Grant Smith

Professor McGrew

Interpersonal Communication

5 February 2019

My Coat of Arms

During the medieval times, cultures found in Europe, Asia and Africa made a coat of

arms to show who they are as an individual or as a family. A coat of arms is a shield with four

quadrants and in each quadrant is a symbol representing something unique about you or your

culture. I have created a coat of arms and plan on describing the culture, gender, social

comparison and reflected appraisal behind each of the symbols on my shield. My coat of arms is

unique to me because no two people are the same. Self concept is a “relatively stable set of

perceptions you hold of yourself”(Oxford University Press 70). In this assignment I will be

explaining how my self concept is developed through culture, gender, social comparison and

reflected appraisal.

On the culture quadrant of my coat of arms I put an image of an American flag. Culture

is, “the language, values, beliefs, traditions and customs people share and learn”(Oxford

University Press 38). I was born and raised in the United States of America and along with that I

have picked up the cultures within it. Since the colonization of the United States, it has been

known as the “melting pot” of cultures bringing in many cultures from Native Americans, Latin

Americans, Africans and Asians. The United States government has not declared an official

language of the country, however, according to livescience.com “ninety percent of the US

population speak and understand English”(Zimmermann 8). Nearly every language in the world
is spoken in the United States, with the most popular non english languages being Spanish,

Chinese, French and German. My family speaks English and english only so I have understood it

from an early age. In 8th grade I began taking Spanish classes and took them through my

sophomore year of high school, each year learning more and more about Spanish. By taking

these classes I developed a basic understanding of Spanish language and culture. With the ability

to speak and understand both English and Spanish I believe I fit in more with the American

culture because of the vast amount of languages spoken within the US as well as the many

foreign cultures found in the United States that I have come to understand. Similarly to language,

nearly every religion is practiced within the United States. In the US population roughly 71%

identify themselves as Christians according to Pew Research Center. My mother was raised in a

Catholic family and attended Catholic church often growing up. My father was raised in

Protestant family and attended a Protestant church. Since both of my parents were raised in

different forms of christianity, they raised my brother and I in a non-denominational christian

church. My family believes and worships the word of the Bible and christianity, but don’t do a

specific version of it like a Catholic, Protestant or Lutheran would. I belong in the American

culture because most Americans speak their primarily of English and believe and worship

Christianity.

For the second symbol on my coat of arms shield representing gender, I put the male

symbol with the circle and arrow sticking out northeast. Gender is, “social and psychological

dimensions of masculine and feminine behavior”(Oxford University Press 119). I identify myself

as the male gender because socially, I surround myself with other males that consider their

gender to also be male. Together we play baseball and football which are predominantly played
by the male gender. While I’m shopping at the store, I purchase things advertised for males to

wear or use. When it comes to my hair, I go to the barber shop to get my haircut by employees

trained to specifically cut men's hair. If I need to use the restroom in a public place I do so in the

designated bathroom for males. Psychologically, I am attracted to the female gender. I feel the

need to provide for those around me, whether it is paying for my girlfriend’s dinner or making

sure my family is okay and well. Since my childhood I have chosen to dress and act in a way that

is masculine. The male symbol ties in with how I identify myself because I behave socially and

think psychologically in many ways that males do.

Reflected appraisal is the third symbol found on my coat of arms shield. Reflected

appraisal is, “ a mirroring of the judgements of those around a person. To the extent that you

have received supportive messages, you have learned to appreciate and value yourself.” (Oxford

University Press 72). I chose a laughing emoji symbol for my reflected appraisal symbol. When

I’m around my friends I always enjoy having a nice laugh. I think laughing makes people happy

and for a slight second, we get to forget about the stresses and problems going on in our lives. So

when I’m around my friends and family I like to make jokes and have a laugh to enjoy life. I am

often called a “funny guy” from how much I like to joke around and have fun. The feedback I

receive from those around me when I make them laugh makes me happy as well. The appraisal I

receive from someone when I make them laugh gives me a sense that I’m valued and appreciated

by others. The laughing emoji is an accurate symbol for my reflected appraisal because I am

often called funny by me peers and laughing has become apart of who I am as a person.

The final symbol on my coat of arms shield stands for social comparison. Social

comparison is “ evaluating ourselves in terms of how we compare with others”( Oxford

University Press 73). The symbol I chose to represent me is a quiet symbol. Earlier I talked about

how I’m viewed by others as funny, but when I’m around others that are not friends or family, I

tend to be on the quiet side. A lot of times I stay quiet so I don’t say something and leave the

wrong impression on those around me. I have a lot of friends that talk a lot more than me and

just speak everything on their minds. Some of the things I hear them say leave a bad impression

of them in my mind. The quiet symbol symbolizes my social comparison well because I talk less

than others so I consider myself quiet.

The American flag, male symbol, laughing emoji and quiet sign describe my self concept

very well because they symbolize many traits of who I am as a person. I see myself as an

American male that is funny, but also quiet at times. The coat of arms has always been a way for

people to express the culture of themselves or their family. Through creating my coat of arms

shield I was not only given the opportunity to express the culture in which I belong, but also able

to learn more about how my family has come to its culture position today as well as how much

my family’s culture has an influence on mine.

 Works Cited

Zimmermann, Kim Ann. “American Culture: Traditions and Customs of the United

States.” ​LiveScience,​ Purch, 13 July 2017,​ w

​ ww.livescience.com/28945-american-culture.html​.  

Moore, John. “7 Alpha Male Personality Traits You Can Develop Based on Science.”

Guy Counseling,​ 6 Aug. 2018,​ ​https://guycounseling.com/alpha-male-develop-traits-skills/   

Chapters 3 & 4 of, “ ​Interplay: the Process of Interpersonal Communication”​ by Ronald

B. Adler et al., Oxford University Press, 2018​.