This research explored the self-concept of Chicanas in terms of their
lived experiences and how those experiences influenced the shaping of their
identity. It examined the multiple labels Chicanas use to self-identify and the
context or situations in which they use specific labels. Moreover, it took into
account the influence of gender, ethnicity, language, race, and culture on their
concept of self. My study employed interpretive and collaborative research
methods and included my own narrative story as part of the analytical process.
It draws on a Chicana femenista (feminist) pedagogy that is heavily influenced
by an Indigenous perspective as the conduit for the construction and
transmission of knowledge. My objectives during the course of the study were
to explore the many facets of Chicanas' experiences and challenge prevailing
notions about our identity.
The chief method for collecting data was interactive, dialogic
interviews with five Chicana participants. During the loosely structured
interviews, the women were asked to narrate their life stories as they related to
the shaping of their concept of self. The women's detailed narratives and
personal reminiscences as well as my own provided the data that was analyzed
and interpreted to examine Chicana identity. The women were co-participants
in "making sense" of the data. They provided guidance, expressed opinions,
and helped to construct the meaning of their lived experiences.
The results of the interpretation process indicated that culture and the
intersecting factors of gender, language, age, ethnicity, and race shaped the
participants' concept of self. Hence, their identity was culturally learned and
mediated via their perceptions of the world. In turn, their worldview was
influenced by the aforementioned factors. The women's narratives also
suggested that they used multiple identity labels and that they were contextual.
Thus, identity can change or evolve over the course of one's lifespan and
through one's lived experiences. As such, Chicana identity is not fixed. As
Chicanas we are constructing our own identity rather than allowing it to be
imposed by others. Moreover, we are extending the possibility that we
continually construct our identity. / Graduation date: 2004
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ORGSU/oai:ir.library.oregonstate.edu:1957/30508 |
| Date | 20 April 2004 |
| Creators | Martinez, Yolanda Tellez |
| Contributors | Copa, George H. |
| Source Sets | Oregon State University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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