Who am I on the outside? That’s a big question.

Your outer or external identity is developed as you grow up relating to particular people in particular places. You identify as part of your family, for example. You identify as Canadian because you are a citizen. When you start at school, you identify as a student. If you join a sports team, you take on “team member” as part of your identity.

Go to your learning guide 4.4 and complete a mind map about who you are on the outside.  Draw lines out from the circle in the middle of the page.

Now, take a look at the following list. Developed by the National Association of Independent Schools and the Diversity Awareness Initiative for Students, it’s called “Sample Cultural Identifiers.”

Sample Cultural Identifiers
• Ability (mental or physical)

• Age

• Ethnicity

• Gender

• Race

• Religion

• Sexual orientation

• Socioeconomic status/class

• Body image

• Educational background

• Academic/social achievement

• Family of origin, family makeup

• Geographic/regional background

• Language

• Learning style

• Other beliefs (political, social, internal)

• Globalism/internationalism (how much a part of the world you feel you are)

• Generation ("Generation X," "Generation Z," "baby boomers," etc.)

• Sense of self-worth/self-respect

• Sense of empowerment/agency

Go back to your external (on the outside) identity mind map. After looking at this list, is there anything you want to change or add?