Module 2: What cultures do you belong to?

Module Objectives: By the end of this module, participants should be able...

• To identify oneself as a member and non-member of certain groups
• To compare group membership status with colleagues
• To explain the level of loyalty and commitment one has towards groups they are members of
• To provide examples of bicultural, hybrid, or multicultural identities
• To explain the level of security one feels as a member of a group
• To discuss strategies of overcoming identity exclusivity and insecurity
• To apply all these concepts above to their students

Activity #1 - In the Box/Out of the Box

Activity #2
How do you identify yourself as a being a member of a group?

• Draw a mind map with your name in the center circle.
• Branching from the center circle are different groups that you know or feel that you belong to (ethnicity, family, profession, community, gender, beliefs/worldview)
• Take 5 minutes to create and embellish this circle.

After graphing your identity, compare your mind map with a partner.

• How do your identities differ?
• What groups do you both belong to?
• What groups did you forget to include on your mind map?
• What surprised you about your similarities and differences?  Why?

Activity #3 - Identity Inclusivity

• How positively or negatively do you believe the greater society (Iowa/USA) views each of the groups that you claim to be a member of?
• How loyal and committed do you feel to each group?
• How do you feel or what do you think about non-members of each group?
• The previous question may lead us to stereotyping and ethnocentrism as we focus on differences.
• Some of us may belong to multiple groups within the same category, which is an example of bicultural, hybrid, or multicultural identity.

Activity #4 - Identity Security

• How secure do you feel with your membership to each of these groups?
• Did you inherit this membership or did you choose it?
• For those that you inherited, would you be comfortable with other identities?  (For example, if you identify as American, would you be comfortable as Canadian or Mexican?)
• For those that you chose, would you be comfortable removing that identity?  Why or why not?
• Have you ever felt marginalized?  If so, in what way?

Theorems

1. The more inclusive an individual's identity orientation, the greater his or her capacity to engage in cooperative intercultural relationships
2. The more secure an individual's identity orientation, the greater his or her capacity to engage in cooperative intercultural relationships (Kim, 2009)

Strategies to Overcome Identity Exclusivity and Insecurity

This is easier said than done as these strategies ask one to reevaluate and change one's core identity and relationships.  We are who we are because we are comfortable with who we are.  Any change can make us uncomfortable.  The terms below may challenge your core belief system, but the awareness of this challenge will help you understand difficulties you may face with relating to people who you perceive as different from you.

Individuation (Kim, 2001, 2005)

• Have a clear definition of one's self in terms of identity and membership within groups
• Perceive the other person as an individual first before a member of his or her group/culture

Universalization (Kim, 2001, 2005)

• Be aware of the relative nature of values and of the universal aspect of human nature

Cosmopolitanism (Appiah, 2006)

• Have a moral worldliness that takes precedence over a nationalist ideology

Module Evaluation
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