Critical Analysis Of "Identity risis" by Minabrere Ibelema , and "Oppositional Dress"by Elisabeth Wilson

In Minabrere Ibelema's essay 'Identity Crisis', Ibelema suggests that the mainstream american culture is so powerful that all cultures conform to it. Ibelema does this by showing how the mass media portrays African Americans in relation to their cultural identity by using situation comedies as a measuring tool. Of the episodes Ibelema uses very few of them look at African Americans cultural identity. However, what they do is briefly address a cultural story line for …

…assimilate. In mainstream american culture, sub cultures are not lost or assimilated into the mainstream. They are embraced by those who participate in them, and evolve over time to suit the needs of the sub culture. The sub cultures that exist in society aren't separate from the mainstream culture, but part of it. Elizabeth Wilson is correct in her belief that sub cultures resist assimilation, and seek to clarify their individuality on their own terms.