Pop Culture and Identity
Introduction of Essay 1
“Identity Beyond Stereotypes” and “I
Am Not a Mascot”
Quickwrite #3
• Pick a quotation from one of the essays that we
read for today that you marked as important or
worthy of response.
• Using one of the templates from They Say, I Say,
write at least a paragraph where you respond to
the idea you marked, using the template as a
springboard for your own ideas. Please make a note
in the margin of which TSIS template you used
(telling me the page number is fine). Be sure to put
quote marks at the beginning and end of any direct
quotations from the essays and give credit to the
author.
“Identity Beyond Stereotypes” by Kiflin
Turner p. 139
• Considering Identities: How We Construct Our Identity
and What Influences That Construction
• Read 2nd paragraph on page 111 (and remember discussion of
subcultures on p. 6).
• Questions from the Reading
• What problematic stereotypes does Turner discuss in his essay?
• How are these stereotypes perpetuated? In other words, how
are these stereotyped learned and shared?
• Have you or those you know about have been stereotyped by
others based upon: your race/ethnicity, religion, age, economic
class, subculture, or another other identity category? Can you
make any connections between those experiences and those of
the individuals in Turner’s essay?
“I Am Not a Mascot” by Philip J.
Deloria p. 299
• This essay discusses the problematic appropriation of
stereotyped Native American images as team mascots.
• Why, according to Deloria, is this use of Native American
images problematic?
• Can you think of any other examples from American popular
culture where cultural stereotypes or images/traditions stolen
from other cultures are used outside of their original cultural
context? How is this appropriation viewed by the mainstream
culture? How is this appropriation viewed by the community
from which the image/tradition originates?
Understanding Essay Prompts
• Prompts are the key to successful assignments.
• It’s important to know how to read a prompt and
understand it.
• Read and re-read your prompt until you
understand fully what is being asked of you.
• If you don’t understand, ask your professor to clarify EARLY
ON.
• If you ask the day before the essay is due, IT IS ALREADY TOO
LATE.
• Let’s review our Prompt!
• Know the minimum requirements and take
them seriously.
• These include: page length or word count, format, works
cited/research required. ALL DUE DATES.
Which cultures or subcultures do
you belong to?
• The first step in writing essay one is identifying a
culture/subculture you belong to that has had a
profound effect on you. Cultures/subcultures to
consider might be based on:
• Race, ethnicity, or nationality
• Political affiliation
• Religion
• Sexual orientation
• Music (subcultures grow up around different styles)
• Hobbies around which distinct subcultures form
Further Brainstorming
• Look at the various groups you brainstormed.
Which ones have been the most important to how
you see yourself?
• Have you embraced the values/traditions of the
culture, or have you rejected them? What were the
consequences of that acceptance or rejection for
you and how you see yourself?
• Do you find yourself moving back and forth
between two cultures?
Further Brainstorming:
• Can you think of any aspect of culture or pop
culture (remember this has a very broad
definition) that has had an influence on you,
or an impact or your identity?
• how you think about yourself, how you think
about the world around you?
• how you express yourself, and interact with
people?
• Tell me about it.
• It can be anything, I don’t judge!