Paper (Intro & Lit Review)

Mason 1

Jamie Mason

Marlen Harrison

English 202-016

13 October 2009

Title

What stereotypical clique did you fit into in high school? In high school I never belonged to one particular group, I was always friends with everyone. Anytime I would ask my friends what stereotype I best fit, I would always get the same answer. “I don’t know your just Greek.”   I was baptized and brought up in a Greek Orthodox Church. However, I am only half Greek. My mom is 100 percent Greek and my dad is a little bit of both English and Hungarian. I never felt or saw myself as being English or Hungarian, but of Greek descent. My whole identity I felt could be partly defined by the fact that I am Greek and Greek Orthodox.

Even though I am 50 percent Greek, I feel that I am just as Greek as any other 100 percent Greek-American simply because of my religion.  Greek culture contains many customs and traditions; many of those customs and traditions are religion based.  The only time I really practiced many “Greek” traditions were in the church. Greek Orthodoxy works hand in hand with Greek culture, customs, and traditions.  Not only has Greek Orthodoxy helped me feel closer and more connected with my culture and heritage, it has also influenced my life.  The church taught me different morals and values that helped shape me into becoming the person I am today.

Religion plays a very important role in being a Greek- American. I feel that the church and its practices often times are my only real connection to Greece and my heritage. I have never been to Greece, I cannot speak fluent Greek, and I don’t look Greek. However, the practice of all  traditional customs of  Greek Orthodox holidays and church services regularly allows Greek-Americans to stay tied to their culture and heritage. Alice Scourby touches on an important idea, expressing  “This new definition was articulated by social scientists who believed that ethnicity based upon nationality and language was gradually being replaced by religion in the lives of all Americans” (45).

As a result how does religion affect my ethnic identity as a Greek-American Woman? I plan on going into detail with my paper about various religion based customs and traditions that have effected my ethnic identity. In addition, I plan on discussing my experiences of growing up in the church and different church activities that influenced my identity as a Greek-American.

The majority of the research for my paper is my experiences and  personal accounts of Greek Orthodoxy, Greek culture, and the various customs and traditions I grew up with and practiced all my life. I am very familiar with Greek Orthodoxy and the customs and traditions that Greeks and especially the Greek-Americans practice in the church and everyday life. I became a member of the church when I was only forty days old, since then I have been attending church regularly. I am a very involved member of my church. I have attended Sunday school for at least twelve years,  been involved in the church youth group and Hellenic Dancers since I became a freshman in high school. In addition, I attended Greek School two years. I have been exposed  not only to religious activities the church offers but also extra-curricular  ones as well.  Many of the greek Greek customs and traditions I practice are religion based, but are often practiced in the home.  A great example is preparations for feast days, especially St.Basil’s (Vasili) and New Year’s. Every New Year Greek families  bake/receive a loaf of bread called the “vasilopita” (The name  translates to Basil bread). Vasilopita is a round loaf of bread that is sweet because of the Greek sap use called “mystica” or mystic powder and  contains a “lucky” coin and is to be cut by the head of the family/household. The loaf is to be cut in order of age (oldest to youngest) and by importance. The first three pieces go to Christ, the Virgin Mary, and finally St. Basil. After those pieces are cut, the vasilopita is cut  in order from oldest to youngest of the members of the household. The person who receives the coin in their piece of bread is said to have good luck for the rest of the year. The whole purpose of this custom is to commemorate the Saint Basil and his accomplishments in writing the Divine Liturgy (equivalent to Catholic Mass) and his compassion for the weak. Regardless, in the home or church I have been exposed to the culture, religion and the customs and traditions of Greek/Greek Orthodoxy for the last nineteen years of my life.

I plan to not only include information about my life experiences and observations, but also scholarly journals that focus on the main aspects of my paper, Greek Orthodoxy, ethnicity/ethnic identity, customs and traditions, and finally gender issues.  I plan on including these into my paper because of the factual information they provide but also to debunk some of the misconceptions. A problem I saw in a few articles was the fact that the articles were written by non-greek authors. Little to no research has been done in the field of a fifty percent Greek-American women. The majority of the articles I acquired were written by Non-Greeks/Greek Americans, providing the reader with only research found and/or little to no personal accounts only offered by interviews and observation. I feel that my research is vital because this kind of research has not been done and has not focused on the combinations of topics I plan to cover.

Of the research that I have gathered, five of the articles touch on the topic of Greek Orthodoxy. The articles focus on the origins of Greek Orthodoxy and the practices (customs and traditions) and finally the importance of Greek Orthodoxy in the preservation of culture and ethnicity, especially in America. Scourby, author of Three Generations of Greek Americans: A Study in Ethnicity, uses various answers of specific survey questions pertaining to Greek-Americans (first, second, and third generations) and the role in which orthodoxy plays and their attitude about the church. This survey pertains to the identity of both ethnicity and religion,

“The respondents were asked to identify themselves as either 1) Greek; 2) American; 3) Greek Orthodox; 4) Greek American. The second and third generations tended to identify as either Greek American or Greek Orthodox, but a trend was discerned for third generation to identify as American. The first generation identified as Greek or Greek Orthodox. A further inquiry was made as to whether there was a difference between being Greek and being Greek Orthodox. Fifty-eight percent of the first generation, 55 percent of the second and 64 percent of the third generation feel there is a distinction. As for a merging of all Eastern Orthodox Churches: the first generation is opposed, the second generation is divided and the third generation is strongly opposed to a merger.” (49)

Saulotos author of The Greek Orthodox Church in the United States and Assimilation goes in depth on the issue of preserving ethnic identity. (Also noting that Saloutos’s article was used as a reference for Scourby’s article.) Saloutos states, “For the greatest part of her (Eastern Orthodox Church in US) resisted assimilation and emphasized the preservation of the Greek national identity” (395). Alexei D. Krindatch author of Orthodox (Eastern Churches) in the United States at the Beginning of a New Millennium: Questions of Nature Identity and Mission talks not only about Greek Orthodox, but also Eastern Orthodoxy all together. Krindatch discusses the how the Orthodox Church often times gets left out of ethnic and theological studies.  I feel that he makes some valid points about the Greek Orthodox Church and how it compares to other Eastern Churches. Also he makes it a point on page 551 to talk about the preservation of ethnic culture and how it can be achieved. The all focus on the main aspects of Greek Orthodoxy and its how Greek-American preserve their ethnicity and culture through the church.

The next aspect my articles seemed to concentrate on was the concept of ethnicity and/or identity. Audrey Smedley covers the topics of race, ethnicity, and culture in the article, Race and the Construction of Human Identity. The abstract explains, “ This paper briefly explores how race became part of our culture and consciousness and argues that we disconnect cultural features of identity from biological traits and study how “race” eroded and superseded older forms of human identity. I plan on elaborating on the ideas that even though my biological traits/features (dark hair, or tan skin) do not fit the typical Greek stereotype, it is the constant study and observation of my Greek friends, family, customs and traditions that make me Greek. Richard Kolm, the author of the article, Ethnicity & Ethnic Groups: Research Needs discusses the various reasons and approaches for ethnic studies. In the beginning of the article he focuses on the whole idea of ethnic research and how broad of a topic is.  Also, Kolm discusses the areas in need of research, the implications and finally, the common ideas that could be suggested. Finally, Kolm suggest a definition of what ethnicity is as, “As defined by this writer, ethnicity becomes the basic element of all human relations & life.” (59)

In addition to the main concentrations  of Greek Orthodoxy and the idea of identity/ethnicity, gender issues is another major component in my paper. I plan on discussing the roles in which women plan in not only the church, but Greek culture and society. Janine Mills, author of Freedom and Power: The Debate Over the Position of Greek Women defines the role of a traditional Greek woman in both ancient and present day Greece. I felt that a lot of this information was pertinent because my thesis statement is: How does religion affect my ethnic identity as Greek American WOMAN. I need to be aware and familiar with the role in which women play in Greek society and culture. In the article, Janine Mills discusses interviews with Greek woman and their opinions of their role in their society and culture. A great example Mills provides is “ She claims that the majority of men in Kokkari do not allow their wives to work outside the family, as they would violate the “ideal” family of the housewife and the income-earning man” (11). Additionally, Eleni Sotiriu author of Contested Masculine Spaces in Greek Orthodoxy, writes about the ideas and controversies of the role women play in modern day Greek Orthodoxy (499). She writes about how the church sometimes shapes/forms a lot of prejudices/biases in the roles of women in Greek society. Some examples of prejudices discussed in the paper are “ It examines women’s exclusion from the ministerial and sacramental orders of the Church. Women however are excluded not only from the altar—the focal point of ordinations, but another sacred space occupying a central place in the Greek religious landscape, Mount Athos. This article allows me to  connect the way’s religion affects my identity as a Greek-American women.

Works Cited

Efstathiou, Ioannis, Fokion Georgiadis, and Apostolos Zisimos. “Religion in Greek

Education in a Time of Globalization.” Intercultural Education. 19.4 (Aug. 2008) : 325-336. Academic Search Complete. EBSCOhost. Indiana University of Pennsylvania Lib., Indiana PA.  13   Sept. 2009. <http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=3&hid=7&sid=410e24b7-0e93-49f4-b47c-d803dd769a07%40sessionmgr14&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=34947837>.

Herzfeldd, Micheal. “When Exceptions Define The Rules: Greek Baptismal Names and the

Negotiation of Identity.” Journal of Anthropological Research. Vol. 38, No.3 (Autumn, 1982) 288-302. University of Mexico. JSTOR. Indiana University of Pennsylvania Lib., Indiana PA. 29 Sept. 2009. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/3629850>.

Kolm, Richard. “Ethnicity &Ethnic Groups: Research Needs.” The Center of Migration For Studies of

New York Inc. Vol 8, No. 1 (Spring, 1974): 59-67.International Migration Review. JSTOR. Indiana University of Pennsylvania Lib., Indiana PA. 29 Sept. 2009. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/3002703>.

Krindatch, Alexei D. “Orthodox (Eastern Christian) Churches in United States at the Beginning of

a New Millenium: Questions of Nature, Identity and Mission.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. Vol.41, No.3 (Sept, 2002):533-563. JSTOR. Indiana University of Pennsylvania Lib., Indiana PA.  29 Sept. 2009 <http://www.jstor.org/stable/1387462?&Search=yes&term=Orthodox&term=Greek&term=Assimilation&term=Church&term=States&term=United&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3DThe%2BGreek%2BOrthodox%2BChurch%2Bin%2Bthe%2BUnited%2BStates%2Band%2BAssimilation%26x%3D0%26y%3D0%26wc%3Don&item=3&ttl=784&returnArticleService=showArticle>.

Mills, Janine. “Freedom & Power: The Debate Over the Position of Greek Women.” Women Studies.

32(2003): 1-19. JSTOR. Indiana University of Pennsylvania Lib., Indiana PA.  29 Sept. 2009 <http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=1&hid=107&sid=d42e4f2e-c5ae-4261-8120-834baf76c7b0%40sessionmgr110&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=9063688>.

Mystakidou, Kyraki, Eleni Tsilika, Efi Parpa, Emmanuela Katsouda, and Lambros Vlahos.

“Death and Grief in the Greek Culture.”Omega: Journal of Death & Dying. 50.1 (2004/2005) : 23-34. Academic Search Complete. EBSCOhost. Indiana University of Pennsylvania Lib., Indiana PA. 13 Sept. 2009. <http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=5&hid=7&sid=410e24b7-0e93-49f4-b47c-d803dd769a07%40sessionmgr14&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=16009544>.

Saloutos, Theodore. “The Greek Orthodox Church in the United States and Assimilation.”

The Center of Migration For Studies of New York Inc. Vol. 7, No.4 (Winter,1973):395-407.International Migration Review. JSTOR. Indiana University of Pennsylvania Lib., Indiana PA. 29 Sept. 2009. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/3002553?&Search=yes&term=Orthodox&term=Greek&term=Assimilation&term=Church&term=States&term=United&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3DThe%2BGreek%2BOrthodox%2BChurch%2Bin%2Bthe%2BUnited%2BStates%2Band%2BAssimilation%26x%3D0%26y%3D0%26wc%3Don&item=2&ttl=784&returnArticleService=showArticle>.

Scourby, Alice. ” Three Generations of Greek Americans: A Study in Ethnicity.

International Migration Review 14.1 (Spring, 1980), pp. 43-52.

JSTOR. Indiana University of Pennsylvania Lib., Indiana PA. 13 Sept. 2009.

22 Sept. 2009 <http://www.jstor.org/stable/2545060?origin=JSTOR-pdf>.

Smedley, Audrey. “Race and the Construction of Human Identity.” American Athropologists.Vol.100,

No.3 (Sept.,1998):690-702. JSTOR. Indiana University of Pennsylvania Lib., Indiana PA. 29 Sept. 2009. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/682047?&Search=yes&term=Identity&term=Construction&term=Human&term=Race&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3DRace%2Band%2Bthe%2BConstruction%2Bof%2BHuman%2BIdentity%26gw%3Djtx%26prq%3D%2528ti%253A%2528Freedom%2Band%2BPower%253A%2BThe%2BDebate%2BOver%2Bthe%2BPosition%2Bof%2BGreek%2BWomen%2529%2BOR%2Bau%253A%2528Janine%2BMills%2529%2529%26Search%3DSearch%26hp%3D25%26wc%3Don&item=1&ttl=26778&returnArticleService=showArticle>.

Sotiriu, Eleni. “Contested Masculine Spaces in Greek Orthodoxy.” Social Compass 51.4

(Dec2004): 499-510.Academic Search Complete. EBSCOhost. Indiana University of Pennsylvania Lib., Indiana PA. 13 Sept. 2009. <http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=1&hid=7&sid=7de49b67-05ea-4f05-be27-075e0ff1762a%40sessionmgr11&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=15568149>.

BEFORE INTRODUCTION:

The purpose of my introduction is for me to really just introduce myself and give the reader some background of what the paper is going to be about. My introduction is going to differ from my overall paper because it is going to give just background of me. I have three goals for my papers: 1) To analyze my heritage and customs, 2)Discuss the role in which the church plays in defining Greek Culture in America and 3) To share my experience growing up as a Greek American. My target audience I plan on is going to be for Greek-American generation, specifically second and third generations , also half Greek-Americans. I plan on tailoring this to my audience by sharing my personal accounts and experiences because hopefully will relate.

AFTER INTRODUCTION:

My purpose for my introduction helps me relate to my readers. Also I feel that the beginning paragraph  engaged the reader. I feel that my introduction set a groundwork to help the reader be able to understand the upcoming content and topics of my paper. I feel that my paper  will have the same goals as above, and my introduction contains all of those goal statements.I kept my introduction general allowing my paper to relate to many different audience but still pertaining to my general audience but maintaining that ability for all to understand and comprehend the material I want to cover.

BEFORE LIT REVIEW:

My purpose for my literature review is to convince the reader that I am a credible source for information and I have done the research. My literature review will summarize the research I have completed and map out important concepts for my paper. Also I plan to include the most important facts of my research in the literature review because it will prove to the reader I know what I am talking about.

AFTER LIT REVIEW:

My purpose for my literature review I feel convinces the reader that I am a credible source not only for acquiring information but as an author as well. Since my paper is an autoethnography, the majority research and facts for the paper are my personal experiences and accounts. for information . My literature review  summarizes my credibility as well as the research I have collected over the last couple of weeks. I also map out important concepts I plan on focusing on in my paper. I feel that I have adequately prove that I know what I am talking about based on research and experience of my topic.