http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/keyword/identity Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Wed, 15 Apr 2026 17:17:26 -0400 Wed, 15 Apr 2026 17:17:26 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1964/the-perennial-perversion-idolatrous-self-worship-in-brave-new-world By Adam H. Post - This literary analysis compares the spiritual landscape of Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World against his nonfiction work, The Perennial Philosophy. In Brave New World, Huxley’s World State appears spiritually promising. It embeds self-transcendence and interconnectedness into its social order, minimizing the individual self in favor of a collective identity. These themes are highly suggestive of the Perennial Philosophy, a framework championed by Huxley through which individuals can eclipse their separate selves and spiritually actualize. However, the Brave New World does not eclipse... Mon, 20 Feb 2023 09:14 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1964/the-perennial-perversion-idolatrous-self-worship-in-brave-new-world http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1898/double-lives-a-qualitative-analysis-of-identity-navigation-in-chicagos-south-and-west-sides By Ava V. Levin - This paper draws on qualitative interviews to address internal and external identity navigation among gang members and how nonprofits address this navigation. Gang members ultimately lead double lives as they weave between gang and community life. At the same time, community members also engage with gang culture in daily life, as gang membership may be clear while gang and community life are blurred. This dual existence can breed cognitive dissonance, which gang members address through a variety of neutralization techniques that allow them to nevertheless view themselves as moral individuals.... Tue, 11 May 2021 02:03 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1898/double-lives-a-qualitative-analysis-of-identity-navigation-in-chicagos-south-and-west-sides http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1896/ethnography-folklore-afanasev-and-russian-self-identity By Margaret R. Devlin - While the history of ethnography in Russia dates back to the Kievan Rus era, modern ethnographic production in Russia developed in the 17th century and expanded during the late 18th and early 19th centuries as interest in folktales and in the lives and natures of Russian peasants exploded amongst the Russian elite. This paper briefly explores the history of Russian ethnography before examining the Russian concepts of narod (народ, the people) and narodnost (народность, the Russian soul). This work examines the folklore collections of Alexander Afanasev and his process of editing... Thu, 08 Apr 2021 03:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1896/ethnography-folklore-afanasev-and-russian-self-identity http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1859/cultural-competencies-for-healthcare-providers-working-with-rural-finnish-americans By Abigail K. Carlson - The number of Americans aged 65-years-and-older is projected to increase significantly by 2050. As rural older adults age-in-place, it is imperative to examine the links between cultural competencies, ethnic minority status, and access to care. Rural providers from outside the local culture must recognize the need to practice cultural humility and cultural sensitivity to champion best practices of care. Finnish Americans have a unique subculture in the Upper Midwest, particularly in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where they have historically faced much hardship, as well as significant barriers... Fri, 08 Jan 2021 12:54 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1859/cultural-competencies-for-healthcare-providers-working-with-rural-finnish-americans http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1840/one-person-two-names-a-study-of-naming-practices-in-hong-kong-and-the-use-of-english-and-chinese-names By Wibke Eickmann - The practice of using an English name is widespread among native Chinese speakers. Especially in Hong Kong many use an English name in their everyday life. Using qualitative interviews, this study examines the thoughts and feelings about this practice among students who grew up in Hong Kong after the 1997 handover. Due to the high importance of English in education and commerce, English names have become symbolic capital and an expression of Hong Kongese identity. A good English name should be recognizable but at the same time not too common. The two names are used in distinct social settings:... Wed, 18 Nov 2020 09:39 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1840/one-person-two-names-a-study-of-naming-practices-in-hong-kong-and-the-use-of-english-and-chinese-names http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1833/deconstructing-and-renouncing-the-conditioned-identities-of-gender-and-nationality-in-modern-society By Anna . Militsi - This paper investigates the convoluted societal processes to which the individual is exposed from an early age in order to form and acquire their sense of identity, and aims at dismantling these very processes by exhibiting their flimsy and unsubstantiated underpinning rationale. The compelling role of gender has often been excluded from deliberations and studies regarding the issue of national identity and nationalism as culturally constructed forms of identity and "imaginary" figments of historical unity (Rodó-Zárate, n.d.). In this light, the scope of this paper is threefold;... Mon, 09 Nov 2020 09:04 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1833/deconstructing-and-renouncing-the-conditioned-identities-of-gender-and-nationality-in-modern-society http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1829/construction-of-asian-identity-in-restaurant-menus-a-case-study By Mika Skibinsky - This paper explores the meaning and implications of “Asian” in the context of American restaurant menus. I determine what kind of language in dish descriptions, specifically ingredients and adjectives, indexes a restaurant or dish as “Asian.” Then, building on Mapes (2018), I observe how “Asianness” is constructed and performed using key discourse strategies, which I divide into two parts: Constructing “The Other” and Constructing “The Comfort Zone.” I then discuss how the construction of “Asianness” indexes the restaurant... Thu, 29 Oct 2020 09:56 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1829/construction-of-asian-identity-in-restaurant-menus-a-case-study http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1816/preserving-cultural-identity-in-english-language-use-by-korean-immigrants By Heajune Lee - This paper argues that the Korean cultural values of humility and social deference directly influence the linguistic choices in Korean immigrants’ English emails. This relationship can be seen in consistent qualification of requests, ambiguous use of power verbs, and excessive use of impersonal statements. To support this argument, I first examine the literature establishing a strong relationship between an individual’s identity and linguistic choices. Given the centrality of humility and respect in Korea’s Confucian society, I explore ways in which these cultural values are... Wed, 14 Oct 2020 08:25 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1816/preserving-cultural-identity-in-english-language-use-by-korean-immigrants http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1805/poststructuralism-and-female-identity-in-sylvia-plaths-ariel By Lillian G. Robles - Sylvia Plath’s posthumously published collection of poetry, Ariel, is perhaps best defined by the vivid imagery that delves deep into Plath’s psyche. Throughout the collection, Plath explores dimensions of herself: her past, present, and future; her demons; her place in the world. Time and time again, Ariel seems to return to essential questions about Plath’s identity. If not providing a clear answer, then Ariel, at the very least, tracks the complexity and even impossibility of any single answer. Because Ariel is an exploration of a woman’s identity and existence, it may... Wed, 30 Sep 2020 10:14 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1805/poststructuralism-and-female-identity-in-sylvia-plaths-ariel http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1790/linguistic-essentialism-and-indigenous-authenticity-the-role-of-indigenous-languages-in-defining-indigeneity By Ella Agoos - Since the European invasion of Latin America in the sixteenth century, the concept of indigeneity has been inherently political. In what can only be described as an ongoing ethnocide, colonial powers did everything they could to stomp out the rich diversity of indigenous cultures throughout the land while imposing their Western Christian values upon colonized groups. After centuries of being denied their own culture, indigenous groups now struggle to preserve their surviving cultural practices. One such element of culture that many indigenous peoples see as tied directly to their identities is... Mon, 07 Sep 2020 10:03 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1790/linguistic-essentialism-and-indigenous-authenticity-the-role-of-indigenous-languages-in-defining-indigeneity http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1773/a-nietzschean-interpretation-of-the-self-in-psychological-continuity By Harry P. Chalklin - There are two views of personal identity that many people find plausible. The first is the psychological continuity view; the second is what I shall call multiplicity views of the self. Despite their plausibility, these positions appear incompatible, as I shall go on to explain. In this essay, I propose the thesis that psychological continuity and multiplicity views of the self can be made compatible by thinking of the self, not as a continuous psychological unity, but instead as a continuous, creative, psychological task a person undertakes to form a self which feels more unified than it previously... Mon, 02 Dec 2019 08:38 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1773/a-nietzschean-interpretation-of-the-self-in-psychological-continuity http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1713/leaving-religion-a-qualitative-analysis-of-religious-exiting By Rose M. LeCount - Religion has been a part of society for thousands of years and touches every life on the globe. Despite this, religious non-affiliation is one of the fastest growing religious identities, and is currently the third largest globally. There has been research into the religious “nones” and conversion, but there has been less focus on the factors and process of leaving a religion. This study looks at the stages of religious exiting with a comparison to Helen Ebaugh’s stages of role exit. Through a qualitative analysis of an online survey (n=610) and interviews (n=17) several themes... Tue, 12 Dec 2017 11:02 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1713/leaving-religion-a-qualitative-analysis-of-religious-exiting http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1651/fighting-for-euskera-the-role-of-language-in-basque-nationalism-and-the-development-of-the-eta By Keely L. Smith - Basque nationalism is a movement that has encompassed myth, mystery, violence, and compromise, all of which have found their justification from the unique language, Euskera. The source of Euskera is uncertain due to its non-Indo-European origin, although there is evidence that it belongs “to the same agglutinative type of speech as do Santali, Mundari, Kurku, and other dialects of the Munda or Kolarian family of Bengal.”[1] This differentiation, though it gives little explanation as to the location of its foundations, does suggest that the Basques “are the descendants of indigenous... Fri, 09 Jun 2017 09:23 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1651/fighting-for-euskera-the-role-of-language-in-basque-nationalism-and-the-development-of-the-eta http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1645/nationalism-identity-and-public-policy-in-sweden-pursuing-an-elusive-national-identity By Gustaf Forsell - Similarly to many European countries, the Swedish population often perceive their history as an epoch of homogeneity: a time when every Swedish citizen was believed to have had the same ethnic phenotype, spoken the same language, believed in the same God, and shared the same basic values (Gardell, 2011, p. 23). It is embedded in the Swedish national identity, as if it is possible to explain lex naturalis. The notion is expressed on the well-recognised Swedish website Nationalencyklopedin (National Encyclopaedia of Sweden) which argues that Sweden has been ‘an immigration country’ (&... Thu, 01 Jun 2017 10:38 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1645/nationalism-identity-and-public-policy-in-sweden-pursuing-an-elusive-national-identity http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1522/linguistic-hegemony-in-academia-and-the-devaluation-of-minority-identity-in-higher-education By Joe Henao - A commonly observed trend among American universities is the relative underperformance of minorities in the academic arena. The usual, often lazily regurgitated explanation for this phenomenon revolves around socioeconomic situations that minority groups find themselves in, contributing to their academic plight. While this deserves some credit, this fails to tell the entire story. Apart from the general socioeconomic status of many social groups, minorities often engage in academic communities that do not even remotely mirror their cultural upbringing, values, or habitus. Institutions of higher... Mon, 30 Jan 2017 06:01 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1522/linguistic-hegemony-in-academia-and-the-devaluation-of-minority-identity-in-higher-education http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1564/belonging-in-a-new-home-discursive-othering-of-latin-american-immigrants-in-us-print-media By Bill Kakenmaster - The year 2015 saw heightened racial and ethnic tension in the United States, with particular regard to Latin American immigrants and the U.S. presidential election. Discourse theory assumes that identity (re)production serves to legitimize, institutionalize, and eventually internalize hegemonic and resistant discursive portrayals of political actors and actor groups. Some discourse analysts attempts to "reveal racism" in society and combat that racism. Yet, to the extent that "racism" represents a series of systemic and systematically oppressive power structures, highlighting racist prejudices... Sat, 31 Dec 2016 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1564/belonging-in-a-new-home-discursive-othering-of-latin-american-immigrants-in-us-print-media http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1506/preserving-cantonese-television-and-film-in-guangdong-language-as-cultural-heritage-in-south-chinas-bidialectal-landscape By Rona Y. Ji - The sheer number of distinct dialects present within the country has long complicated Chinese language standardization and language policy. Furthermore, China’s history with colonial powers throughout the past three centuries has led to a distinct divide between language standardization in Northern China and Southern China. Despite the Chinese Communist Party’s efforts to promote Mandarin as the primary language of the People’s Republic of China, Cantonese has been one of several dialects that has experienced special allowances from the Chinese government due to the colonial... Mon, 12 Dec 2016 06:20 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1506/preserving-cantonese-television-and-film-in-guangdong-language-as-cultural-heritage-in-south-chinas-bidialectal-landscape http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1467/intersections-of-gender-race-and-nation-in-cloud-nine-and-m-butterfly By Miriam Cummins - This article contributes to the debate as to whether Cloud Nine by Caryl Churchill and M. Butterfly by David Henry Hwang are ultimately essentialist or anti-essentialist, accentuating or disavowing difference. It argues that both plays are successfully anti-essentialist by examining the discursive relationship between categories of gendered, racial and national identity. For both Churchill and Hwang, categories of gender, race and nation can be mutually deconstructed in the same way that they are mutually constructed because their foundation in discourse is fundamentally unstable. Thus, when fluid... Tue, 25 Oct 2016 09:56 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1467/intersections-of-gender-race-and-nation-in-cloud-nine-and-m-butterfly http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1461/interpreting-political-unrest-in-hong-kong-through-the-midnight-after-2014 By Justin Wong Jun-sheng - Hong Kong is standing at a crucial social and political juncture in its history. A former British colony, it has retained its unique legal system, electoral system, and political democracy. These systems have worked together to create a society in which residents are entitled to their rights with a strong and equal rule of law that governs the society. The 1st of July 1997 marked the handover of Hong Kong from Britain to the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the PRC (HKSAR). Many fear that as time progresses, the PRC... Mon, 17 Oct 2016 08:43 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1461/interpreting-political-unrest-in-hong-kong-through-the-midnight-after-2014 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1452/defining-a-terrorist-a-critical-examination-of-the-discourse-of-terrorism By Kanar Talabani - Understanding the term 'terrorist' is a complex and controversial issue within both academic scholarship and mainstream literature. By adopting a post-structuralist approach to the study of 'terrorism,' we are able to dissect the terms and understand how and why they have become dominant in recent years. This involves an in depth critical analysis of the knowledge and understanding of the use of the term. This essay applies post-colonial theory in understanding the evolution of identity discourse and its application within the study of 'terrorism.' I focus on the Eurocentric approaches to defining... Wed, 21 Sep 2016 08:26 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1452/defining-a-terrorist-a-critical-examination-of-the-discourse-of-terrorism http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1443/the-colonial-subject-seeing-the-unseen-and-the-construction-of-subjectivity-in-apocalypse-now-and-la-noire-de By Eric N. Hahn - The complex and multifaceted nature of cinema is further complicated by the unmistakable tension between the quasi-objective potential inherent in the medium—the camera merely operating as an observer—versus the unrestricted camera which functions as a metaphysical transport to the psychological and even physical experience of a distinct body. Upon close examination, it can be said that both of these modes of address are unique to cinema and arguing for the significance of one over the other is a fool’s errand. As such, this paper does not address this arguably problematic dichotomy... Fri, 09 Sep 2016 09:04 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1443/the-colonial-subject-seeing-the-unseen-and-the-construction-of-subjectivity-in-apocalypse-now-and-la-noire-de http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1423/the-danish-girl-2015-and-the-deconstruction-of-gender-identity By Annalena Lorenz - Before, however, Lili’s “ailment” was merely referred to as insanity, schizophrenia, homosexuality or indeed perversion, a condition which needed to be cured by imposing the most extreme measures, such as radiotherapy. The pathologization persists, albeit under a different name (Gender Identity Disorder) and with less immoral remedies being prescribed. In other words, gender identity still is, and is likely to remain for yet some time to come, a prevailing issue in today’s discourse, while scholars and activists alike persist in their endeavour to change society’s... Tue, 14 Jun 2016 11:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1423/the-danish-girl-2015-and-the-deconstruction-of-gender-identity http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1141/cultural-tensions-and-hybrid-identities-in-derek-walcotts-poetry By Nidhi Mahajan - In his Nobel Lecture, Derek Walcott described the experience of watching a Ramleela performance in a village in Trinidad, remarking: "... Two different religions, two different continents, both filling the heart with the pain that is joy.” The pain that fills Walcott’s heart is the pain of a fragmented identity. This pain is also joy, the joy of a hybrid existence. Derek Walcott (b. 1930), a Caribbean poet and playwright who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1992, published his first collection of poetry at the age of fourteen, in which he described the beautiful and rich landscapes... Tue, 15 Sep 2015 07:48 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1141/cultural-tensions-and-hybrid-identities-in-derek-walcotts-poetry http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1132/how-luxury-fashion-brands-utilize-youtube-to-engage-consumers-and-promote-brand-identity By Melissa Hanke - As the world becomes more technologically advanced, the demand for two-way communication between brand and consumer has become stronger. This study tried to develop a relationship between the rise in new media and luxury brands by content analyzing Chanel, Dior, and Burberry’s YouTube channels that aims to categorize their video content into the following three categories: musical performances, historical narratives, and behind-the-scenes footage. The study found that as social media becomes more prevalent in today’s society, these three luxury brands are steering away from brand advertisements... Sat, 30 May 2015 11:59 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1132/how-luxury-fashion-brands-utilize-youtube-to-engage-consumers-and-promote-brand-identity http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1035/who-you-are-affects-what-you-buy-the-influence-of-consumer-identity-on-brand-preferences By Morgan A. Ilaw - This study examined the extent to which individuals used their self-concepts to determine brand preference. It was predicted that individuals would prefer brands with images congruent with their own self-image more than brands’ images inconsistent with their self-image. The study also predicted that others would influence consumers’ brand preference, and participants would prefer brands consonant with their in-group associations. A total of 65 participants completed a survey inquiring about their self-image congruity, social identity and brand preferences. Linear regression analyses... Sun, 30 Nov 2014 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1035/who-you-are-affects-what-you-buy-the-influence-of-consumer-identity-on-brand-preferences http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1189/an-uncertain-belonging-permanent-residency-id-cards-and-east-jerusalems-identity-crisis By Halie Craig - Rimaz Kasabreh is Palestinian. Because of her Israeli-issued green identification card, she is considered a legal resident of the West Bank but an illegal immigration within nearby East Jerusalem – the historically Palestinian-controlled half of Jerusalem until its annexation from Jordan following the Six Day War in 1967. During the war, Israel preemptively attacked its Arab neighbors and captured the Golan Heights from Syria, the Gaza Strip and Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, and the West Bank (which encompassed East Jerusalem at the time) from Jordan. Although Israel withdrew from the occupied... Tue, 15 Apr 2014 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1189/an-uncertain-belonging-permanent-residency-id-cards-and-east-jerusalems-identity-crisis http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/824/the-construction-of-southern-identity-through-reality-tv-a-content-analysis-of-here-comes-honey-boo-boo-duck-dynasty-and-buckwild By Ariel Miller - The reality television genre has been increasingly at the forefront of media and cultural studies and a subject of critique across the disciplines of communications, anthropology and visual studies. While reality television programs have been analyzed for elements of racism and sexism, quantitative research to date has rarely been done to explore whether the portrayal of the American southerner was distorted. Using a data-driven approach, the frequency of commonly held southern stereotypes within three shows across three networks were evaluated through content analysis. The researcher observed... Mon, 09 Dec 2013 01:01 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/824/the-construction-of-southern-identity-through-reality-tv-a-content-analysis-of-here-comes-honey-boo-boo-duck-dynasty-and-buckwild http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/751/in-treatment-the-casting-and-bracketing-of-repulsion-in-the-sopranos By Simonetta Menossi - The Sopranos (1999-2007) opens with its lead character, Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), unenthusiastically meeting his therapist, Dr. Jennifer Melfi (Lorrain Bracco) for the first time. He is reluctant to trust a female analyst; nevertheless, he begins a confessional narrative that reveals the extent to which the Mafia boss is willing to tell selected portions of his own personal history, but fails to understand fully their meaning and how they refer back to whom he is. Despite his resistance, the scene conveys the extent to which the Mafia boss does not fully realize and understand his own personal... Thu, 29 Aug 2013 09:28 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/751/in-treatment-the-casting-and-bracketing-of-repulsion-in-the-sopranos http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/705/yue-feis-different-goals-and-ideals-in-the-chinese-song-dynasty-960-1279 By Alexander E. Hopkins - Perhaps the preceding dynasty can offer clues to this unusual turn of events. Prior to the Song dynasty, the Tang Dynasty (618-907) was a militarily powerful dynasty that expanded China’s geographic territory to roughly the same extent as the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 CE). Unlike the Tang, however, Song leaders focused more on expanding their domestic economy, which favored the arts and educated scholar officials. Yue Fei’s military background, coupled with his insistence on conquering enemies and expanding the Song territory, was more akin to the preceding Tang dynasty. Since the main... Mon, 01 Oct 2012 09:29 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/705/yue-feis-different-goals-and-ideals-in-the-chinese-song-dynasty-960-1279 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/679/dialogic-conflict-and-speech-identity-in-jean-rhys-let-them-call-it-jazz By Grace E. Afsari-Mamagani - The books at her disposal, about murder and ghosts, speak to society’s understanding of crime, punishment, and the afterlife. But, for Selina, it is not “at all like those books tell you”: the stories offered within their pages do not apply to her, are not written in the language through which she understands herself. By presenting the narrative in the patois of the West Indian immigrant to Britain, Rhys produces both interior and exterior dialogic conflict. The narrator’s vernacular serves as one within a series of signifying systems, or, as Mikhail Bakhtin posited, speech... Thu, 16 Aug 2012 08:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/679/dialogic-conflict-and-speech-identity-in-jean-rhys-let-them-call-it-jazz