The effect of perception on cultural identity and our use of language by Dr Jennifer Hartley

Race gender nationality social class age religion nationality language culture

Where are you from? What do you do? What school did you go to? Where were you born? Which university did you go to? Are you married? How many children do you have?

Who am I? Understanding others makes possible a better knowledge of oneself: any form of identity is complex, for individuals are defined in relation to other people – both individually and collectively. ‘stereotyping identity’

…humans are unable to understand new information, without the inherent bias of their previous knowledge. A person’s knowledge creates his or her reality as much as the truth… Phenomenology of perception, By Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Colin Smith

What is language? What is culture? What is identity?

A language develops according to the particular needs of the people who live in a certain location at a certain period of time, who share a way of life and culture, it is clear that language is strongly intertwined with culture and identity.

Stereotypes Where do they come from? What are the images we associate with them? What happens when those images are challenged? Do different cultures share the same view of stereotypes?

A stereotype is a popular belief about specific types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused. Stereotypes are standardized and simplified conceptions of people based on prior assumptions. Another name for stereotyping is bias. Sometimes stereotyping can turn into discrimination if we misinterpret a bias and act upon it in a negative manner.

Body language Perception Identity

We don't see things as they are. We see them as we are. Anais Nin

The whole world is simply my story, projected back to me on the screen of my own perception. All of it. Byron Katie

Theatre versus Oppression Dr Jennifer Hartley TEDx talk on perception