1.1 Personal and Social Identity
To begin this chapter, and to start off this resource, we’ll learn about identity. Identity is made up of many different factors and can be quite complex. Here, we’ll focus on two key aspects of identity: personal identity and social identity.
Your personal identity includes the traits that make you a unique individual, like your favourite genre of music, your sense of humour, or your hobbies. These are the things that set you apart and help define who you are.
Your social identities, on the other hand, are the aspects of your identity that you share with different social groups. These social groups may be based on numerous factors, including (but not limited to):
- Educational Background
- Disciplinary/Professional Background
- Race
- Ethnicity
- Gender
- First Language
- Sexual Orientation
- Geographical Location
- Religion
- Marital Status
- Disability
- Appearance
- Income
- Political Affiliation
Both your personal and social identities shape how you view the world, how you interact with other people, what you value and believe, and how you learn. Your personal and social identities also shape your knowledge practices, including where you seek knowledge, how you determine what’s true and trustworthy, and how you use the information you find.
Activity 1.1: Creating an Identity Mosaic
To get some experience thinking about our own identities, we’ll start with a personal reflection activity.
Create an identity mosaic that represents the different parts of who you are — such as your race, gender, age, religion, ability, sexual orientation, language, education, family background, and any other factor that comes to mind when you think of your social identities.
This activity is for your own personal reflection. Take your time and be honest with yourself. The goal is to better understand how your identities influence your experiences, perspectives, and interactions with others.
In each of the mosaic tiles below, fill in an aspect of your identity. Use the larger tiles for aspects of your identity that are stronger or that you relate to more. Use the smaller tiles for aspects of your identity that you relate to less or that have less impact on your daily life or on how you see yourself.
Download fillable Identity Mosaic PDF
After completing the identity mosaic, consider the following:
- Which identities do you think about most often?
- How do these identities impact how you see yourself and the relationships that you build?
- Which identities do you think about least often?
- Are there any social identities that you feel uncomfortable talking about or sharing with others?
- Which identities do you think have the greatest impact on how others perceive and engage with you
All activities can also be found in a downloadable workbook. Visit the ‘Using this Resource‘ page to access the workbook in MS Word and PDF formats.
Individual traits that differentiate one person from others.
The aspects of an individual that are shared with different social groups or communities.
