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Examining Identity

The Equity Toolkit focuses on inclusive teaching and learning by encouraging educators to examine their own identities and the impact of socialization on their interactions with students. It outlines the concepts of privileged and marginalized identities and provides a chart for self-reflection on these identities. The toolkit emphasizes the complexity of identity and the importance of understanding how multiple identities intersect to influence experiences of power and oppression.

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22 views4 pages

Examining Identity

The Equity Toolkit focuses on inclusive teaching and learning by encouraging educators to examine their own identities and the impact of socialization on their interactions with students. It outlines the concepts of privileged and marginalized identities and provides a chart for self-reflection on these identities. The toolkit emphasizes the complexity of identity and the importance of understanding how multiple identities intersect to influence experiences of power and oppression.

Uploaded by

acroboy3
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Equity Toolkit:

Inclusive Teaching
and Learning

ENGAGING IN ONGOING SELF-INQUIRY

http://masterplan.highered.colorado.gov/equitytoolkit
Equity Toolkit: Inclusive Teaching
and Learning

EXAMINING IDENTITY
It is important to engage in understanding your own identities and how the socialization of
those identities influence your interactions with your students. The way in which we have
been socialized informs the biases (both implicit and explicit) we have that can contribute
to oppressive outcomes our students experience in our institutions. Please get familiar with
these terms as you engage in the activity below.

Socially Constructed Identities: Categories created to “label” or “categorize” people; based on


beliefs about groups of people not biology such as: race/ethnicity, sex/gender, gender identity,
nationality, age, sexual orientation, ability, and religion (Bell, 1997)

Dominant Identities: Membership in a social identity that automatically provides access to


power, opportunity, and privilege (Tatum, 2000)

Marginalized Identities: Membership in a group that experiences oppression or


marginalization in mainstream society (Tatum, 2000)

DIRECTIONS
Most of us experience both marginalization and privilege in our many identities. This is an activity
to begin thinking about the status of your identities in terms of privilege and marginalization.
Please circle which side of the identity chart you align with below. Please note that this is not an
exhaustive list of social identities and these are identities that tend to be focused on in the context
of the United States of America. If you can identify with both sides feel free to circle both sides and
respond to the reflection questions after you complete the chart.

Adapted by Carmen Rivera; Developed by Kathy Obear, SJTI http://masterplan.highered.colorado.gov/equitytoolkit


Equity Toolkit: Inclusive Teaching
and Learning

PRIVILEGED/MARGINALIZED GROUPS
PRIVILEGED GROUP MARGINALIZED GROUP
People with a physical, mental,
Able bodied, non-disabled ABILITY/DISABILITY emotional, and/or learning
any other disability

30s to early 50s AGE Younger; Older

Upper class; Upper middle class;


CLASS Working class; Living in poverty
Middle class
Graduate or college degree; High school degree; GED;
EDUCATIONAL LEVEL
Private schooling Public schooling
Puerto Rican; Navajo; Mexican;
“American;”
ETHNICITY/CULTURE Nigerian; Chinese; Iranian; Russian;
Western European Heritage
Jewish…and tons more
Cisgender, Behavior and/or Women, trans, gender
supporting the gender binary, GENDER IDENTITY non-conforming, gender variant;
cisgender men gender queer; agender
Binary gender expression,
masculine & feminine Fluid expression of gender with
GENDER EXPRESSION
characteristics in line with feminine, masculine, and beyond
dominant norms
“Foreign born;” Born in a country
US born; naturalized citizen, NATIONAL ORIGIN/ other than the US; refugees;
documented status CITIZENSHIP undocumented people;
indigenous people
Parent children within a 2-parent RELATIONSHIP & Single parent; do not have children;
heterosexual marriage FAMILY STATUS LGBTQ+ parents

White RACE Person of Color; bi/multi-racial

RELIGION/SPIRITUALITY/ Muslim, Jewish; Agnostic; Buddhist;


Christian
FAITH Atheist; Hindu; Spiritual; etc.

Male SEX Female; Intersex

Gay; Lesbian; Bisexual;


Heterosexual SEXUAL ORIENTATION
Pansexual; Asexual
Align with narrow image of fit,
Perceived by others as too fat, tall,
thin, attractive, beautiful, SIZE/APPEARANCE
short, unattractive, etc.
handsome, etc.
Proficient in the “King’s English;” Have an “accent;” Use regional
USE OF ENGLISH
use “proper” English dialect; learning English

Adapted by Carmen Rivera; Developed by Kathy Obear, SJTI http://masterplan.highered.colorado.gov/equitytoolkit


Equity Toolkit: Inclusive Teaching
and Learning

SOME THINGS TO REMEMBER…


• Binaries rarely, if ever, tell the whole story. There is much more complexity to power,
privilege, and oppression than can ever be represented in one table.
• We are all individuals with ways of naming ourselves in our own language. And we are
also members of groups that exist in a particular context.
• We have multiple and intersecting identities and those intersections affect how we
experience power, privilege, and oppression.
• There is no hierarchy of oppression and there are very real, material differences in how
oppression is experienced.
• Becoming more aware of each of our identities and how they interact with one
another is an important part of being able to understand others and work toward
collective liberation.

EXPLORE THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS FOR DEEPER LEARNING:


What are the complexities of any one (or more) of your identities?

How has the understanding of your identities changed over time?

What are your reflections on your dominant and/or marginalized identities?

How do your social identities have an impact on your work? Daily life?

Adapted by Carmen Rivera; Developed by Kathy Obear, SJTI http://masterplan.highered.colorado.gov/equitytoolkit

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