Overview
Assignment #4: Identities, Assumptions & Biases Reflection Paper (30pts-Due 12/11/23.)
The purpose of this assignment is to give you an opportunity to identify your assumptions, biases, and levels of comfort and discomfort with some of the subjects we will be discussing throughout the term. To complete the project, you will need to respond honestly, critically, and thoughtfully to the following questions in an essay format (8-10 pages, APA format). Use the headings below in the paper. Just answer the questions in narrative form. You do not need to write the questions. Initial Assumptions (think back to your first weeks in class) 1. What did you hope would never happen in this class? 2. What did you hope for yourself from taking this class?
Personal Identity 1. There are multiple ways that people constitute their identities (race, ethnicity, class, gender identification, sexual orientation, age, ability, religion, national identity, etc). If someone asked you what are the most important aspects of your identity, what would you say and why? 2. Which identities are a source of pride for you and why, and which are a source of discomfort for you and why? Race/Ethnic Identity 1. Who and what were the most important influences on your understanding of your racial/ethnic identity? 2. In what ways has racism affected your life and the lives of those closest to you? Gender 1. What is your understanding of the difference between biological sex and gender identity? 2. How do you define masculinity and femininity? What aspects of these categories are most attractive to you and what are the most threatening to you? Sexual Orientation and Expression 1. What did you learn about heterosexuality and homosexuality when you were a child, and from what source did you learn this information? How has that changed as you grew up? 2. If you are straight, how did this information in question 1 influence your ability to question your sexual orientation? If you identify as LGBTQ+, how did this information influence your coming out, or not? Ability 1. What assumptions about independence, cognition, sexuality, and pain have you held about individuals with disabilities? Has that changed as you aged and why? 2. If you do not identify as someone with a physical disability, are you aware of whether your dwelling, workplace and school are accessible to people with physical disabilities? If you identify as having a physical disability, how much of your time is devoted to advocating for yourself and teaching others to be aware of your disability? Socioeconomic Class 1. How and when did you become aware of your class status? How did you feel about your class status? 2. What advantages or disadvantages, if any, have you experienced from your class status? Age 1. What are your first memories of someone you considered elderly? What kind of relationship did you have with them? 2. What are the differences between how older men and older women are perceived in the dominant U.S. culture? What about in the culture with which you identify? Religion 1. What is the religion or spiritual belief you were raised to believe in? Have you shifted your beliefs over time? If so, what was this experience like? Who or what influenced you? 2. Have you ever felt discriminated against because of your religious beliefs? Why/why not?
Present Life I. When was the last time you talked about race, class, ability, sexual orientation, age, gender, or religious affiliation? When and where did that occur? What did you say? What did you wish you had said? How frequently do you discuss these issues? 2. Have you experienced internalized oppression? In what ways does it show up for you? Concluding thoughts about this paper I. What feelings arose in you while you were writing this paper and why? 2. What is the relevance of this paper to your practice as a social worker and why? • Reflecting broadly, what interconnections do you see between personal and social change?