Logistics 2: First Assignment

First Assignment: “My Image and Myself”

We live in a society where we are often encouraged to project an image of our-selves to the world, to present, and sometimes even construct, an identity that tells others who we are or who we are not. Many of us work in jobs, live in com-munities, or have social lives that reinforce this expectation. With the growth of social networking and self-publishing on the Internet (Facebook, MySpace, You-Tube, Twitter, blogs, etc.) new opportunities to present ourselves to the world are only expanding, and the tools for “inventing” oneself are more and more available.

Your job is to produce a thoughtful autobiographical essay (3-4 pages) entitled “My Image and Myself,” in which you explore and discuss your own “image,” the role it plays in your own life, your thinking, your behavior, and your interactions with other people – friends, acquaintances, strangers, employers, teachers, etc.

Rely on your own firsthand experience and actions as your primary resource, though you should discuss your thoughts on the ways society, products, technol-ogy, and the expectations of others affect how you present yourself to the world. If you have different identities for different contexts, discuss these. You may want to include thoughts about how your “image” benefits you, or causes diffi-culties for you in your life, or both. You should also discuss the tension between your outer and inner self if this is an important issue. Use clear and specific ex-amples from your life in developing your essay. Write in plain and straightfor-ward language.

At the end of the essay, your assignment may include visual matter, or URL’s and/or computer screenshots when relevant, but they must reflect or portray your own relationship to the role that image plays in your life.

Before attempting to respond to this assignment, read the following sections from All Consuming Images: “Preface to the New Edition,” “Introduction: Shoes for Thought,” and Chapter 1, “Images Without Bottom.” In these sections of the book you will learn how other Hunter College students, in the 1980s and 1990s, responded to a related assignment. While none of these students used or even knew about the Internet, and their responses reflect an earlier time, their thoughts and reflections should help you to begin your own assignment. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO WRITE YOUR ESSAY WITHOUT HAVING READ THESE PASSAGES. You should refer to specific stories in these chapters if they are relevant to your essay.

Deliver assignment to your Section Leader by February 25, 2009. Put section number on essay.