Investigations in Literature, Identity, Sociology, and Psychology
Length: 5 Pages, MLA format (see google classroom for MLA formatting guide)
Using your understanding of the narratives we have read, the videos we have watched, and your knowledge of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, analyze no less than 2 of the texts through the lens of Maslow’s Hierarchy. Do these individuals’ experiences and understandings of themselves/their identities reflect the claims that Maslow makes in his hierarchy of needs? Do you believe that Maslow’s Hierarchy accounts for the complexities of the human experience? Finally, how do societal norms have the potential to influence our understandings of ourselves and our identities? Support your response with specific evidence from the narratives we read in this unit.
Texts (all of these can be found on google classroom):
“California Palms” by Lê Thị Diễm Thúy
“Identity” by George M. Johnson
“How to Eat a Guava” by Esmeralda Santiago
“Difference & Survival” by Audre Lorde
“Yellow Woman and a Beauty of the Spirit” by Leslie Marmon Silko
Videos (all of these can be found on google classroom):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-yk1hsvbNU – George M. Johnson Interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ic6ZnRCo3QY&t=908s – “Origin Song” TED Talk – lê thi diem thúy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tkwj0znbuoQ – Audre Lorde “The Theory of Difference”