[Sample] CMCL-C 427 Part V: Suggest/Develop a framework for analysis

Thesis: Based on my research during the semester, the history of my family and community in which I was raised construct the ways I communicate, and the language used in both my family and community promoted development of particular aspects of my identity, specifically my gender, religious, and racial identity. Clear central idea here 1. Point 1: The language used in both my family and community promoted development of my gender identity. a. According to the text cite the authors here, gender identity is created, reinforced, ad reconstructed by society through communication. b. In the interview with my grandmother, I determined that my family puts heavy emphasis on women performing traditional feminine duties. i. Because my grandpa worked a large number of hours, the responsibility of shopping and cooking fell on my grandmother. My mom continued this in our own family by also being primarily in charge of both activities. ii. My grandma didnt work at all outside the home. My own mother took 8 years off work after I was born, and my eldest sister is an unemployed, stay-at-home mom. iii. My grandmother (and my own mother) was in charge of child-rearing. i. Children are greatly valued in my family, as the primary reason my grandparents and parents stayed in my community for so long was to raise the children. ii. People ask my grandmother about her kids and grandkids, and she very much appreciates this and owns motherhood as her main identity. That makes it (the town) feels like home, she says. c. Feminine appearance is also important in my family, as my mother, grandmother, and sisters have all had some form of cosmetic change to conform to the American standard of beauty (from hair dye to collagen injections and breast implants to Botox.) d. Within my community, power is given to married, older, wealthier people who live in certain areas of the town. No power at all is given to unwed mothers, for example. Very solid argument in this point 2. Point 2: The language used in both my family and community promoted development of my religious identity. a. I was born and raised in ---, attending the ---- public school system from kindergarten through high school. The town was originally founded by an influential Quaker, Samuel Moore. i. In my research I found that both the Quaker and Methodist denominations were prominent in the early development of the community.

ii. I am not surprised by this fact, as there are a large majority of Methodist churches in the community, one of which I was raised in for the first 10 years of my life. b. Though the Quaker population has significantly decreased, religion still plays a big part in the community. i. Religious diversity is rare, as the majority of all people in Mooresville identify with some form of Christianity. ii. The majority of the town is incredibly faux- religious, all attending one very powerful nondenominational Christian church. It is a cult-like phenomenon shared by kids and adults alike. c. The reading states that core symbols are fundamental beliefs that are shared by members of a culture group. In my opinion, these traditional Christian beliefs are the epitome of a core symbol to the Mooresville community. i. In analyzing my community utilizing the Ethical Imperative, it is easily seen how judgmental they are, using the Ten Commandments as a basis for cultural ethics. ii. The townspeople tend to not be accepting of homosexuals, premarital sex, and other taboo topics found in the Bible. The people of the town share similar prejudices and stereotypes. d. The people are extremely condemnatory, and above all hypocritical. i. The Face Negotiation Theory explains that people in town are in touch with saving face, and dont want to be judged because they know how harshly they judge others. ii. This explains what turned me off of religion over the years, and why I havent explored many religions outside Christianity. 3. Point 3: The language used in both my family and community promoted development of my racial identity. a. My people have a history dating back to German and Switzerland, where my ancestors originated. My background is American, specifically Caucasian, tracing all the way back in my lineage with little diversity. b. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, my community is 98.5% white. I was not even around anyone of another race until I got my first job in high school and more so later when I went to college. i. To make matters worse, Mooresville is a part of the county in which the second Klux Klan was formed. ii. Just this week WRTV in Indianapolis did a story about residents being angry after finding Ku Klux Klan fliers at their homes. The towns cultural identity is shaped largely by history in this way; as there is truly no diversity to this day. iii. Residents do not even attempt to suppress the Anglocentrism that characterized early U.S. history; rather, townspeople joke about things such as the KKK among one another. iv. As a child I was afraid of people of other races or cultural backgrounds who looked different than me. I would not have felt comfortable

communicating with them, and likewise they might feel uncomfortable communicating with me because I came off as so unapproachable. c. McIntoshs reading on The Invisible Knapsack led me to consider the everyday privileges of being white. i. She compiled a list of white privileges, like counting on skin color not to count against financial reliability. ii. It is stated in the reading that these privileges are most clearly visible to those who are not white, and this made me consider how I recognize my place within the dominant group and more so all of society. Conclusion: Based on my research during the semester, the history of my family and community in which I was raised construct the ways I communicate and shaped my gender, religious, and racial identity. Regarding gender, I claim that the readings on power greatly shape my gender based on what my community values. Chapter 3 of the text states that power comes from the roles individuals occupy, and gender-specific roles are highly valued in my family. The text also discusses the power of advertisers in the context of cultural standards of beauty, which are reflected within my own family. Regarding my religious identity, I claim that the Ethical Imperative and Face Negotiation Theory play a role in examining the judgmental nature of my community, using the Ten Commandments as a basis for cultural ethics and being preoccupied with saving face, as community members dont want to be judged because they know how harshly they judge others. Finally, regarding my racial identity, I use the example of Anglocentrism to describe my community, and focus on what I have learned from McIntoshs reading on The Invisible Knapsack, for example, that white privileges are most clearly visible to those who are not white.

References Martin, J. N., & Nakayama, T. K. (2010). Intercultural Communication in Contexts, (5th ed.). McGraw-Hill. 2006. Town of Mooresville, Indiana. http://www.mooresville.org/Overview/tabid/52/Default.aspx Excellent work: coherent structure; clear main points, well supported, use variety if evidence from your research. I am not sure if you cited all sources in your reference list. Can you look into this please?