Ideas attitudes and beliefs of a society
Show How does our society shape the way we define ourselves and others? Explore some of the dilemmas people experience when others perceive them differently than they define themselves.
Who am I? Who are you? Who are we? How we answer these questions shapes how we think about, and how we behave toward, ourselves and others. And our answers to those questions are influenced by the society we live in. This chapter explores the relationship between the individual and society, and how
that relationship affects the choices we make. This chapter is from the Individual & Society section of Holocaust and Human Behavior and includes:
We begin to learn our culture—the ways of our society—just after birth. That process is called socialization, and it involves far more than schooling. Our culture shapes the way we work and play, and it makes a difference in how we view ourselves and others. It affects our values—what we consider right and wrong. This is how the society we live in influences our choices. But our choices can also influence others and ultimately help shape our society. Imagine that you encounter a stranger walking down the street. How might you describe the person? What labels would you use? We know that every person is different from any other in countless ways, yet when we encounter others we often rely on generalizations to describe them. “It's a natural tendency,” says psychologist Deborah Tannen. “We must see the world in patterns in order to make sense of it; we wouldn’t be able to deal with the daily onslaught of people and objects if we couldn’t predict a lot about them and feel that we know who and what they are." 1 Our society—through its particular culture, customs, institutions, and more—provides us with the labels we use to categorize the people we encounter. These labels are based on beliefs about race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, economic class, and more. Sometimes our beliefs about these categories are so strong that they prevent us from seeing the unique identities of others. Sometimes these beliefs also make us feel suspicion, fear, or hatred toward some members of our society. Other times, especially when we are able to get to know a person, we are able to see past labels and, perhaps, find common ground. The stories in this chapter explore some of the dilemmas people face as they establish themselves both as individuals and as members of a group, and as they define themselves and are defined by others. As the first step in the Facing History and Ourselves journey, this chapter introduces ideas about human behavior and decision making that will serve as a foundation for examining the historical case study in the chapters that follow. Teachers are encouraged to select the readings that match their objectives and the interests and needs of their students. Inside this ChapterExplore the ReadingsThe readings below make up the chapter The Individual and Society. Explore identity, conformity, and authority with this modern fable about a bear forced to navigate society's perception of who he is.
Nigerian writer Chimamanda Adichie challenges us to consider the power of stories to influence identity, shape stereotypes, and build paths to empathy (Spanish available).
What does your name say about you? Use this essay by Chinese American teenager Jennifer Wang to explore the relationship between name and identity.
Julius Lester describes finding his identity in an unexpected place as an African American teenager living in the segregated South (Spanish available).
Question society’s ideas about “beauty” and “normality” with this written adaptation of a provocative episode from the television series, The Twilight Zone.
Read the personal reflections of a mother whose young son has challenged her assumptions and expectations about gender identity.
Consider the consequences of who defines race through reflections from individuals who have struggled with the US government's legal definition of their race.
Is race a social construct? An American living in the Netherlands is faced with this question when she encounters the Dutch's definition of who is "black."
Journalist Brent Staples describes the strategies he developed to counter the stereotypes strangers might attach to him as a young black man.
Learn what new research into human behavior reveals about prejudice, unconscious bias, and our brains' practice of creating categories and expectations for others.
Puerto Rican writer Jesús Colón describes a time when his awareness of stereotypes influenced his decision-making.
Reflect on the power of the words that we attach to people through an Anishinaabe woman’s memory of being called an “Indian” while growing up in Canada (Spanish available).
Four teenagers from different religious traditions reflect on their experiences of religious belief and belonging.
With his story of a childhood bully, Gary Soto challenges us to look more closely at what lies behind one's behavior.
High school student Eve Shalen reflects back on a time in middle school when peer pressure and desire for belonging influenced her decision-making.
A young woman describes her journey overcoming an inner bully and fear of being different (Spanish available).
Consider the danger of forcing people to choose one part of their identity over another with this essay from a Lebanon-born writer living in France.
Enhance your students’ understanding of our readings on individual, society, and identity with these follow-up questions and prompts.
paperclip A curation of educational resources for school groups visiting the New England Holocaust Memorial.
paperclip Students read fictional biographies of German citizens and make hypotheses about the citizens' voting choices in the Weimar elections.
paperclip Students use journaling and group discussion to respond to emotionally-challenging diary entries of a Jewish teenager confined in a Nazi ghetto.
paperclip Students contemplate the challenges the Allies faced when seeking justice after the Holocaust through an interactive, discussion-based activity.
paperclip Students create a "found poem" drawing on words from the testimony of a survivor of the Holocaust.
paperclip Students grapple with the meaning of justice and the purpose of trials as they learn how the Allies responded to the atrocities of Nazi Germany.
paperclip Students are introduced to the concept of "universe of obligation" and prompted to illustrate circle of individuals who they feel a responsibility to care for and protect.
paperclip Students use a "levers of power" framework to analyze examples of civic participation and identify ways they can bring about a positive change in their communities.
paperclip Students analyze a variety of firsthand accounts of Kristallnacht in order to piece together a story of what happened on that night.
paperclip Students learn about several Holocaust memorials around the world in preparation to design their own memorial.
paperclip Students define propaganda and practice an image-analysis activity on a piece of propaganda from Nazi Germany.
paperclip Students explore the relationship between the individual and society by creating identity charts for a contemporary novelist, a children's book character, and themselves.
Most teachers are willing to tackle the difficult topics, but we need the tools. — Gabriela Calderon-Espinal, Bay Shore, NY What are beliefs in society?Beliefs are the tenets or convictions that people hold to be true. Individuals in a society have specific beliefs, but they also share collective values. To illustrate the difference, Americans commonly believe in the American Dream—that anyone who works hard enough will be successful and wealthy.
What are the beliefs and values of society?Social values include justice, freedom, respect, community, and responsibility. In today's world, it may seem our society doesn't practice many values.
What are examples of societal beliefs?What Are the Societal Values That Need to Be Considered When Making Decisions about Trade-Offs between Equity and Efficiency?. Accountability.. Collective responsibility.. Dignity.. Education.. Fairness.. Honesty.. Humanity.. Individual rights.. What are values attitudes and beliefs?Positive attitudes are needed in an individual in order for them to be motivated and engaged in a task. Attitudes arise out of core values and beliefs we hold internally. Beliefs are assumptions and convictions we hold to be true based on past experiences. Values are worthy ideas based on things, concepts and people.
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