Life Writing: Second Lecture
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This document summarizes a lecture on identity and life writing. It discusses identity from psychological and philosophical perspectives. Psychologically, identity is a process of formation that draws from both essence of the individual and community. Philosophically, identity questions the notion of an autonomous and unchanging core self. The lecture presents the views of essentialism, which believes in a true self defined by attributes, and non-essentialism, which sees the self as an endless series of masks without a fixed core. It encourages using life writing techniques like interviews to understand identity as experienced through stories and events rather than abstract notions.
Life Writing: Second Lecture
- 1. Identity and Life Writing SECOND LECTURE sjoerd-jeroen moenandar moenandar@gmail.com education | storytelling | culture
- 2. EXERCISE 1 2 sjoerd-jeroen moenandar moenandar@gmail.com http://moenandar.blogspot.com Try to remember an event that had a profound impact on you Now write it down as life-writing – and focus on how you experienced that event
- 3. o From Latin: idem (same) o Who are you? The story of a life o Who is in charge of that story? o This lecture: • Identity according to psychology • Identity according to philosophy IDENTITY 3 sjoerd-jeroen moenandar moenandar@gmail.com http://moenandar.blogspot.com
- 4. o Identity is a process (identity formation) o Identity has two ‘sources’: • Essence of the individual • Essence of the community THE READER OF FICTION… 4 sjoerd-jeroen moenandar moenandar@gmail.com http://moenandar.blogspot.com
- 5. oWithin you (essence of the individual) oOutside of you (essence of the community) oThe question of autonomy WHERE IS YOUR IDENTITY MADE? 5 sjoerd-jeroen moenandar moenandar@gmail.com http://moenandar.blogspot.com
- 6. o Autonomy: • From Greek: autos (self) nomos (law) • Autonomy: answer to your own law o To tell someone’s story is to take away their autonomy o Responsibility AUTONOMY AND LIFE WRITING 6 sjoerd-jeroen moenandar moenandar@gmail.com http://moenandar.blogspot.com
- 7. IDENTITY 7 sjoerd-jeroen moenandar moenandar@gmail.com http://moenandar.blogspot.com o Does identity exist?? • I.e. do you have an unchangeable core?
- 8. oWithin you (essence of the individual) oOutside of you (essence of the community) oThe question of autonomy IDENTITY (CONT.) 8 sjoerd-jeroen moenandar moenandar@gmail.com http://moenandar.blogspot.com
- 9. o There is a ‘true me’ o Your ‘true me’ can be found in: • Your soul (religion) • Your nationality • Your race • Your gender • Your DNA • Etc. ESSENTIALISM 9 sjoerd-jeroen moenandar moenandar@gmail.com http://moenandar.blogspot.com
- 10. o No ‘true me’ – just an endless series of masks o No autonomy? o Or: more choice than with essentialism? • (You chose the mask you want, no prisoner of your, race, gender, DNA, etc.) NON-ESSENTIALISM 0 sjoerd-jeroen moenandar moenandar@gmail.com http://moenandar.blogspot.com
- 11. o Looking for experience, not truth o Follow the flow of the conversation o Fill in the storytelling checklist (but not as a survey!) INTERVIEWING FOR LIFE WRIGING 1 sjoerd-jeroen moenandar moenandar@gmail.com http://moenandar.blogspot.com
- 12. EXERCISE 2 2 sjoerd-jeroen moenandar moenandar@gmail.com http://moenandar.blogspot.com Find someone who has experienced something Use the checklist for a story to turn the experience into a story. Discuss with the person you’re interviewing. (This is life writing: turn someone’s life into a story)