It's Just a Name

[Zoe]

I thought the chapter, “A Roshanda by Any Other Name” was really interesting, and provided fascinating information that can be used for parenting and psychology alike. Names often give people a first impression of a person, similar to the title of a book, and like all titles, names carry stereotypes. Names are the only aspect of a child that parents can control; they can’t control if their child is successful, kind, or rowdy, but they can control if their child’s name is Temptress, Loser, or Madison. So rather than a name telling about an individual, I think it tells more about how the parents view their child, and how they are intending to raise them. What do you think?

[Ewkinerk]

I agree with you completely: a name is a reflection of the parents expectations. What I found very interesting were the names that highly educated parents gave their kids. They were either bizarre or completely original. For example: Elon, Rotem, Waverly, Akiva, and Aviva. Do their parents think that a unique name will help their children succeed in life? A completely unique name is just as likely to be discriminated against on a resume as a typical black name because, on paper, these names look ridiculous. However, I believe that if you associate a normal person with this name, that the name becomes normal as well, but if the owner of the name is a peculiar person, the name will remain peculiar to you.

[Erin]

I also agree, especially given that the highly educated, high end names eventually drifted down to become low end names as if the parents thought that could change or influence the child's future. I agree with Ed that a unique name could lead to discrimination because it will look ridiculous while trying to get a job in any high end job.