Week One Journal
Your identity consists of multiple dimensions, which we might also call group memberships. Some of the most salient of these identities include your race, ethnicity, gender, social class, sexuality, physical and mental ability, nationality, and/or religion. Take a look at The diversity wheel (Links to an external site.) for a visual representation of all of the identities you might potentially have. Those at the center of the circle usually have the greatest impact on one’s life chances and are most immediately visible to the rest of society.
For this journal assignment, you will explore your own identities by addressing the following:
Considering at least three of your core identities, give an example of how each impacts (or is noticeable in) your daily life.
Of the identities you listed above, which has contributed most to your overall identity? Does the identity you feel is most significant in your life vary depending on the social context you may be in? In other words, does the identity you feel is most important vary throughout the day depending on the social situation you are in? Be sure to explain why or why not.
Thinking about these three identities, do you feel that your membership in these groups leads you to experience certain privileges or certain inequalities in our society? Give examples of these privileges and/or inequalities.
The following short videos may help you address these questions:
Identities & Inequalities (Links to an external site.)
Race, Class, Gender & Sexuality (Links to an external site.)
What is Privilege? (Links to an external site.)
This journal assignment should be two to three pages in length. You should integrate concepts from the week’s resources you reviewed, while also providing examples from your personal experiences that help support your ideas. Journal assignments provide you the opportunity to focus on exploring your own ideas rather than simply repeating the speaker’s ideas.
