Reflection Letter

As a summary about myself, I can say that the most obvious thing about me right now, is that I am a student in the graphic and web design programs at Everett Community College. I should be able to finish both certificate requirements by Spring, 2010. In the meantime, I am in search of a job, moving to a temporary residence, remodeling my future residence, and about to get married – all within the next couple of months. It seems to be a time of general life-transitions for me.

The main topics of identity, community and tradition from within this course suddenly became very personal and timely for me, as my own identity and connecting communities are changing from; single to married, full-time student to full-time employee, and renter to home-owner. Respect for tradition was always important as I was growing up, and now I have the opportunity to carry on or create traditions in my own emerging family.

During this course I have learned that identity is more than the stats on a driver’s license or birth certificate. As author, Catherine Lattrell states in the Remix textbook, ”the facts of our birth are merely starting points for understanding identity” (8). I understand now that “identity is shaped through acculturation….the process by which we absorb the practices, attitudes, and beliefs of particular social groups” (10) with which we belong or relate to. It was interesting to watch the Finding Forrester film in the context of identity development, and analyze it for consideration of what it is like to be “on the outside” or “on the inside” of a particular community, and how that affects the development of one’s personal identity. In this unit I also learned that personal identities are also shaped by personal choices. According to Lattrell, “personal choices can outweigh the importance of cultural influences and the expectations of others” (11). And at my particular point in life, I am making all kinds of personal choices that either reflect my identity or help shape it – only now I am more mindful of the choices I am making.

The topic of “community” was probably the most eye-opening for me. I don’t think I really realized all the types of communities people are connected to until I worked through the assignments in this unit. It was interesting to see all the different types of communities people in the class mentioned, in the paper talk portion of this unit. I went from a limited understanding of the more physical description of a “community”, to an understanding that the “communities” we identify with give us a “sense of stability….[by knowing] which practices are acceptable and which are not” (89) within the community’s traditions. I chose to use my second paper on Golfing is a Community, since I can identify with this particular community so well. I also found it interesting to consider Lattrell’s antithesis to the community’s need for stability, by recognizing that one sometimes must give up their personal preferences and possibly sacrifice some of their own identity, in order to maintain connections with certain communities (i.e. the needs of the Amish community comes before the individual needs of members within the community).

The subject of “tradition”, defined by Lattrell as “the means through which beliefs, customs, stories, laws, religious practices, and other cultural phenomena are handed down from one generation to the next” (175), was the most obvious one to me. I enjoyed writing my tradition paper exploring the effect of pop-culture on traditional weddings. Since I am getting married soon, and several others I am close to have recently tied the knot too, it provided me with some good motivation and material to analyze this aspect of tradition versus pop-culture.

Although I initially took this online diversity class just because it was required and because I thought it would better fit into my hectic life this quarter, I found myself surprised to get more out of it than I ever anticipated at the beginning of the class. I can see why there is more than one professor to teach this class, since there are so many aspects to it, but it all seemed relevant and worthwhile doing. I wish my crazy schedule was not the thing dictating my efforts and time this quarter, but I am learning that it is part of the effect of the personal choices I made, and so have no one to blame but myself if I did not put as much time into the course as I would have liked to.

Hopefully my entries here will be interesting to my readers, and maybe add some insights to the diverse communities that we identify with, and follow the traditions of, as our own identities develop.