This model very clearly attempts to respond to the three cognitive "moves" outlined in the assignment page. This is not the "perfect" entry, but an appropriate entry. Your goal is to find a way to write about what you are thinking (content) while meeting the formal requirements of the assignment.

Gergen's notion of the breakdown of the knowable self (Gergen 16-17) and liberating effects of pluralism.

Description: Gergen suggests, "[s]ocial saturation brings with it a general loss in our assumptions of true and knowable selves" (16). He explains the history of the concept of the self from the romantic period to the modern period and now to our emerging postmodern times. He argues that the defining dimensions of the self shifted from personal depth (soul and moral fiber) to our reasoning (beliefs) and now to our perspective among the plurality of voices, respectively.

Linkage: Gergen suggests that in our postmodern society, our true and knowable selves are masked by the complexity of this era. The conditions under which we exist are that we assume many roles, we have massive amounts of information available to us; via the media, we are brought close to world events, and we experience diverse points of view (plurality). Gergen suggests our language does not adequately represent shifts toward our postmodern society; that is to say, the shift from modern (rationalist) thinking to post-modern (non-rational) thinking has occurred, but our language does not keep us attentive to that shift.

Insight: I want to speculate on the effects of pluralism and how it affects how we define self. I thrive in a society where we have choices and I can't see it any other way (since that is all I have known). However, choices without soul and moral fiber can negatively affect our reasoning (that leads us to our choices.) As a result, our 'self' becomes confused and we search for quick fixes in popular self-help materials and use language such as "introvert," "extrovert," "compulsive," "procrastinator," etc adopted from psychology. This psychological language prevents us from looking at self in relation to society. So, while I embrace plurality, I realize that it can be dangerous if we don't accept the responsibilities and consequences that make up our diverse society. For example, we need to construct and maintain our moral fiber. However, the overuse of terms such as "diversity," "tolerance", "freedom," "choice," can be misapplied leaving us without any moral center--everything is defined as acceptable to somebody or some group. As a result, we lose any sense of who we are in relation to each other; our rights and our responsibilities become confused, and we have difficulty making sense of moral issues and problems.

Gergen, Kenneth J. The Saturated Self: Dilemmas of Identity in Contemporary Life. NP:Basic Books, 1991.