Welcome to the 2023 Oz Equity Challenge! This week will focus on some foundational skills that guide us in the work of creating an inclusive community. These include understanding our own identity, recognizing that we all hold biases, developing empathy, and communicating to connect.
Social Identity
By reflecting on our own identities, the experiences connected to our identities and how they define us, we can become better able to articulate our own experiences and by extension to understand the experiences of others.
Resources
This article highlights the concept of social identity and why it is necessary for people to feel a sense of belonging in their groups.
This short video is produced by Over Zero, an organization that develops communication tools to address identity based violence. It offers a brief description of social identity and how it influences society.
This wheel diagram, the Wheel of Power/Privilege, is a simplified way to reflect on the many intersecting identities and power structures we all engage with. What areas capture your identity? What is your proximity to power and privilege? How are others you know represented on the wheel?
Learning about intersectionality and how it affects all of us, both in our work and personal lives, allows us to respectfully communicate with peers, and deepens our understanding of the ways in which identity and the intersection of identities shape our lives. To learn more about intersectionality, you can watch this TEDx talk by Kimberlé Crenshaw.
Here is a Mapping Your Own Identity interactive activity that allows for participants to visually map out their identities and reflect on each of them. If applicable, it is encouraged to share answers with a partner and learn more about each other through the identities they hold.
Reflection
What are some groups that form your social identity? Groups can be defined by age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, nationality, education, ability/disability, religion, socioeconomic class, job, role in family, interests/hobbies. You may want to refer to the “Mapping Your Identity” PDF for identity markers.
When have you benefitted from belonging to a certain social group? When has it been a challenge for you?