Race, Culture, Identity Misunderstood Connections

Appiah Essay Throughout the essay, Race, Culture, Identity: Misunderstood Connections, I found Kwame Anthony Appiah’s claims about social scripts to support my idea that we present ourselves differently depending on the circumstance. There are times when we try to play into the majority, as well as times where we try and fall into the minority; we choose which group we want to highlight depending on which will get us where we want to go. Appiah presents different ideas about social norms and the status of minorities in society throughout his entire essay. In the chapter, A Common Culture, Appiah talks about the great divide between the minority and the majority in terms of employment and educational opportunities, saying, â€Å"At the same time, it has always been true that there was a dominant culture in these United States. It was Christian, it spoke English, and it identified with the high cultural traditions of Europe and, more particularly, of England. This dominant culture included much of the common culture of the dominant classes---the government and business and cultural elites---but it was familiar to many others who were subordinate to them. And it was not merely an effect but also an instrument of their domination.†(Appiah 87). In this quote, Appiah brings up the fact that even though there was nothing written stating that minorities cannot be elites, it was know by the people of our country that the dominant race held claim to those positions. Though not statedShow MoreRelatedThe House On Mango Street Analysis1020 Words   |  5 Pagesdiscovering how her Mexican culture impacts how she and others will view herself as an individual and how her culture impacts the future she desires to live. 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