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Autobiography

Corey Daniels

February 18, 2011

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Culture is a very persuasive and powerful factor in the ways our individual beliefs are

formed which has an impact on our society today. This phenomenon of culture shaping our

identities dates back to centuries ago. It is what makes our society, creates a basis for our beliefs,

and influences our logical thinking, therefore playing a very influential and dominant role on the

conclusions we seek as an individual. Mary Jane Collier states that “each individual has a range

of cultures in which he or she belongs in a constantly changing society (Collier).” Growing up I

have developed numerous cultural identities that have molded and shaped me into the individual

that I am today. Gender, racial and religious identities are just a few of the many spheres that

have shaped who I am in my community. Although they are not the only ways I, or others in any

community, have been shaped as a person, they have had a major influence on how we define

ourselves.

Gender is a primary aspect of most individuals’ identity that influences throughout our

lives. Gender identity is “identification with the cultural notions of masculinity and femininity

and what it is to be a man or woman (Martin, Nakayama 180).” I’ve learned that we are not born

with gender, but rather we learn our gender identity from others. I learned by being around

others such as my parents, older brother and friends how to enact my gender role as a male.

When I was growing up my room was typically blue, I had a lot of basketball, football and hand

held games. My parents gave me this gender role whole I was young by using these material

things. I was also on sporting teams with all males when I was young until high school. I was

always around my older brother and participated in the activities that he did. He would play with

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toys such as army men and wrestling figures. The use of mass media also helped in shaping this

gender identity. When I would watch television I would always watch wrestling with my dad and

brother because it was something we could do that would set us apart from the women in the

family and create a male bonding time. Also the movies that I watch consist of a lot of action

and violence which producers use to target the male audience. Hanging out with my friends, we

tend to do things that involve sports. My friends and I would often go to male-dominates

sporting events, and sometimes we would all just stay at home and play video games. This

seemed to be a trend because it separated us from what women usually do.

Being an African American is never easy. Growing up my parents would always implant

in me that I had to work extra hard in school and work to be able to get where I want to be in life.

When I was young I didn’t really understand what they were talking about until I went through

some hardships growing up. Ascription played a huge role in my middle school and high school

period. Ascription is “the process by which others attribute identities to an individual (Martin,

Nakayama 166).” I remember the dominant group categorizing black people as “gangsters” and

“rappers,” because of what the media advertise us to be. I didn’t really fit that role. Some black

and white people would use the term “white wash” because I didn’t fit the normative cultural

description of an African American. I can even recall in my two years at the University of

Colorado at Boulder, a predominantly white school, African Americans that attended were

usually athletes. It seemed like everywhere I would go I would get approached by other students

and would be asked if I played football. The questioning unfortunately did not stop with my

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peers; professors would even approach me with the sports related questions. No one ever thought

that I went to that college just for education purposes.

Throughout it all I still manage to portray the “this is who I am” identity. Avowal states

“the process by which an individual portrays himself or herself (Martin, Nakayama 166).” My

cultural identities change in different situations which is helpful in overcoming tendencies to

treat others as stereotypical representatives of a different group. Communication with others

allowed me to not only learn and respect other cultural identities but also share mine in a

respectable manner. My close guy friends are Black, Asian, Mexican, and White. I’ve learn so

much about their differing culture and identities.

Being a Baptist has been a positive process since growing up. I remember when I was

growing up my parents use to take my brother and I to church with them. I didn’t understand

what was going on and the purpose of going to church then, but as I got older I started to

understand the importance of religion. Religious identity is, “a sense of belonging to a religious

group (Martin, Nakayama 192).” To me, religion is the main source of morals and values that I

learn and share with people today. Religion provides me with strength, values, and a word to

follow. Many African Americans are Baptist. The church I attend is predominantly black. My

pastor expresses how it’s important for African Americans to have religion and express our

beliefs for others in the society.

Although many aspects of my cultural identity have stayed the same, there has been a lot

of growth and change. I’m still growing and maturing as a young African American male. I still

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know my role as a male and know my responsibilities. Being able to graduate from college, and

use this earned education to obtain a steady job will make me an active individual in changing

the cultural roles of an African American male. Being able to accomplish these goals would

make me a role model for the African American society and would be rewarding because it

defies what the media portrays our racial group to be. My religious experience is still maturing;

my spiritual walk in faith is still growing as I am still trying to get closer to God. I hope to

continue to grow and appreciate other cultural identities and learn how each of us is different, yet

at the same time realize how we all have more in common than can be seen at eye level.

Bibliography

Collier, Mary Jane. (2000). Cultural identity and interpersonal communication. New York, NY:

Sage Publications, Inc; 1 edition.

Martin, Judith, & Nakayama, Thomas. (2010). Intercultural communications in context. New

York, NY: The McGraw-Hill.

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