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Martinez, John

Jennifer Rodrick

English 115

October 17, 2017

Ethnography, or the scientific description of the customs of individual peoples

and cultures, can be the biggest thing forming our identities in everyday life, and is

described in psychology as nurture. Our environmental influence, the thing that shapes

who we are, based on where we live and are taught. And although we fail to see how

ethnography is one of the most fundamental factors of our personality, it can be seen in

almost all social norms, good or bad, everything from altruism to racism. But how big of

a factor is ethnography? Does it have the power to shape someone's behavior,

personality? I believe that it can, and that it does have the power to change our very

perception of ourselves. I believe that it has the power to make or break someone, to turn

society into heaven or hell for some people.

In psychology, the study of behavior and mental processes, one of the first things

studied is what make a person act, behave, or think the way they do. This question has

persisted from the very beginning of psychology and from that two ways of thinking have

come forth, nature or nurture. The idea that the either someone's genetics or how they

behave is determined who they are inherently (nature) and the idea that a person

environment shapes attitudes, personalities and behavior, their identities (nurture). In

modern psychology, it is believed that it is more a mixture of both nature and nurture that
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forms someone's identity, but more and more I get the feeling that it may be more an

environmental cause, how someone might be raised that determines someone's

personality.

Going on a small shopping spree, at Northridge mall for a little more than two and

a half hours, with a fully cashed out check, gave me a chance to observe in detail some of

the people there, how they interacted with one another, and some of our social norms.

Going back to psychology, here in Los Angeles, CA we are a pretty diverse bunch, which

would differ from a place maybe farther down towards the southeast, where a less diverse

group of people might have different ideas because they may not be exposed to other

groups of people as often as we are here. What I did notice is that here in LA, society

understands the economic power that everyone possesses, and that is what I feel is the

biggest part of what forms our perception of other groups of people. I may even go as far

to say that it may help some people feel more socially equal, make our society and in turn

ourselves down to individuals feel part of something greater. In a place such as Los

Angeles where we have a melting pot of people, full of economic opportunity our

attitudes might just be optimistic and full of hope with the American dream.

However, I didnt see some of the people that might not share the same views on

society as myself, people whose attitude might have been shaped differently by economic

disadvantage or difficult situations. I didnt see the kind of people who could have lived

in or been through different situation than my own, different situations than most people

that that the mall could represent. At the mall or at any place I go to, any public space I

will only see a representative group of our society. There will always be a portion
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missing but trying to understand everyone is the only way to truly better understand the

social phenomenon that is associated with our identities/the formation of our identities.