Hi all
I've just finished writing my 6th tutor marked assessment. I was given a choice between two essays this time. Option A. Evaluate the claim that Britishness is a shared set of values
Option B. Evaluate the claim that conflict is a catalyst for identity change.
I chose option B. When I first looked at the paper I immediately thought of option A, but after studying the material, went for option B. Here are my synopsis and thoughts on what I wrote.
The conflict referred to is everyday conflict, not about wars between states. There was a wealth of material and social science theories on which I could draw to write the essay. I chose to write about an extract from a scenario wherein a young black man was considering his employment prospects, having done well in his exams, achieving 8 passes. He acts out a phone call to an employer, and in a few sentences, puts on the fake accent of a middle class white guy, but later talks about coming to work with his '20 hoodie mates', and also makes light of the minimum qualification requirements by pointing out his academic achievements. More on this later.
There are many social science theories on identity change. I looked at Erik Erikson, who theorised on "developmental psychology" - meaning that identity and its changes are measured over a lifetime. He wrote about "projecting" identity to suit certain situations and people. Erikson also felt that as life moved on, and changed, then new daily living (or practices) would lead to identity change, through the conflicts of changing from, for example, a school pupil to employee. This is not new thinking to my studies. Erikson would have had "Anthony" projecting an image to suit the employer in the scenario in the first part of the extract, and in the last part.
The theory I found more interesting was that of Frantz Fanon, a psychologist born in the the French colony of Martinique, who ended up in France. After working in France, he came up with theories based on his own experience of being a black man in a country of mostly white men. He felt that 'race' was just a construct of white people's historical view of people of colour being somehow inferior. Even though he was an eminent psychologist and psychiatrist, he felt as though he was only ever seen as a black man, when he wanted to to be seen simply as a man. This weighed heavily enough on him to theorise that the very nature of racial construct had eventually become a part of the identity of people of colour.
Taking Fanon's theories and applying them to "Anthony's" scenario, we can see that "Anthony" is still projecting an identity to suit the situation in the first part of the extract. In the 2nd part, he is projecting an image which Fanon would say was already held by the (assumed) white middle class employer. This is a bit dismaying from both points of view. If the young man believes that a certain view is held about him in terms of his identity, then he is doomed to fail. If the imagined employer actually does hold this view then he is doomed to fail again. The light at the end of the tunnel here is his mention of his academic record. In this, he has already put forth the image of a hoodie. (at the time of the interview hoodies were the latest demons in the media), but has also highlighted a positive, his qualifications gained, even though he is an inner city yoof. If he stick s to this, he may find his way into employment, which will lead inevitabily to a change in daily practices, which will cause conflicts, and will lead to identity change.
If Fanon's theories are followed through, all "Anthony" will know will be conflict, but without any change at the end of it.
I would hope that the world has changed its identity since Fanon's writings were published in the 1950s. If not, then all we will know is conflict without change.
I've just finished writing my 6th tutor marked assessment. I was given a choice between two essays this time. Option A. Evaluate the claim that Britishness is a shared set of values
Option B. Evaluate the claim that conflict is a catalyst for identity change.
I chose option B. When I first looked at the paper I immediately thought of option A, but after studying the material, went for option B. Here are my synopsis and thoughts on what I wrote.
The conflict referred to is everyday conflict, not about wars between states. There was a wealth of material and social science theories on which I could draw to write the essay. I chose to write about an extract from a scenario wherein a young black man was considering his employment prospects, having done well in his exams, achieving 8 passes. He acts out a phone call to an employer, and in a few sentences, puts on the fake accent of a middle class white guy, but later talks about coming to work with his '20 hoodie mates', and also makes light of the minimum qualification requirements by pointing out his academic achievements. More on this later.
There are many social science theories on identity change. I looked at Erik Erikson, who theorised on "developmental psychology" - meaning that identity and its changes are measured over a lifetime. He wrote about "projecting" identity to suit certain situations and people. Erikson also felt that as life moved on, and changed, then new daily living (or practices) would lead to identity change, through the conflicts of changing from, for example, a school pupil to employee. This is not new thinking to my studies. Erikson would have had "Anthony" projecting an image to suit the employer in the scenario in the first part of the extract, and in the last part.
The theory I found more interesting was that of Frantz Fanon, a psychologist born in the the French colony of Martinique, who ended up in France. After working in France, he came up with theories based on his own experience of being a black man in a country of mostly white men. He felt that 'race' was just a construct of white people's historical view of people of colour being somehow inferior. Even though he was an eminent psychologist and psychiatrist, he felt as though he was only ever seen as a black man, when he wanted to to be seen simply as a man. This weighed heavily enough on him to theorise that the very nature of racial construct had eventually become a part of the identity of people of colour.
Taking Fanon's theories and applying them to "Anthony's" scenario, we can see that "Anthony" is still projecting an identity to suit the situation in the first part of the extract. In the 2nd part, he is projecting an image which Fanon would say was already held by the (assumed) white middle class employer. This is a bit dismaying from both points of view. If the young man believes that a certain view is held about him in terms of his identity, then he is doomed to fail. If the imagined employer actually does hold this view then he is doomed to fail again. The light at the end of the tunnel here is his mention of his academic record. In this, he has already put forth the image of a hoodie. (at the time of the interview hoodies were the latest demons in the media), but has also highlighted a positive, his qualifications gained, even though he is an inner city yoof. If he stick s to this, he may find his way into employment, which will lead inevitabily to a change in daily practices, which will cause conflicts, and will lead to identity change.
If Fanon's theories are followed through, all "Anthony" will know will be conflict, but without any change at the end of it.
I would hope that the world has changed its identity since Fanon's writings were published in the 1950s. If not, then all we will know is conflict without change.
