Ethnic and Mixed Cultural Identity Development

1. Ethnic and Mixed Cultural Identity Development Steve, Aaron, Ally, Jena

2. Ethnic Identity Definition • The identity is shaped by experiences, interests, gender and personality • The way in which an individual views him or herself • The way in which others view that person • It is shaped over time by differing factors (school, community, family, peers) • Subject to change over time

3. Cultural Identity • How you view yourself in relation to your ethnicity/heritage • Subject to individual basis of culture

4. Conformity • Adapting to the dominate culture that exists in an individuals life. • Conformity to the dominate group is dependant on several factors( Age, Gender, Economic Social Conditions, and Environmental) • Individuals with mixed cultural backgrounds may encounter difficulties while attempting to conform to an singular ethnic identity.

5. Dissonance • Individuals often question the values of the dominate culture at multiple stages of their lives • The ethnic minority might feel the need to develop friendships based strongly on being in the minority.

6. Resistance and Immersion • An extreme state in which an entire lifestyle is based around their heritage • Such person feels a strong need to defend and protect their heritage • They may blame the dominate culture for their oppression and negative life circumstances

7. Stages of Multi-Ethnic Development • Stage one- identity is based on a primary reference group • Stage two- societal standards and perceptions force identity selection • Stage three- confusion/guilt exist in selecting a particular cultural identity over another • Stage four- looking at/understanding different heritages, while still associating with an individual group • Stage five- appreciating and valuing all racial cultural identities

8. Questions • Are there actual stages to identity development? • Is ethnic identity influence more by environment or heredity?

9. Case Study • Mike is a second generation son of Dominican parents. • His parents are fluent Spanish speaker but never taught him how the language • Mike is enrolled in Spanish 1 at the high school level, and fellow students have expectations that he is a Spanish speaker. • Mike feels embarrassed by his lack of language skills. Often in class he has been quite because he does not want to come off as if he is not a Spanish speaker. • How should the teacher approach the issue? • What stage is Mike conflicted with?

10. Things to think about In a science classroom, the debate between creationism and evolution. Think about the way this effects students with different cultural and religious backgrounds. The need for community in a classroom to overcome culture identity issues. This can accomplished by group activities, learning stations and any activity which fosters classroom collaboration. The use of a social contract to explain expected behavior and learning expectations for the class. The creation of an ongoing dialogue which allows students to approach teacher if they become uncomfortable with any topic or content that is perceived as culturally insensitive. Classrooms are strongest when they have diverse background, as ecosystems are strongest when they have diversity.