Application: Getting to Know Yourself Note: Although the Application is not due until Day 7 of Week 1, you are encouraged to complete this assignment before posting to this week’s Discussion, in which you will share the insights you have gained about your own identity and cultural framework. Learning about your own identity can be a powerful tool for recognizing how you make meaning of the world around you. For professionals who work with young children and their families, this is especially important because of the profound influence—intentional or otherwise—their attitudes and actions can have on both children and adults. For this assignment, think about your own identity. In Chapter 1 of Diversity in Early Care and Education, Gonzalez-Mena (2008, p. 9) shares, “I was surprised to discover that I have a culture. I, like everyone else move within a cultural framework every minute of the day. That framework is influenced by and includes what are called attributes of culture…My life is influenced by my: Race Gender Age Abilities and disabilities Language Social class, including status and economic level Ethnicity and national origin Religion and/or spiritual practice Original geographic location of my family, where I grew up, and present location (if different) Sexuality, including sexual orientation” How is your life influenced by these attributes? Write at least 2 pages describing your identity in terms of these attributes of culture. Comment on how it feels to reflect on your own identity in this way, noting insights that may influence the way you view families and children whose cultural frameworks differ from yours.
