Society Vs. Self Identity: Knocking Down the Walls of Heteronormativity | Koosha Nouri | TEDxUCSB

As Koosha said it best, the key to acceptance is understanding and the key to understanding is education. Through reflecting and analyzing his own personal experience, Koosha aims to conceptualize social constructs that hold young boys back from self acceptance. Koosha Nouri is a 20-year-old Iranian American from Oakland, California. As a communication studies major, Koosha loves analyzing societal trends and social practices that ultimately shape our culture. Koosha is currently a research assistant for the UCSB department of communication, and is analyzing mainstream media coverage of Immigration and the cognitive/physiological response of individuals who consume this media. Koosha’s love for communication research has led him to observe facets of his personal life to explore how society has shaped his personal identity and self perception. As an openly gay man, Koosha has applied his communication knowledge to analyze the effects that cultural attitudes surrounding heteronormativity have had on his journey of self discovery. Through reflecting and analyzing his own personal experience, Koosha aims to conceptualize social constructs that hold young boys back from self acceptance. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx