Trapped in a Box

Photo from http://www.buzzle.com/

We are all part of various publics, some that we choose to affiliate ourselves with and some that are stereotypically placed upon us by society. A public, in my mind, is a way to place people in boxes that make sense to us. We organize in our brains who belongs in which boxes, and what type of person we perceive them to be because of what box we have placed them in.

Publics are important for many reasons: They allow for our minds to process vast amounts of information, they allow us to feel that we belong to certain groups, and they allow us to determine what type of person we are and whom we would like to become. Publics are also used for several business related reasons: They allow marketers to choose market segments to target, they allow government to communicate to certain groups of people, and they allow public relations professionals to disseminate information efficiently to specific segments.

I am a part of many “publics”, not necessarily all by choice. I am a Canadian, a Winnipegger, a woman, a fiancé, a daughter, a future home owner, a student, a Generation Y, and a soon to be public relations professional, to name a few.

For me it is difficult to say for sure what publics I am related to that have not been predetermined for me. I do not go to church, but I believe in God. I do not do everything I could to save the environment, but I care about the environment. I do not consider myself a full-fledged feminist, but I care about women’s rights. I feel lost when I hear about politics, but I know how I feel about what is right and what is wrong. I suppose I will talk about the areas that I feel strongly about, even though I may not always consider myself a specific label, I know how I feel about certain things.

I am a Canadian and a Winnipegger. I am proud to be both. I am aware that there are many things that are wrong with Canada and Winnipeg that could be improved, some things that I am sure I am very naïve about, but I still feel proud to consider myself a part of these groups. I am laid back, I complain about the weather, I’m cheap, I love to camp, I am tolerant, and I love to travel. I am stereotyped as stupid, a pot smoker, and a beer drinker.

I am a part of the Generation Y. I enjoy and understand technology. I am very family centric, and would rather spend my time with them than anything else. I am attention craving, I love to be told I am doing a good job, and when I’m not told, I feel I’m not doing a good job. I am achievement oriented, I want a meaningful career, and I am ambitious and confident. I am stereotyped as lazy, narcissistic, and spoiled.

I am environmentally and socially conscious. I care about the environment; I recycle, and attempt to do as much as possible for the environment. I care about human rights, children, and animals. I want to make a difference through volunteer work and my career. I am stereotyped as extreme, tree hugger, and hypocritical.

These three “publics” are just a quick look into the type of person I am, and am proud to be. It helps me to determine where I stand on certain important issues, and what I feel is right and wrong. Determining what publics I belong to can help clarify the type of person I am and would like to strive for.