RunningHeader:SelfStudy

SelfStudy

AlbertoChavez

CaliforniaStateUniversityChico

SelfStudy

Storytelling is something that has been passed down through generations of people for
many years. People use it to engulfothersinonespersonalexperiencesandsotheycaninsome
ways become connected by the storytelling and used to identify oneself. Mainly because they
dont just want to tell someone a story they want to give them prime examples and make sure
theyareunderstandingthemeaningsandpurposesofthestory.Todothispeoplehavetoidentify
express themselves with their purposes in their stories, otherwise it can be bland and no
connectionbetweenstorytellerandthepersonlistening.
Identifying ones self isnt such a straightforward process. There are many different
interpretations of Identifying and storytelling and there is even an Identifying Process.Thia
Wolf states in her narrative that the identity process is a human tool developed by human
experiences. She also states that it is used in social contexts to express different
preferences,values and abilities. it can be adaptable to fit the needs of the story that needs tobe
told. You can always make it fit the role that is needed by using different approaches. Dan
McAdams and Kate McLean state in their essay that identifying ones self has been used with
many different methods, whether it is folk tales or reality tv. They also state that people form
these tales by using past, present and possiblefutureevents.Usingsuchmethodshelpuscreate
strong, concrete and meaningful stories where people can easily identify themselves to others.
Having some or all of these factors help in building identity and a strong story to help express
andshoweachotherourlives,experiencesandmindsets.
Comingtocollegeweneverreallyknowwhattoexpect.TheonlythingthatIdidknow
wasthatanythingcouldofhappened.Iwastryingtobeasoptimisticaspossiblewhenfirst

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cominghere,oneoftheofthebiggerthingsthatIwantedtodoincollegewasleavesomething
behind.AnythingthatIcanlookbacktoandbeproudofandhavememoriesabouttopasson
andpossiblyinspirepeopleinsomeway.Youalwayshearaboutpeoplesgreatstoriestheyhad
intheircollegeexperienceandthatalwaysexcitedme.Whowouldofknownthismomentwould
appearinmyveryfirstyearofcollegewithsomeofthepeopleIstillspendmostlyeverydayup
hereinchicowith.Wewerejustacoupleoffreshmenspendingtheirdaysgoingtoschoolduring
theweekandgoingouttofindnewandexcitingexperiencesontheweekdays.Justasmallgroup
ofpeopleallfromdifferentpartsofthesamestate.Allwithdifferentpersonalities,interestsand
mindsetsthatsomehowcreatedthisplaceweremostlythewholecollegecouldcometogether.
Theideawassimpleanditwasntevenheardofatourschool,itwastakenfromanother
actually.Oneofmyfriendsheardaboutconfessionspage.Afacebookpageforacollegeand
peoplecangoandanonymouslysharetheirstoriesoroccurrencestotheirpeers.Peoplecanlike,
shareandcommentonthedifferentconfessions.Myfriendthoughtthiswasagreatideaandtold
ourgroupthatweshoulddothesameforchicostatebecausewemusthavesomeofthecraziest
stories.Atfirstwedidntreallybelieveinitandtoldhimthatwewerejustfreshmenand
questionedhowwecouldevengetpeopletoeverlikethepage,butmyfriendhadfaithandhe
wentthroughwithcreatingthepageforChicoState.Inthebeginningwewouldeachtaketurns
inourfreetimelookingoverthedifferentsubmissionsandpostingtheappropriateonesonthe
page.Wedidnthaveabigfanbaseinthebeginningandwetoldsomepeopleaboutittotryand
getmoreandmorepeopletoknowaboutthepage.Thefriendsandpeoplethatwefirsttoldwere
verynegativetowardsthepage.Gettingresponseslikethatsastupidideaandthatsnever
goingtocatchon.Eventuallythoughmoreandconfessionsstartedcomingandandmorepeople

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werelikingthepage.Someoftheconfessionswerereallycrazyandweknewwehadtokeep
going.Nowinthepresentthepageisflourishing.Wehaveover10,000likesandtheconfessions
areseveralormoreaday.Ibelievethatpeoplelovedtheideaandlikedgettingthechanceto
sharetheirstorieswiththeirfellowclassmates.Thepagewasntallfunandgamesthough.over
thepasttwoormoreyearsithadcausedquitethecontroversyovermanysubjects.Somepeople
askingtohavepoststakendown,peopleconstantlybickeringandarguingonthepage.The
schoolitselfhavecontactedusonmanyoccasionstellingusthatwhatweweredoingwasagainst
schoolpoliciesandsomeofourcontentwasinviolationofschoolconduct.Wehavekeptthe
pageafloatandIamverythankfulforthat.Ilovethepagebecausenotonlyisthissomething
thatIcanlookbacktoandbeveryproudof,butIalsohelpedmyfellowstudentbody.Yesthe
pagehascausedsomeproblemsandargumentswithsomepeople,butifyoulookdeeperintothe
pageyoucanseethatitisdoingsomegood.Peoplegoonthereeverydaytheytalktoeachthey
havefunoversomeofthefunnierconfessionsanditcanalsohelpthetroubledstudents.There
havebeenconfessionsaboutrapeandabusethatsomestudentshavehadandsinceitis
anonymoustheyfeltsafegoingonthereandsharingitwiththepeople.Whenpeopleseesomeof
thosetroubledconfessionsthefrolictothemandshowtheirsupportforoneanother.Itdoesnt
happenveryoften,butwhenitdoesIcanseethatthesepeopledotrulyhavecompassionforone
anotherandthisgivesmegreatpleasuretoknowthatIhavehelpsomepeopleinfindingsupport
intheirtroubledtimes.ComingtocollegeIdidntknowwhattoexpect.WhatIgotwassome
greatfriendsandthispagewhereIknowwearedoinggoodby.Igotacouplemoreyearstogo,
butwhenIamolderIknowIcanlookbackandsaythatIdidsomethingincollege.Something
Important.

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InanalyzingmystoryIfoundthattheidentityformationprocessproceedwiththe
followingthesethreeapproaches.Creatingcoherence,assumptionoftheaudienceandidentity
work.WithcreatingcoherenceIputthethestoryinchronologicalorder,mainlybecauseI
wantedittobelikenayclassicalstorywherethereisabeginningandend.Icouldofthrown
thingsaroundandstartedwiththeendingandthengoingbacktohowwegottothatendingsoa
reversestory.Thiscouldofstartoffstrongbutendkindofdullinmyopinion.Thiscaneasily
connecttoidentityworkbecauselikeThiaWolfstatedinhernarrativesayingidentifyingisa
humantoolusedthroughexperiences.SoItriedidentifyingmyselfbytellingaclassicformof
storytelling.Astorythatfocusedononethinginmylifeoveranumberyearsinitthatcanhelp
identifythekindofpersonIamandmymindset.WithassumptionofaudienceIfirstthought
whoismainlygoingtobereadingthisessay?Ithoughtofcoursethatitisgoingtobemainly
fellowstudents.TheyneedtoknowthemeaningbehindthisstoryandwhyIchosethetopicon
whichtowriteabout.Ithinkifafellowstudentcanconnecttothispaperbecausenotonlyare
theyastudent,buttheyhavepossiblyusedthepagethatIamtalkingabout.Theymightknow
whatthepageisandbecomemoreinterestedorafterreadingittheymightgotocheckoutthe
pageforthefirsttime.SonotonlyisthemoreinterestingthinginmylifesomethingthatIcould
passontoanotherperson,butitcanalsotellaninterestingstory.Alsoiscaneasilybeconnected
tobythemainaudiencebecausetheymighthavealreadyheardofthepageandorusedit.
Anotheraspectisthatthisisawholedifferentsidetothepage.Peopleknowaboutandhaveused
it,buttheydontknowmysidetheydontknowhowthispagecametobewhatittooktomake
andwhatmyfriendsandIhadtogothroughthewholetimeitwashasbeenlive.

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Identifyingonesselfcanbeeasyordifficult.Dependsonhowyouapproachit.Youcan
basicallyjusttellpeoplespecificthingsaboutyouandsimplefacts,butthenthepersonorpeople
youaretellingthesethingsmightnotconnecttoyou.Sometimeyouwanttoconnecttoother
peopleandthisiswherestorytellingplaysapart.Bytellingstoriesnotonlycanyouidentify
yourselfbutyoucanconnecttopeople.JustlikeGlyndaHullandMiraKatzstateintheiressay
Howwerepresentourselvesinstoriedworldsdependsonwhowearetryingtobeinrelationto
others.Identifyingyourselfcan'tbethroughyouusingabstractideasandconceptstotryand
explainyourself.Theyaredonethroughmainlystonecoldfacts.Ifyouaregoingofftangents
andnotgivingdetailsthiscancauseproblemsinconnectionaswell.DavidCarelessandKitrina
DouglasstateintheiressayRatherthanfocusingonconstructs,opinions,perceptionsor
abstractideas,narrativemethodsprioritizeaspecificindividualsexperiencethrougheliciting
storiesofconcreteeventsandhappenings.Identifyingyourselfisnteasyyouhavetomakesure
youdoitinawaywheresomeonecanrememberyouby.Yourstorycantbesomethingthat
peopleforgeteasily.Isstorytellingtheonlywaytodothis?Canyoureallyconnectwith
someonebytellingthemasimplestory?Itseemslikeitisoneofthemorecommonmethodsthat
workmostofthetime.

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References
DanP.McAdamsandKateC.McLean.(2013,June4).NarrativeIdentity.Retrieved
from
http://cdp.sagepub.com/content/22/3/233

GlyndaA.HullandMiraLisaKatz.(2014,June23).Retrievedfrom
http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/40171717?sid=21105993604703&uid=4&uid=2&
uid=3739256

DavidCarlessandKitrinaDouglas.(2013).Retrievedfrom
http://selfandsustainability.weebly.com/uploads/2/2/9/7/22973022/in_the_boatbutselling_
myself_short.pdf