DQQ!

At least 300 words addressing the assigned concept. Then, by Saturday night of the same week, you will need to respond to at least two peers (at least 150 words on each reply). Remember to be thoughtful and professional in your posts and replies, and exhibit critical thinking skills at a collegiate level.

For Discussion Board 1 we will focus on identity:

Note: I prefer number 2

Select one (only one) from the four categories of identity below and write a short essay (300 to 500 words) offering reasons and evidence for your choice.
Start by asking yourself “Who am I?”
1. I am a person defined mostly by race, ethnic group, or country of origin. I am an essentialist.
2. I am a person defined mostly by a social community such as a church group, social club, gang affiliation, or a particular neighborhood. I am a communitarian.
3. I am a person who is at ease no matter where in the world or in what local communities I may be involved. I am a cosmopolitan.
4. I am a person who is uncomfortable everywhere in this world. I am a stranger on this earth.

Note: I Perfer number 2

Reply 1

I would say that by exercising my life through my personal lens, I’m a person defined mostly by a social community. Based on my life experience, I could say I am a communitarian.

Here, I explain why. I come from a culture and a country that stands by the motto “together we can,” which means we need people. Since I was born, I have seen that most of my life has been impacted by other people besides my parents and family. In most cases, I became a communitarian because I grew up in a pastor’s family. Both my parents are pastors, and my relatives are, too. We consent to people and serve people. In my subconscious, I know how society matters.

As a communitarian, society pushed me to be an extrovert, making me more sensitive to what happens around me, especially to the people. There are pluses and minuses. Sometimes, I think my value depends on what people think about me, but as I learned, my value is what I create and can be impacted with others.

A commutarian self-definition made me who I am now. I am passionate about people and have a heart to serve them. People could see me as an individual with value who can help others and work together to achieve a good purpose.

Right now, I love to work with people. As a church minister, I tend to myself with a happy heart to help people going through something and walk together to get the better version of their life.

To be honest, the purpose society creates in my life is truly amazing; I won’t regret being a commutarian. Through the social community, I know my life has an impact and is meaningful for people, and it raises my consciousness that I’m born to be someone who can help people.

Reply 1

Asking myself, who am I, Reshi. I feel that the answer I gave is more of a communitarian a person characterized mostly by the social groups I am a part of and the relationships I have with others. Although race, culture and nationality do have an impact on my self-identity, my most significant identity is reflected in the relationships, responsibilities and value I share with people who I belong to.

The reason why I consider myself a communitarian is that communities give me a feeling of belonging and responsibility beyond the individual identity. To illustrate, my participation in academic and professional groups not only affects my sense of self, but also my actions and goals. When I belong to a group, it means that not only my failures and achievements can have some weight since it also impacts the development of the group and the support of the latter, too. 

Moreover, groups tend to serve as loci of identity when there is change. An individual race or nationality can be permanent, but an individual belonging can change with the changes in life, as one initiates a new job, enters a university or becomes a member of some local organization. In my case, the experiences have brought out the fact that identity is dynamic and that communities are the same environments where I still develop and redefine myself.

Lastly, I am a communitarian since it emphasizes on the concept of collective responsibility. Communities flourish through reciprocity whether it is service, cooperation or merely providing encouragement. I am not my own identity, thus it is not only mine, but a product that I co-create with others in my space, values, and aspirations. This interdependence makes me feel rooted and makes me remember that identity is not about my being or who I am as an individual, but also about us as a whole.

To sum up, identity can be influenced by numerous factors, but I believe that the most influential ones are communities that I belong to. Being a communitarian, I am also open to the concept that my identity is highly connected to the individuals surrounding me and the common goals and values that we hold together.