Anthropology 311-50 1008
Dr. Afzal
06/18/2018
Discussion Forum: 3
For cultural anthropologists, understanding the identities of individuals is the foundation
of their research. This sense of self can emerge from multiple areas of one’s life and changes
over time. Considering three different perspectives, namely social science, interpretive, and
critical, they all build on each other and the idea that the self is a crucial element to each person,
that allows one to comprehend who they really are. The development of identity grows overtime,
often with periods of confliction and difficulty (Martin and Nakayama 2009).
The social science perspective holds that identity is shaped by both the self and the
people one is associated with. This point-of-view fluctuates between societies as the focus on
individualism and community differs. For instance, the United States’ society is heavily centered
on the individual and what one can do for themself to grow. This self-reliance can be conflicted
when members of other societies move to the US and attempt to assimilate. This can be observed
in Hispanic cultures, where the role of family is prominent as opposed to the individualist nature
of the United Sates (Martin and Nakayama 2009).
The interpretive perspective takes the social science perspective but holds that the
identity of a person is ever-changing in the face of communication. This outlook is associated
with the terms avowal and ascription, which are defined respectively as the way in which one
defines themselves, and the way others ascribe one’s identity to them. Many people face issues
when one assumes the identity of another to be something that the other doesn’t agree with
(Martin and Nakayama 2009). For instance, I identify as German and Jewish, as my mother is
German and my father is Jewish. This can be problematic for people because German is often
considered an ethnicity or nationality, whereas Jewish is considered a religion. However, after
Dr. Afzal
06/18/2018
Discussion Forum: 3
For cultural anthropologists, understanding the identities of individuals is the foundation
of their research. This sense of self can emerge from multiple areas of one’s life and changes
over time. Considering three different perspectives, namely social science, interpretive, and
critical, they all build on each other and the idea that the self is a crucial element to each person,
that allows one to comprehend who they really are. The development of identity grows overtime,
often with periods of confliction and difficulty (Martin and Nakayama 2009).
The social science perspective holds that identity is shaped by both the self and the
people one is associated with. This point-of-view fluctuates between societies as the focus on
individualism and community differs. For instance, the United States’ society is heavily centered
on the individual and what one can do for themself to grow. This self-reliance can be conflicted
when members of other societies move to the US and attempt to assimilate. This can be observed
in Hispanic cultures, where the role of family is prominent as opposed to the individualist nature
of the United Sates (Martin and Nakayama 2009).
The interpretive perspective takes the social science perspective but holds that the
identity of a person is ever-changing in the face of communication. This outlook is associated
with the terms avowal and ascription, which are defined respectively as the way in which one
defines themselves, and the way others ascribe one’s identity to them. Many people face issues
when one assumes the identity of another to be something that the other doesn’t agree with
(Martin and Nakayama 2009). For instance, I identify as German and Jewish, as my mother is
German and my father is Jewish. This can be problematic for people because German is often
considered an ethnicity or nationality, whereas Jewish is considered a religion. However, after
