INSTRUCTIONS
The purpose of this 3-part paper is to help you begin to sort out the complexity of identity. This assignment asks you to examine your identity in the context of your cultural group affiliation and how this may affect your social interactions. The question “Who am I”? needs to be answered through your reflection of life experiences. Then, you will have a chance to interview another individual about their life experiences. Reflect on and incorporate the readings from the course in your paper for these sections. In the final section of the paper, you will be asked to identify one cultural aspect of the person you interviewed, and separately, a social work problem in the world, and find one peer-reviewed article that combines both to summarize your practice knowledge.
Part 1: Self-Awareness Reflection (1-2 pp.)
Consider the following questions in developing your paper. (You should not answer each question but rather combine them into a flowing description of these question prompts.)
Where do you come from (physical location or background)? What does your community look like? How does your community compare to the demographics at Eastern? Who are the minorities in your community? How well do you know those who are different from you? How much interaction have you had with them?
What are you used to (norms, behaviors, practices)? What are your values? How are they manifested in your behavior?
How, if at all, does your family relate to issues of diversity (race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic status, etc.)? Are these discussed in your household? Are there unspoken “rules” or expectations about interacting (or not) with people who are culturally different from you/your family?
What are your group affiliations? When did you become aware of your affiliation? How are your social interactions affected by your membership in a minority or majority group? Give lived experiences as examples where possible.