Reflection:
The mask identity project was an in-depth look into each of our personas through a sociological lens. Before a steep dive into the project, we first had to learn the terms and themes that the project was to be based upon. One of the themes was the process of socialization and how our identities are influenced by different aspects throughout our lives. We also learned about the different groups and cliques that people are a part of based on their socialization and pre-determined 'statuses' (e.g., different ethnicities, classes of people, gender, and where they live). This project brought up questions of why we act or talk a certain due to different influences in our everyday lives. After we learned the words, we had to take a deep look into our identities and manifest our findings in the form of a highly-developed mask. These masks were then explained by very detailed essays. After the process of development and refinement, the two pieces of art were displayed-with their owners-to the world. During this 'exhibition,' random public members came and intellectual discourse took place between the two parties.
At the end of the mask project, the most important lesson that I received was the realization that society is flawed. Now, this is a big assertion, but I do have evidence to back my claim. First off, people are treated differently due to their gender, race, customs, or sexual orientation. White males treat black females as if they are barely even human beings (this isn't the case for everyone, but it is the norm, not the exception). People are so intolerant to others that they treat them as if they are a piece of trash and not human (e.g. gays are so strange that they don't deserve to be married and happy). This is primarily due to the lust for superiority that all humans have unknowingly sewn into their DNA. My next piece of evidence is how the media has over-influenced 99.9% of all humans in America with the belief that men should be lean and muscular, and women should be skinny and cover themselves in so much makeup that they are more of a Barbie than human. The verdict? People are very unaware of the consequences/reactions that their actions and beliefs will have on others.
This project has removed the shadow that has covered my identity and revealed to me some interesting traits. The first new trait that was revealed to me is that I am a very inquisitive person. This was brought about by the look into my first socialization to find that I knew little to nothing about my heritage, and that this unknowing has led me to question everything I hear with a logical mind and to lust for knowledge. The second (and most important trait) that was unveiled to me was than I'm ashamed of my 'agent group' status and the power I have because of it. Now, although I don't use this idea of superiority to put down others, I feel guilty because I belong to a group that have denied other humans their rights that they received by living, thinking, and feeling (e.g., racism, sexism, and so on). I wish everyone had this level of self-awareness and did something to right their wrongs, but then again, nobody is perfect.
The best feature that I'm the most proud of about my mask and essay is my continued refinement of them. At the beginning of the project, I quickly wrote my essay and deemed it complete. After reading it only once, I realized that it was close to awful and needed to be drastically fixed. I spent that whole weekend reading over and revising it into a decent work. Switching gears to my mask, I payed so much close attention to detail on it that I was spending days on things that should only take a couple of hours (i.e., the words, glass fragment placing, layers of paint, and modge-podge layers). In the end, I ended up with two pieces of (somewhat) beautiful work.
In the future of 'projecteering,' I will diffidently space my tasks more evenly, and become better at my public speaking skills. Over the project, I spent way too much time refining even the smallest part of my mask. This caused me to almost run out of time and become more stressed. On the subject of public speaking, I sub-consciously speed up my discourse to where it is hard to follow what I am saying. This can be refined by advocating and being more self-aware for the speed at which I talk. In conclusion, I'm very new to exhibitions and I have a lot to learn, but the journey is part of the destination.
At the end of the mask project, the most important lesson that I received was the realization that society is flawed. Now, this is a big assertion, but I do have evidence to back my claim. First off, people are treated differently due to their gender, race, customs, or sexual orientation. White males treat black females as if they are barely even human beings (this isn't the case for everyone, but it is the norm, not the exception). People are so intolerant to others that they treat them as if they are a piece of trash and not human (e.g. gays are so strange that they don't deserve to be married and happy). This is primarily due to the lust for superiority that all humans have unknowingly sewn into their DNA. My next piece of evidence is how the media has over-influenced 99.9% of all humans in America with the belief that men should be lean and muscular, and women should be skinny and cover themselves in so much makeup that they are more of a Barbie than human. The verdict? People are very unaware of the consequences/reactions that their actions and beliefs will have on others.
This project has removed the shadow that has covered my identity and revealed to me some interesting traits. The first new trait that was revealed to me is that I am a very inquisitive person. This was brought about by the look into my first socialization to find that I knew little to nothing about my heritage, and that this unknowing has led me to question everything I hear with a logical mind and to lust for knowledge. The second (and most important trait) that was unveiled to me was than I'm ashamed of my 'agent group' status and the power I have because of it. Now, although I don't use this idea of superiority to put down others, I feel guilty because I belong to a group that have denied other humans their rights that they received by living, thinking, and feeling (e.g., racism, sexism, and so on). I wish everyone had this level of self-awareness and did something to right their wrongs, but then again, nobody is perfect.
The best feature that I'm the most proud of about my mask and essay is my continued refinement of them. At the beginning of the project, I quickly wrote my essay and deemed it complete. After reading it only once, I realized that it was close to awful and needed to be drastically fixed. I spent that whole weekend reading over and revising it into a decent work. Switching gears to my mask, I payed so much close attention to detail on it that I was spending days on things that should only take a couple of hours (i.e., the words, glass fragment placing, layers of paint, and modge-podge layers). In the end, I ended up with two pieces of (somewhat) beautiful work.
In the future of 'projecteering,' I will diffidently space my tasks more evenly, and become better at my public speaking skills. Over the project, I spent way too much time refining even the smallest part of my mask. This caused me to almost run out of time and become more stressed. On the subject of public speaking, I sub-consciously speed up my discourse to where it is hard to follow what I am saying. This can be refined by advocating and being more self-aware for the speed at which I talk. In conclusion, I'm very new to exhibitions and I have a lot to learn, but the journey is part of the destination.
Essay:
The Three-Piece Puzzle
We are all made of different pieces that fit into the puzzle that we call life. In my young and speculative opinion, the primary pieces are past, present, and future. Each one of these pieces is dependent on how you were socialized and the values that you hold dear. However, modern society has been molded around a set of beliefs that when looked at from an outside angle, seem completely obscure and unethical to a point.
The past is the piece that everyone stands on. When I say past, I'm referring to first socialization, which is the process by which a new child is taught what is 'right,' and what is 'wrong' by his/her parents. This is illustrated by the mask that is sitting somewhat close to this essay, represented by one solid color in the background. First socialization can take place from birth to the first few years of school, and can be initiated by parents, relatives, and any close childhood friends. On my mask, my background is represented with a solid layer of black. This layer of shadow represents how the majority of my past is shrouded in an abyss of the unknown. All that I was told was that my dad's mother was in a concentration camp in World War II, leaving the rest for me to speculate on. Now Dear reader, I ask you the question: how can you complete a puzzle without all the pieces?
After the process of first socialization, it falls on the child to decide what's 'morally' correct or not. Much of the time, the children will side with outside influences (e.g., friends, teachers, media, and other important individuals to them) rather than their parents. In my opinion, I have sided with both parties, which has ultimately divided my present identity into two pieces, one to be acceptable in the 'social norms,' and the other a complete target. The first side of my puzzle is based on false truths. This identity is considered to be the 'norm,' or the common values and beliefs of a group of people. Norms vary from social groups and cultures, but the children of America are socialized to follow the dominant norms of their race and gender. For example, I was taught-both implicitly and explicitly-by my schooling friends that men don't cry because it is a sign of weakness (or at this time in my development, a sissy). In my opinion, this statement isn't true because if both genders were given emotional ways to cope with difficulties, then why is it that only women can express themselves freely?
If you direct your attention to my mask again, you will see that one side is covered with red phrases such as media, lies, beauty, and intolerance. These are the elements and beliefs that current society is based upon. This side of my identity is molded around social acceptance, which is a driving factor for any teenager in America. I laugh at the jokes that the 'popular kids' make, or act tough and aggressive when I'm jostled (just like a boy 'should'). I do this for one driving reason, to avoid negative sanctions and obtain positive ones. Sanctions are the reactions that an individual receives for either endorsing or rebuking the norms of an agent group in a society. Sanctions can either be positive (e.g., public approval, hugs, social acceptance, money) or negative (e.g., social deprivation, shunning, physical violence). It truly baffles me about how unforgiving other humans can be toward those who are different from themselves. Humans are SUPPOSED to be diverse, but we are all trying to be identical, so is this going with or against nature?
The next piece on my puzzle board is oddly shaped and might appear somewhat appalling to this reader, so feel free to set down this paper and move on anytime you want. Alright, I'm just gonna go right out and say it-I hate the media. It has molded and twisted our minds to believe that guys should be ripped with muscle, and girls should cover themselves with so much makeup that they look more like a Barbie than a human. In the past few months, I have come to realize that part of being human, is being threatened into a group of certain traits. Don't believe me? Go to any largely white high school, wander the halls, and notice that the only people being bullied are those who aren't very muscular, or those who go against the dressing norm (Goths for example), or those of a different race or ethnicity. You are probably asking why these kids are being oppressed. The reason is because media has convinced modern culture that anyone who doesn't follow the predetermined norms deserves to be treated like moldy bread.
These beliefs of mine are shown by the side of my mask with blue characters. These ideals are based around revealing the lies and expectations that media have place upon modern society. This 'urge' to pull back the curtain of media's lies has materialized as mirror fragments throughout my entire mask. These glass fragments show people that they're creating civil conflict, not maintaining order. Due to the high amount of negative sanctions towards people who don't follow society's norms, I have hidden this identity in secrecy and encryption. Besides, nobody would believe that a simple teenager would have such a serious view of society.
The final part of everyone's identity is the future. Everyone has a chance for change. This could come about when they implicitly or explicitly experience an act of true tolerance. Tolerance is the level of acceptance of a person (or people) that are different from you based on a level of understanding. A possible example of this could be how an incredibly racist person has their life saved by someone with a different 'hue.' Change isn't limited to already developed traits; change can take place in a part of someone's identity that hasn't even formed yet. On my mask, the nose isn't colored and is surrounded by rough edges. This lack of color shows how my identity is still in the process of developing and how I'm missing some of my most important characteristics. My mask also represents how some of my already developed characteristics are still rough by the bumps and crevasses on the surface of my mask. To summarize in simile: life is like a new puzzle-you have to search for all of the pieces that fit together for you.
In conclusion, your life depends on how you put your puzzle pieces together. Each piece has a different story, and each story has a different message, so it's important what box you choose to build from.
We are all made of different pieces that fit into the puzzle that we call life. In my young and speculative opinion, the primary pieces are past, present, and future. Each one of these pieces is dependent on how you were socialized and the values that you hold dear. However, modern society has been molded around a set of beliefs that when looked at from an outside angle, seem completely obscure and unethical to a point.
The past is the piece that everyone stands on. When I say past, I'm referring to first socialization, which is the process by which a new child is taught what is 'right,' and what is 'wrong' by his/her parents. This is illustrated by the mask that is sitting somewhat close to this essay, represented by one solid color in the background. First socialization can take place from birth to the first few years of school, and can be initiated by parents, relatives, and any close childhood friends. On my mask, my background is represented with a solid layer of black. This layer of shadow represents how the majority of my past is shrouded in an abyss of the unknown. All that I was told was that my dad's mother was in a concentration camp in World War II, leaving the rest for me to speculate on. Now Dear reader, I ask you the question: how can you complete a puzzle without all the pieces?
After the process of first socialization, it falls on the child to decide what's 'morally' correct or not. Much of the time, the children will side with outside influences (e.g., friends, teachers, media, and other important individuals to them) rather than their parents. In my opinion, I have sided with both parties, which has ultimately divided my present identity into two pieces, one to be acceptable in the 'social norms,' and the other a complete target. The first side of my puzzle is based on false truths. This identity is considered to be the 'norm,' or the common values and beliefs of a group of people. Norms vary from social groups and cultures, but the children of America are socialized to follow the dominant norms of their race and gender. For example, I was taught-both implicitly and explicitly-by my schooling friends that men don't cry because it is a sign of weakness (or at this time in my development, a sissy). In my opinion, this statement isn't true because if both genders were given emotional ways to cope with difficulties, then why is it that only women can express themselves freely?
If you direct your attention to my mask again, you will see that one side is covered with red phrases such as media, lies, beauty, and intolerance. These are the elements and beliefs that current society is based upon. This side of my identity is molded around social acceptance, which is a driving factor for any teenager in America. I laugh at the jokes that the 'popular kids' make, or act tough and aggressive when I'm jostled (just like a boy 'should'). I do this for one driving reason, to avoid negative sanctions and obtain positive ones. Sanctions are the reactions that an individual receives for either endorsing or rebuking the norms of an agent group in a society. Sanctions can either be positive (e.g., public approval, hugs, social acceptance, money) or negative (e.g., social deprivation, shunning, physical violence). It truly baffles me about how unforgiving other humans can be toward those who are different from themselves. Humans are SUPPOSED to be diverse, but we are all trying to be identical, so is this going with or against nature?
The next piece on my puzzle board is oddly shaped and might appear somewhat appalling to this reader, so feel free to set down this paper and move on anytime you want. Alright, I'm just gonna go right out and say it-I hate the media. It has molded and twisted our minds to believe that guys should be ripped with muscle, and girls should cover themselves with so much makeup that they look more like a Barbie than a human. In the past few months, I have come to realize that part of being human, is being threatened into a group of certain traits. Don't believe me? Go to any largely white high school, wander the halls, and notice that the only people being bullied are those who aren't very muscular, or those who go against the dressing norm (Goths for example), or those of a different race or ethnicity. You are probably asking why these kids are being oppressed. The reason is because media has convinced modern culture that anyone who doesn't follow the predetermined norms deserves to be treated like moldy bread.
These beliefs of mine are shown by the side of my mask with blue characters. These ideals are based around revealing the lies and expectations that media have place upon modern society. This 'urge' to pull back the curtain of media's lies has materialized as mirror fragments throughout my entire mask. These glass fragments show people that they're creating civil conflict, not maintaining order. Due to the high amount of negative sanctions towards people who don't follow society's norms, I have hidden this identity in secrecy and encryption. Besides, nobody would believe that a simple teenager would have such a serious view of society.
The final part of everyone's identity is the future. Everyone has a chance for change. This could come about when they implicitly or explicitly experience an act of true tolerance. Tolerance is the level of acceptance of a person (or people) that are different from you based on a level of understanding. A possible example of this could be how an incredibly racist person has their life saved by someone with a different 'hue.' Change isn't limited to already developed traits; change can take place in a part of someone's identity that hasn't even formed yet. On my mask, the nose isn't colored and is surrounded by rough edges. This lack of color shows how my identity is still in the process of developing and how I'm missing some of my most important characteristics. My mask also represents how some of my already developed characteristics are still rough by the bumps and crevasses on the surface of my mask. To summarize in simile: life is like a new puzzle-you have to search for all of the pieces that fit together for you.
In conclusion, your life depends on how you put your puzzle pieces together. Each piece has a different story, and each story has a different message, so it's important what box you choose to build from.