Paper Example on Coat of Arms

The coat of arms is unique since it contains my unique beliefs and conceptions that are not influenced by external forces (Adler 1986). The character written in this essay is fictional and is an Indian woman. The display of the coat of arms in this assignment is relevant to me as a unique individual. Self-concept refers to the set of perceptions that I hold of myself regarding my gender, culture, reflected appraisals, and social comparisons.

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Culture

In sociology, culture is defined as the beliefs, religion, norms, and values that people of a particular society share and in which they believe (Adler 1986). As an Indian, my culture primarily revolves around religion, and the image on the coat of arms includes a Buddhist goddess. Hinduism in my culture is a way of life and is commonly referred to as dharma. There are many Hindu gods and goddesses that Indian people worship, and they include Vishnu, Brahma, Shiva, Lakshmi, Saraswati, and Ganapati, among others. The Hindu religion believes that Brahma is the creator of everything, Shiva is the destroyer, and Vishnu is the one who preserves (Kosambi, 1962). The Hindu religion is based on four significant themes that define the objective of human life. The four themes are Artha, Kama, Moksha, and Dharma. Dharma is a fundamental Hindu concept that describes the behaviors that are acceptable and those that align with Rta (Werner, 2019). Such behaviors are guided by laws, duties, virtues, and rights that assist people in living in the right way in the eyes of Rta (Kosambi, 1962). Thus, the right behaviors are required to maintain peace and order and to prevent chaos in societies, families, and individuals by people doing what is morally upright (Werner, 2019). The kama concept is about emotional attraction and sexual desires as well as other forms of pleasure. The Moksha principle is about the liberation of Hindus from death and the gaining of salvation. Finally, the Artha principle entails work and how people can prosper. We also have various rituals like puja, Japa, annual festivities, and other family-based rites of passage that are considered sacred (Werner, 2019). Hinduism strongly advocates for values such as honesty and integrity, compassion, and patience, among others. Furthermore, art and architecture are the primary components of my Indian culture. As seen in the image on the shield, there are buildings on the background with different architectural styles. The buildings are of distinct shapes, and temples are classified based on their typological features (Kosambi, 1962). However, as can be seen from the image, the Hindu temple remains the same, but the rest of the buildings have a variety of styles. Art and architecture were incorporated in the Indian culture in the 7th century, and the tradition is still alive today.

Gender

Gender identification refers to the personal conception that a person has regarding themselves. Gender identification can also be defined as the psychological and social dimensions of female or male behaviors (Adler 1986). Thus, there are particular outward manifestations of a personality that directly reflect on a person’s gender identity. I Identify with the female gender, and I manifest my identity through outward manifestations like mode of dressing and the choice of jewelry and ornaments. According to the Indian culture, there are specific types of clothing that a female is required to wear, but dressing varies depending on one’s religion or the country’s climate. The clothing that I identify myself with as an Indian female is the saris, which is worn with other wrapped garments. The sari is a piece of unstitched cloth, and i drape it over the body in different styles of my choice. I wear full sarees by wrapping one end across the waist, and the other end is draped over the shoulder. On special occasions like weddings, I wear pink or red sari to identify with my tradition and gender. I also dress in Mekhela Sador, which is made up of three pieces of clothing. The clothes are folded and wrapped around the waist and then tucked in. The other part is draped over the shoulders to the rest part of the body. Other times I also wear the Punjabi suit, which consists of two primary parts, loose trousers, and a top. The look is complemented with a scarf. The last type of dressing that I identify with as a female is the Anarkali suit that I mostly wear to weddings and other cultural activities. As an Indian woman, I significantly identify as female by wearing jewelry, which has been a significant adornment for centuries. Jewelry is not only a form of decoration but also is an attachment of values for every piece that is worn. To depict and embrace my feminism, I wear jewelry that is made from precious metals like diamonds, gold, and silver. In Indian culture, precious jewelry symbolizes power, wealth, and good societal status. The jewelry that is most worn are necklaces, nose rings, bangles, earrings, and maangtika.

Reflective Appraisal

Reflective appraisal refers to the term that is used to describe an individual’s perception of themselves based on how other people see and evaluate them (Adler 1986). Thus, the reflective appraisal concept entails how human beings think of themselves in the manner in which they perceive others think of them. The reflective appraisal I identify myself with is inequality with men. The image on the quadrant depicts a sad face that represents the misfortunes that Indians go through. For a long time, other societies have perceived India as a country that has high levels of gender inequality to the point that I feel the pressure to feel that way. In a BBC news report in 2018, India was named as one of the most dangerous places to live in, especially for women like myself (Ahmed, 2017). Even though the Indian constitution enshrines women’s rights to equality, discrimination is still rampant in the country and in their culture. That is why other individuals have the perception that Indian women are discriminated against and are less privileged than their men in various aspects of life (Ahmed, 2017). For example, other people think that I am less educated and that other women are less likely to have a good education. In reality, education is not equally attained in India, and female literacy still lags behind. There is the perception that educating girls is a waste of resources since the women will eventually live with their spouses’ families (Ahmed, 2017). Similarly, as a woman, I do not have the privilege of holding high positions in the workplace as compared to males with the same qualifications (Ahmed, 2017). Due to the constant perceptions of other people about Indian women, I thus describe myself to identify with inequality.

Social Comparison

The social comparison involves the evaluation of oneself in comparison with other people. According to the social comparison theory, people often assess themselves in various domains like intelligence, success, and attractiveness, among others (Adler 1986). Thus, human beings determine their worth based on how they compare themselves to others. The image in the quadrant depicts a person evaluating herself and assessing her worth while being surrounded by various aspects of other individuals. The social comparison that I identify myself as an Indian woman is stylish. Upon looking at many cultures, I do not see the extra effort to enhance beauty. For instance, Indian culture significantly embraces the wearing of jewelry by women to enhance their beauty (Kosambi, 1962). However, as an Indian woman, I cannot wear any ornaments or decorations. When compared to other cultures like the British and American, the wearing of jewelry is not a major part of their culture. However, Indian women wear jewelry even on normal occasions, and which are made from precious metals like gold, diamonds, and silver. In other cultures, people wear such expensive and classy jewelry on special occasions like weddings. I consider myself and the rest of the women in my culture as stylish compared to other societies in the world. The sarees were wear are made from high quality silk, and the clothes are tailored with precision (Kosambi, 1962). Apart from jewelry and clothing, stylishness is embedded in our architecture (Werner, 2019). I value ornaments, and as I compare my culture with others, it is clear that I value attractive things around me, and so do other people from my culture.

Conclusion

The coat of arms represents my unique beliefs and conceptions, which are not influenced by external forces. The image on the first quadrant of the shield represents my Indian culture, which is primarily based on religion and architecture. There is the face of an Indian god, and the buildings in the background represent the Indian art. The image on the second quadrant is a picture of an Indian woman wearing a sari. Regarding gender, i identify with the feminine aspect, which is significantly depicted by the Indian mode of dressing and jewelry. The image on the third quadrant represents reflective appraisal to describe how I perceive myself based on the views of others. The reflective appraisal I identify with is inferiority since there the Indian culture has a lot of gender inequality. The final quadrant contains an image of a woman evaluating herself in comparison to other cultures. I perceive myself and my culture to be stylish as compared to other societies in the world.

References

Adler, R. B., Rosenfeld, L. B., Towne, N., & Scott, M. (1986). Interplay: The process of interpersonal communication. Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.

Ahmed, S. (2017). Gender Inequality in India: Measures & Growing Concerns. Social Work Chronicle, 6(1).

Kosambi, D. D. (1962). Myth and reality: studies in the formation of Indian culture. Popular Prakashan.

Werner, K. (2019). Symbols in art and religion: the Indian and the comparative perspectives. Routledge.