condition and adopt Islamic fundamentalism. When Erica is unable to have sex with him because of her inability to forget her deceased boyfriend, Changez asks her to pretend he is him and they finally make love:
Topic: identity

140). He is ashamed of the place where he comes from as “it smacked of lowliness” and becomes aware that he has changed (p.141). However, as he goes back to the U.S., he is unable to leave Pakistan behind and begins to grow a beard as a sign of personal difference. He also starts to neglect his work as he is absorbed in the increasing deterioration of diplomatic relationships between India and Pakistan and what looks like an inevitable war.
Topic: identity

Language is used every day to communicate with one another but beneath that conversation lies another message. The speaker’s use of language gives listeners insight as to who they are, like a badge of identity on their chest. Australian English’s unique phonology and lexicon is recognised globally and distinguishes it from other accents, giving the speaker a clear national identity. Ethno-lects are spoken by a specific group of people who have the same cultural background. These “ethno-lects” not only help express an individual’s identity and separate themselves from the rest, but also assist in bringing together speakers from similar backgrounds; much like a football jersey.
Topic: identity

Australian English is unlike other Englishes in many different aspects, especially phonetically morphologically and semantically. Phonology plays a great role in national identity as it is what creates different accents. The broad, ocker Australian accent with its trademark nasal, flattened vowels is one of the key elements of Australian linguistics that sets it apart from the rest of the world. Diphthongs in lexemes like “high” are more rounded, resulting in /hoɪ/. Phonetic features such as these are easily identified as Australian. Slang is another feature of Australian English that sets it apart from others.
Topic: identity

Replacing suffixes with vowels is a good example of this. “Afternoon” becomes “arvo”, names like “Barry” becomes “Bazza” and by replacing the last element with an ‘-o’, the adjective “povo” has undergone a word class shift from the noun “poverty”. Popular culture has also influenced Australian English, with ABC television series J’amie, Private School girl introducing a semantic and word class shift of ‘quiche’ (a noun meaning a savoury open-faced pastry) to an adjective to describe an attractive individual. Australia’s linguistic innovation displays individuality and opposes claims that slang is borrowed from America. Australian English shows both national pride and identity.