Tribe-related poll
OK, since I’ve been mulling this over myself recently…
How does everyone else classify themselves? What’s your tribe? Do you have more than one? Is your sense of tribe/in-group based on gender? Race? Class? Educational level? Field of employment? Subcultural affiliations? Political orientation? Sexual orientation? Something I’ve completely missed? A combination of all the above?
Sorry it this seems kind of nosy, I’m just curious to see how this works for other people. I’m also really curious to see how one’s upbringing plays into it.
Anyone else ever feel that their membership in one tribe is very much not appreciated by another tribe that they feel equally connected to?
Because whoever said that women don't have "the gaze" was smoking crack
About Me
- Cassandra Says
- I'm a progressive, left-wing Brit living in California. I used to be a high-tech sales guru, but got tired of that and am now thinking about going back to school to get a Masters in Journalism. My undergrad is in Psychology, but I have never used this in any constructive way. This is typical for me. I grew up mostly in the Middle East, was educated at a very fancy Scottish boarding school, moved to London at 18, and have lived in the Bay Area for the past 8 years. I am now suffering from a serious case of itchy feet, and am feeling that 8 years is quite long enough to stay in one place. Again, this is typical. If anyone really wants to figure me out they should Google "third culture" - I fit the prototype pretty closely. If any other Third Culture kids happen to stumble across this blog, write to me. There aren't very many of us.
10 comments:
Hmm. Interesting question. For myself -- bisexual, feminist, pagan, geek. I don't think any of those really conflict with the other, since they all tend to be pretty open-minded. However, the tribes I'm /supposed/ to be a part of -- Southern Baptist for example -- really have a problem with them. I was raised Southern Baptist and they're kinda like Catholics, -- once you're part of us, we don't want to let you go. For your own good, sinner!! Ahem. Anyway, most of my family still belongs to the tribe and so, I have to hide my identity from them, if I want to keep the peace. *sigh* It's not fun at all.
I hail from the freak tribe. I rather like it. Seriously, my people are other people who are "othered" for whatever reason. culture, religion, sexual orientation? I could give a crap, really.
I'm not sure that I can explain what makes me see someone as one of my people. I guess it's like cliche about obscenity - I know it when I see it. I suspect it has more to do with a certain sense of openess and willingness to look at everything from an alternate point of view than anything else.
The wierd thing about the issue of othering for me is that I've rarely been consciously othered by other people (other than by other feminists and socialists, interestingly enough). To whatever extent I register as "other" with mainsteam people it's something I did to myself - I can pass with no problem whatsoever if I want to.
Zan - word on the Southern Baptist thing. The Scots have similar tendencies - there's a big part of my Dad's family that have never forgiven me for not wanting to live in the same town as everyone else, not to metion the whole marrying an Asian guy thing.
Well, there's the socialist group I'm a part of -- and temperamentally, I'm very much at odds with everyone else, which makes socializing difficult. Outside of that, I have scattered friendships, but I can never quite knit it together into anything like a satisfying social life.
I think I'm pack leader for my three cats! ;)
I've been thinking about this for a while now, and I think I can honestly say that, while ostensibly I'm a member of plenty of groups, numbers-groups and social groups both--but I never feel like I belong to any of them; in fact, what I usually feel is a distinct and profound sense of alienation.
It sounds really seventh-grade to say that, but it's true: I don't feel like I have a single tribe.
SP - I muse about this too. I feel most connected to my subcultural affinity groups, which on some level bothers me. I'd love to feel more connected to other feminists and other socialists, but I'm continually put off by what feel like demands that I cast off all other affiliations and devote myself 100% to The Cause. I can't do that, not least because my commitment to both is roughly equal. I don't want to do it, either, and all my surfacy sub-cultural stuff seems to be deemed unfeminist and unsocialist. When I volunteered for a local political campaign they initially thought I was a spy from the other camp because of the fancy jeans and the expensive shoes, so apparently I read as "not a proper socialist" too. It's an ongoing thing, really, and I can't help but wonder how many other people try to join both movements, feel that subtle sense of rejection, and just never go back.
scientist, Christian, feminist, political troublemaker -- you do the math. %^)
I'm still mainly in 7th grade like Scarlet. But I am a teacher by trade so they have to accept me to an extent. That association clashes severely with my concert-goer tribe. People I meet at concerts visibly recoil when I tell them I'm a teacher - like I'm going to lecture them on being too noisy or something!
acm - Sorry, I don't do math unless it's algebra or trig.
Sage - Um, you're 13? So confused...I can just imagine the reaction at concerts.
"OMG she's following me! She's going to realise that I'm at this gig instead of doing my homework and flunk me!"
Scroll both up and down for wierd concert going as an adult experiences...the funny thing is I think most of the kids have no idea how much older than them I am.
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