Auto-Ethnography Draft #1

Jake Pavlica
Composing the Self
Auto-Ethnography

Do opposites really attract? (do we search for things in people which we do not possess?) (is it healthy to love someone who is too different or too similar?: where is the middle ground)

• Thinking about friendships: Do we seek out someone who we feel like we can fix? are we looking to fill in a gap in someones life? How much of attraction, both romantic and plutonic, is driven by our own desire? How much is based on appearance, how much is based on personality?

Do we create our own identity by looking at how we differ from others or how similar we are to others? (Are humans driven by ego or insecurity?)

• This could potentially tie in to the previous question.

What defines people? (are we just the sum of genetics and implicit culture?) (is there anything else that we create ourselves or are we the the product of our environment?) (do we really have a self?)

• Talk about nature versus nurture. Could I turn this in on myself? (yes). Interview people who think they have avoided a cultural norm or who have learned from one. Dive in to peoples experiences.
• Use interview anonymous subjects of multiple diverse backgrounds. (Flynn, Gabriel, Jenna, Jesse, Me?)
• Should there be a common theme? (Musicians, artists in general) (Interview Questions)
  • In what cultural would you say you belong?
  • How do you think that culture has influenced you? (both good and bad)
  • Have there been times where familial or societal standards have challenged your personal beliefs?
  • Describe your childhood? What things stick out?
  • Do you think your beliefs were shaped by your environment growing up? Were they determined by your own truth seeking?
  • What was your early adolescence like? What were some challenges you faced?
  • When do you feel most like yourself?