Our current project, a study of American identity, is coming to a close and our final piece, a 7-10 minute group presentation on the subject, will be done in class tomorrow. This presentation has been over a month in the making, and has included countless hours of research, interviewing, inquiry, and conversation. Throughout all of this research though, my original perspective of what it means to be an American has altered. I have read multiple articles on the events that have shaped our national identity, as well as historical accounts, as well as more contemporary opinions.
I had gone into this project having previously put very little thought into the thought of identity. And so at the beginning I was very skeptical as to whether or not the idea of ‘American Identity’ was even a tangible research project subject. I immediately questioned if there was even such as an identifiable American identity. And it was not until about a week or so in that I realized I was approaching the subject from the wrong angle; I was trying to objectively define American identity, and I was completely failing. What I slowly came to realize was that American identity, what makes someone American, is not something that you can simply nail to a board and expect people to understand. It’s much deeper than that.
Americanism, if you will, is something that has been defined, evaluated, shaped, and polished since the beginning of this countries history. Trying to define such an eventful upbringing is impossible; instead, we must try to take on the subject from various different angles.
One angle that was predetermined for us, was attempting to define American identity in 2012. I enjoyed this challenge significantly more because I can relate significantly better to contemporary America than to, say, the United States in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement. I could actually see what I was talking about unfold before me through my eyes, as well as the eyes of the media, television, movies, music and other people. For me, I wanted to branch off a little bit, so I attempted to expand my view of contemporary America. And even though i knew I couldn’t count this as part of the project, it was important for me to try to understand Americanism from a different point of view. One formed of things other than endless Jstor articles and old dusty books with funny names written on the front; I wanted to study people.
I think social interactions were probably my favorite thing to study, for example, the more recent presidential debate. What I found fascinating was not what they were saying, but how people reacted. From the people in the room around me, to the hordes of people all to eager to tell the world what they think, to the kids at school the next day. What interested me was figuring out what people remembered, what stuck with them for more than the ten second CNN cut-to evaluation. These things, these snip-its of cultural trends, these short clips and glimpses of information that accurately and efficiently showed the opinions of thousands of people are what I believe reveal the most. From the dark, pressing stares of the audience when the speaking candidate didn’t force feed them what they wanted to here, to the sudden outbreaks of hysterical applause when there never ending search for justification and meaning was momentarily fulfilled by a single ‘Yes We can’. These are what I see as defining us as people, and not always in the most flattering of ways.
So my point, and I think there actually is one here, is that for research to really be effective in any situation, to actually having meaning besides just a letter grade handed out at the end, one must go beyond traditional resources, whatever that may be. I believe that you must find what makes the subject matter the most interesting, what sticks with you, what solidifies your opinions and expands your perspective. For me, it was studying debates and peoples reactions, but for you, it might be sitting in a park and staring at people. Whatever works.
The USHRS Blog 
Patrick Noonan
October 8, 2012
Hi Matt,
Really liked this blog, you can see that you engaged with the project and weren’t just taking things as verbatim. Your critical thinking skills will stand to you, trust me, it is the best skill you can develop! The rejection of trying to objectively define American identity, or any identity, is a fantastic realisation ( I’m from Ireland so I’m not going to spell it the Americanised way!) and one which I wished much more people could make when it comes to influencing their every day life.
I came across a quote recently which may give you and your classmates something to discuss (or even write about). It’s from Werner Heisenberg and goes as follows:
What we observe is not nature itself, but nature exposed to our method of questioning.
Thoughts?
Keep up the good work and I’ll check back now and again.
mattjames33
October 8, 2012
Patrick,
Thank you! Thats a very interesting quote. I agree that what we perceive is completely subjective, and that how we see, process, and make decisions about the world around us is never unadulterated. However, that is what lends diversity to the world. If we all observed and processed information in the same way, there would be no difference in opinions; It is our perception of nature and the world around us that makes conversation interesting, discussions provocative, and debate possible. I also see this as unavoidable; from the smallest of decisions that have almost no real-world impact, to those perceptions that can change a life, we will always unconsciously make decisions based on our experiences, culture, backgrounds, upbringings, and societal norms, and im sure im leaving out a number of things that can impact perception and decision making.
Thanks again for your thoughtful comment,
Matt
Patrick Noonan
October 10, 2012
I agree, when I said I wished people could reject objectivity I din’t mean people should reject their opinion, as you say it is impossible to do so. Essentially, what I mean is that certainty can be a dangerous thing. For as W.B. Yeats said :
The best lack all conviction, while the worst / Are full of passionate intensity.
and Bertand Russell:
One of the painful things about our time is that those who feel certainty are stupid, and those with any imagination and understanding are filled with doubt and indecision.
So it’s not opinions I am against, it is the certainty in maintaining those opinions, any opinions, even my own opinions, even this one! It’s quite a fun way to approach the world.
Danielle Gideon
October 13, 2012
Hi! My name is Danielle Gideon and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I am an education major and I am just learning to blog this semester. I really enjoyed reading your blog post. I found your post to be very well written and very engaging. I found it so interesting when you were describing the recent presidential debates. I also agree that it is often not what was said but the reactions from others that is most intriguing when it comes to US politics. Great job on your blog!
Haleigh Respess
October 13, 2012
I really enjoyed your blog post, because it made think about a few different things. I found it so interesting that you said rather than listening to every word being said during the debate, you were more interested in the reactions of the people of the audience, and seeing what people had to say about the debate in school the next day. People’s reactions to anything always interest me, and you never know how people will react. Your post is well written, and you are such a descriptive writer that it was easily read.
Keep Blogging,
Haleigh
mclaire95
October 21, 2012
Hi Matt!
I really loved your post! I think what you were saying about observing people being one of the most interesting things is so very true! I love to see what people think and try to make conclusions about why they remember certain things as opposed to others. I, too, watched the debate and enjoyed seeing and hearing people’s reactions during and after. Did you watch the version (I think it was CNN) where they had a graph on the bottom of male vs. female approval of what the candidate was saying? I found that incredibly interesting to follow. How did you incorporate what you learned from watching people into your project?
Thanks!
Claire
matt
October 22, 2012
Claire,
What I learned from watching people in my project served to add another perspective to my view of American identity. Although there was no defined section dedicated to what i found, it had a major impact on the way I thought about and presented my findings.
Thank you!
courtneyann15
October 22, 2012
Hello Matt!
This is a really interesting blog and I really enjoyed reading through it. You made a lot of interesting points that really piqued my curiosity. I enjoyed your paragraph regarding social interactions. I think it is so interesting to observe the details that people might otherwise miss and not notice. How people react to what other’s say is very key and often times people miss it. Your point regarding what people actually remember the next day was also very interesting. When I think about the stuff I remember, it tends to be the positives that my candidate said and the mistakes that his opponent made. I think you are absolutely right that you have to step outside of the traditional styles and find what really speaks to you in order. Do you have any suggestions regarding how to best do this?
Thanks!
Courtney