The following sampling of research represents some of the key authors and works in the area of location and personal identity.
Toft (2003) examined the connection between personal identity, culture, and geography. She concluded that culture and ethnicity are governed by geography and that these issues are the root of conflict. When one group feels that that their section of geography is being threatened, they will resort to violence to protect it. This research leads us to at study by Kim. Kim (2009) examined the issue of identity and geography in relation to power structures. She used a literature review as her key research tool. The focus of her research was to examine the affects of splitting an area on the identity of its people. Her example focused on the Korean peninsula. Her work was not conclusive, except from the standpoint that geography and personal identity are closely linked.
These studies concluded that geography could have an impact on national identity. However, another study by Dowling (2009) found that geography could also have an impact on social class. The study found that numerous class-related identity elements derive from a person's geographic location. One example is the differences between people from the North and South. This can be more easily understood when one considers the fact that poor people have difficulty obtaining housing in wealthier sections of metropolitan areas. By the same token, those who are more affluent will not be likely to choose housing in poorer sections of the city.
Penrose and Mole (2008) also addressed the role of nation in a person's identity and where it intersects the issue of geography. These authors contend that within nations, internal divisions emerge as a result of differences in the ability to access resources. This supports the idea that class and identity are related to geography. Those that have the better geography will have a different set of attitudes than those who do not have the best geographic location. For example, Americans are considered to be more successful in comparison to other nations because they have access to more abundant resources. This can lead to assumptions about people that are based on geography alone. However, not all assumptions about geography and location hold true.
Mitchell (2007) challenged the widely accepted view that cosmopolitan people have a certain air or coldness about them. The study found that while certain general assumptions can be made based on geography, there are limits to the applicability of such generalizations. Mitchell argues in favor of challenging these assumptions. Generalizations have been found to have little predictive value as to the way in which individuals behave towards one another. These types of generalizations can lead to stereotypes and prejudiced attitudes. One needs further information to make judgments about individuals that are based on geography.
These issues of class lead us to the dynamic nature of geography. Rowles (1983) explored how identity in relation to one's geography change with age. The sample population for this study included elderly persons living in Appalachia. The study found that the elderly often place a greater attachment to a specific place. Locations helps them to sustain a sense of personal identity, than they did when they were younger. This phenomenon increases after the age of 75.
Studies support the supposition that place is important to a person. This brings us to the most relevant topic to the research subject. Bhugra and Becker (2005) found that migration could affect a person's mental well being. They found that moving to a place with a different culture is stressful. The loss of one's social structure can trigger a grief reaction in some migrants. They will miss their home culture. To further complicate the process, the person might not receive adequate help due to cultural or language barriers. Eisenbruch (1991) found that cultural bereavement was particularly strong among Southeast Asian refugees. Some refugees might need therapy to overcome the trauma of losing their culture (Schreiber, 1995). Higher rates of mental illness are seen in migrants than in the local population. The ability of the individual to acculturate determines the likelihood...
crossings ( a movement categories) personal identity poems. words, border crossing affect person persons poem crosses? *examining language poems *Discuss specific words phrases convey speakers point view / subject ( crossing) Chitra Banierjee Divakaruni "Indian Movie, New Jersey" Pat Moira "Legal Alien" Janice Mirikitni "Recipe." Globalization has made it possible for individuals from diverse backgrounds to interact with each-other without experiencing significant problems, as border gradually come to represent less
Cultural Intelligence In today's increasingly culturally diverse world, cultural competence, or what has become known as "cultural intelligence (CQ)" has received increasing research attention. Several authors, with various purposes and audiences, have developed assessment instruments to help individuals and groups understand their level of cultural intelligence. Included among these is the instrument developed by Earley and Mosakowski (2004), under the title "Diagnosing Your Cultural Intelligence." Earley and Mosakowski's instrument addresses three areas
Identity development is a topic that has been studied for some time. There are two main ways to address it: as young children who are just developing an identity and as adults who are changing or developing an identity they never created or did not like as a child. Each person, as he or she grows, develops a distinct and separate identity from other people (Willemsen & Waterman, 1991). While
Even with the fact that he feels that he would honor his father by taking on an attitude that would make it possible for him to discover that his Bengali background plays an essential role in shaping his character, Gogol simply discovers that he is a more complex individual and that it would be impossible for him to only identify with one geographical location. Anzia Yezierska's story "Children of Loneliness"
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