Vishaka Desai Blog Reflection

 Dr. Desai, a renowned scholar in arts, culture, and policy was invited into the Poly community to discuss her ideas relating to maintaining both global and personal identities. She emphasized the importance of each individual acting as a contributing member of a global society regardless of their affinity to specific identity groups. This ideology is obviously conducive to a more connected and supportive global society in which everyone has an underlying goal of improving the global environment as a whole. However, this notion presents potential contradictions of maintaining a strong personal identity, and subscribing to an international identity. Some people feel as if two identities are mutually exclusive and impede on each other, but Dr. Desai argued that it was feasible to completely maintain two or more identities at once, although it may be a juggling act. 

This coincides with her idea that identity is abstract and does not center directly around concrete interactions or places work as some people may assume. This viewpoint creates a sense of personal belonging individual to each person's unique situation. A system of confidence in ones own identity that allows someone to firmly identify with one or more parts of themselves without feeling confined into a single determining identity. By restricting as little of yourself as possible, it becomes easier to express yourself genuinely and emphasize important characteristics at your own discretion. 

Throughout her explanation, Dr. Desai's was utterly sincere, with personal events tied into more universal themes, it allowed me to become further invested in her messages about globalization and identity. Her candid, somewhat blunt locution was genuine and it conveyed her points clearly, making it obvious what her perspectives were without over-complication. Many speakers will attempt to gloss over difficult questions that could be divisive, but Dr. Desai perfectly balanced a personal opinion with the validity of disagreement. Overall, the subject matter is applicable to any individual as everyone has problems with identity to a certain capacity, and it was important to get an educated perspective on the topic.