Monday, December 17, 2007
Others' Perceptions of Me
For those of you who helped me with my final paper for Identity, I'll include the portion of my paper that included your responses! Thank you everyone for your help!
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I decided to talk to many people who knew me for different lengths of time and in different contexts. Among others, I spoke to my mother, an ex-boyfriend, students from school, my roommates and friends to answer the same three questions about me.
The first set of questions was, “Do you think there is more than one "face" of Sierra? Under what circumstances do you think she changes?” It was interesting that everyone answered very similarly. My ex-boyfriend wrote, “Sierra is very confident and assertive in most of her interactions (especially professional), however when faced with an environment involving conflict or circumstances where she might be subject to judgment, she will be more self-conscious than one might expect from her generally positive external behavior” (Currie, personal communication, 2007). I personally think this is a very accurate description that people who know me well would agree with. My roommates and mother went on to say in private settings I often behave like a young girl who dances and sings and acts silly. Also, there is the “everyday Sierra” who is caring, helpful and exuberant in her love of life, to be with people and travel.
My second question was “Do you think my behaviors are influenced by the cultures I've been exposed to? If so, what particular group or culture influenced me?” My mother answered, “I am sure that Sierra's behaviors are influenced by the many cultures she has been exposed to. First and foremost would be her home culture growing up. From there, starting in grammar school…doing the report on China, I think made her realize there was a wide world out there that is so different from how we live” (Kenney, personal communication, 2007). My ex-boyfriend agreed with my mother’s perspective, but my roommate who has known me for a shorter amount of time said, “I don’t think so. First of all, she has a professional attitude. On the other hand, she makes her own way regardless of what other people think” (Kesler, personal communication, 2007). Perhaps my roommate, who has known me for less than a year, hasn’t had the time to see how my intercultural experiences have affected me, or compare my past and present.
The final question dealt with my metaphor. “If I were a dog, what breed of dog would I be, and why?” My family and friends answered with a range of breeds, from golden retriever to poodle. The dog would probably be unreservedly friendly, energetic, loyal, easily distracted, and seek positive reinforcement.
*****
I decided to talk to many people who knew me for different lengths of time and in different contexts. Among others, I spoke to my mother, an ex-boyfriend, students from school, my roommates and friends to answer the same three questions about me.
The first set of questions was, “Do you think there is more than one "face" of Sierra? Under what circumstances do you think she changes?” It was interesting that everyone answered very similarly. My ex-boyfriend wrote, “Sierra is very confident and assertive in most of her interactions (especially professional), however when faced with an environment involving conflict or circumstances where she might be subject to judgment, she will be more self-conscious than one might expect from her generally positive external behavior” (Currie, personal communication, 2007). I personally think this is a very accurate description that people who know me well would agree with. My roommates and mother went on to say in private settings I often behave like a young girl who dances and sings and acts silly. Also, there is the “everyday Sierra” who is caring, helpful and exuberant in her love of life, to be with people and travel.
My second question was “Do you think my behaviors are influenced by the cultures I've been exposed to? If so, what particular group or culture influenced me?” My mother answered, “I am sure that Sierra's behaviors are influenced by the many cultures she has been exposed to. First and foremost would be her home culture growing up. From there, starting in grammar school…doing the report on China, I think made her realize there was a wide world out there that is so different from how we live” (Kenney, personal communication, 2007). My ex-boyfriend agreed with my mother’s perspective, but my roommate who has known me for a shorter amount of time said, “I don’t think so. First of all, she has a professional attitude. On the other hand, she makes her own way regardless of what other people think” (Kesler, personal communication, 2007). Perhaps my roommate, who has known me for less than a year, hasn’t had the time to see how my intercultural experiences have affected me, or compare my past and present.
The final question dealt with my metaphor. “If I were a dog, what breed of dog would I be, and why?” My family and friends answered with a range of breeds, from golden retriever to poodle. The dog would probably be unreservedly friendly, energetic, loyal, easily distracted, and seek positive reinforcement.
