purpose statement

Here’s the question I’d like you to address:
• In your original post, address these questions: Was there a time in your life where someone said something to you, or had you do something that negatively affected your self concept (similar to the Ask the Ethicist story)? Who was involved? What happened? Has the negative message remained static in your life (meaning it hasn’t changed) or have you been able to dispute your thoughts surrounding the negative perception you hold of yourself? Use concepts and theories from the text to support your ideas, and be sure to cite those concepts and theories (and theorists) in your discussion using MLA style. Citing research allows us to: 1) become familiar with using scholarship to inform our own ideas and, 2) become familiar with source citation in a response (and eventually a speech).
For example, if someone I know were assigned this question, she might write about her self-image as a “non-traditional” female. Meaning, she never wanted to have children, so never did. The idea of traditional marriage is not important to her. She’s kind of a “tom boy” so she’d rather talk about sports than color palates. Her mom is awesomely bizarre and has never been that “traditional Mom” pressuring her daughter for kids, the perfect wedding, or a husband, so she didn’t experience negative messages from family towards her self-concept. “In this instance, your belief about yourself and your positive evaluation of that belief are likely to contribute to a healthy self-concept,” (Lane 41). Any negative messages came from “others” – acquaintances, coworkers, social groups, etc. They would ask socially-acceptable questions while small-talking, but their questions invariably identified her as being very different than most people. What might happen when engaging in social comparison? So in her post she would define self-concept as well as social comparison from the textbook.
As you tell your story, see if you can employ using the skill of perception checking. What would that perception check “sound” like, using your own example?
The example I gave is incomplete for a reason; I don’t want everyone copying the same “formula” in responding to this question, which is why I’m not disclosing much more. I want this discussion to be rich with different examples and theories. And, if a perception check were to be employed in your narrative, what would it “sound” like? A perception check, as discussed on page 44 of the text is a powerful tool and I encourage you to use it!
It’s easy to have very different perceptions of the same situation. Miscommunication happens every day and shapes our self concept!

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