Thinking+about+social+identity

Pages 101 – 102 (read up to the blue box on page 102. The activity below is based on that box)**
 * Reading: Crane and Hannibal

This is to be done in your journal. Journal entries can be kept however you like. Maybe as a digital journal, or at the back of your binder. Think of these as a 'stream of consciousness' method of collecting ideas. What should you 'take away with you' from this activity? I want you to think about what influences you in terms of the social and cultural context. I want you to have a sense of factors that have made you who are are, and that determine your behavior. Would you perceive the world in exactly the same way, or behave in exactly the same way if you were from another culture, or living in a different social context? Think about it.**
 * __Activity 1 – reflective activity__**
 * 1) Brainstorm groups to whom you belong. Note these down in your journal. For example, how do you categorize yourself? (Eg. female, a Junior, a Buddhist, an Australian, a member of the swim team etc). What groups do you spend time with? (Eg. family, your closest friends, your study friends, your friends in your home country, your ethnic group, your church group)
 * 2) Peer discussion - talk about this with your peers. Share stories, try and identify the facets of your social and cultural life in terms of groups and influences
 * 3) 20 minute journal activity. Answer the following questions in your journal.
 * How important are these groups in your personal identity? (make sure you can identify the meaning of 'personal identity' and make connections in your writing)
 * What needs do these different groups fill in your life? (make sure you can identify 'needs' and make connections in your writing)
 * I will ask you to share some aspects of your journal writing next class.

__**Class notes for 3A**__

- Juniors -Third Culture Kids -Classmates These were a few that we came up with that we feel we all belong to.
 * Social Groups: ** - SAS community

Some of us still feel uncomfortable when going home to their families, its hard when they don't understand the lives we live, and we often feel judged. Although its hard and a lot people cant accept the life we live, I don't think any of us would live it any other way.
 * Third Culture Kids ** : The one group we all feel part of is the "Third Culture Kid" group. Although a lot of us feel like we "live in a bubble" we did agree that we are a lot more open minded and aware of certain things. Most of us feel comfortable with different cultures and ethnicities, making friends comes a lot easier to us because we are used to meeting new people every year. We adapt to the environment and have ability to adapt better.


 * Upper Middle Class: ** We agreed that the majority, if not everyone belongs to the Upper Middle Class. This status affects our lives in many ways, we are able to do more, see more, eat more and have luxuries that others can't afford. We take a lot for granted and find it hard to imagine life without technology or just general necessities. We always have access to money, which doesn't mean that money is everything, because all of us take education seriously, but our worries are always very different from those who don't live the same way.

// A group of people who have similar background, traditions, and expectations that influence our behavior as multicultural individuals. //
 * Culture Group: ** When a lot of us are with our relatives, we act a lot differently than we would with our close friends. We feel judged and envied a lot, and it's hard for some people to go back home and have to see relatives. They often don't understand and are narrow minded, especially because we're living in China, they often come across as ignorant.

--> Values --> Close group of friends (shape morals, trust and personality) -->Upbringing -->Diet, the choses you make -->Morals from friends/family, GAIN PERSPECTIVE.
 * Personal Identity: ** What makes you you?

This is how we define social identity.

__**Class notes for 1B**__ Ex patriot kids 2) How our identity is shaped: ** Teenagers **
 * 1) Social groups:
 * Globally minded
 * Extends our communication and language skills giving us better insight into different cultures.
 * Linguistic skills, a lot of us speak more than 2 languages.
 * Travel experience, makes us more aware of the world around us.
 * Since we are expats our home is everywhere in a sense. we travel all around the world and see different cultures everyday in many different situations.
 * Its easier for us to integrate into different cultures, adaptation skills.
 * On an economic standpoint we are on a higher level because we can afford more things. we have the privileges of a really good schooling system, transportation advantages etc.
 * We can just leave, our parents can be under a contract.
 * 3) Next social group:
 * 4) How our identity is shaped: **
 * We are more influenced by our peers
 * The way we dress, act and interact with our friends.
 * Communication is everything in our world. We NEED technology. How would we live without the internet? How many of us now are struggling without facebook? Our phones are also a massive part of our lives....no texting, no private phone witch entails your private business.
 * Influenced by the media
 * Create our own language, Slang
 * Our emotions are intense, making us emotionally unstable...we may seem normal but we are NOT!
 * 5) Our definition of cultural group: **
 * we have common ethics, morals, interests and background. A culture group grows up with the same ways of knowing. THATS TOK! OH YEA I CAME UP WITH THAT!!!! GENIUS!!!
 * 6) Our definition of personal identity: **
 * Certain characteristics that you posses that separate yourself for other people around you.
 * music taste, little quirks about yourself, education, dress style, haircuts, religion, interests/hobbies, morals WAYS OF KNOWING!
 * 7) Impact of specific cultural group: **
 * Subconsciously compare your own culture with the environment that is surrounding you now.
 * The effect of a different culture on your original culture in terms of integration. for instance, i am British but being surrounded by a very American society made me loose my accent, change the way i dress and definitely the way that i act. this change happened without me really knowing and now that i look back i realize how much the effect of American culture changed me and my personal identity.