Subjectivity Emerges Through Relationships with Others
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Subjectivity thought has always been one of the fundamental contents of western philosophy. It is experienced many difficulties in its development process. Since we were born into this world, we were entered into a process of searching for consciousness of �self’, which affects our behaviours and choices we make. We learn to use the language to communicate with others; we improve our abilities to gain social power; and we start to build our social networks since we were young. As the world is constantly changing, our sense of self comes from the relationships with others and all outer environment around us. One’s subjectivity can only exist in their relation to the others, said William (William, 1984). He also suggests that this �others’ depends on which aspect is being examined. There are six main aspects of subjectivity, life experience, gender, religion, class and ethnicity. This essay will explore finding of self in the world is actually the experience of being with others. It will explain how subjectivity will be influenced by gender and religion. Furthermore, it will discuss the effect of class difference on subjectivity. At last, this paper will look at how race and ethnicity affects individuals
In general, subjectivity means consciousness of self, or sense of being oneself (Chris, 2006). To be more specific, we use words like �I’, �me’, �myself’ as self – aware objects (Chris, 2006). We attempt to answer questions like what to do, how to act and who to be. We feel we are unique, but meanwhile we can not be isolated with the rest of the world. According to Nick, literary and cultural studies has rejected the idea of subject as a completely self – contained being that develops in the world as an expression of its own unique essence (Nick, 2000). Thus, rather than self –contained being, subjectivity is wholly social and cultural (Chris, 2006). It matters whether we are black or white, male or female, American or Chinese, rich or poor because of different cultural or social situations we will have had access.
Firstly of all, finding out the subjectivity of �the self’ in the world is actually the experience of being with others. Take Shelley’s novel Frankenstein as an example, after several unpleasant experiences with human beings, once the creature find a nice French family that he imaged they could save him, he could not introduce himself to them because he was afraid of being rejected again. Through his interaction with the world, the creature noticed his physical difference with others. Although he learns new things fast and tries to imitate others, he fails to become a member of �others’. The creature starts to understand the sense of self and find the answer of who I am. �I was not even of the same nature as man, a monster, a blot upon the earth, the creature describes himself’ (Shelley, 1818). His subjectivity has been dominated by his experiences with others. Similarly, in the movie �I, Robot’, the robot Sonny has a big change through its interaction and experiences with both human beings and other robots. Sonny does not know who it is at first till it noticed that it is unique compared with other robots. Also, Sonny adopts many human emotions, it called its memory playback as dream and sonny learns to blink as a human. Through its interaction with detective Spooner, Sonny finds its sense of self as a �person’. Sonny’s subjectivity has been defined through its experience with the world. Thus, one person will become meaningful only through relation to the world.
Gender has a dominant effect on subjectivity. It is also the primary thinking of one’s identity. To distinguish male from female, except physiological aspect, there are many other aspects are worth to look at. For instance, gender can be distinguished with different clothes and shoes they wear; different habits male and female adopt; different responsibilities to the society and family; and probably different job selection they would choose. When we were young, it was very difficult for us to answer the differences between male and female. As we grow up, we start to search the difference inside and outside us, such as what is the social respect toward us. Since gender is a cultural construct, Chris argues that women’s subordination is a matter of social power founded on men’s dominance (Chris, 2006). In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the female character Safie, her subjectivity is influenced by her gender especially in 18th century. That was a male dominate century. Her father promised her marriage to Felix without asking her, when she knew the deal she did not react aversely to it but still �deplored her own fate’. As for her feminine subjectivity, her role would have been in a position of lower rank, such as a female