In the first assignment for this course, you were asked to identify your social groups and think about how it influenced you as a human services professional. You’re going to do that again, but at a deeper level. First, you will identify yourself from the perspective of each of the groups covered in this course (race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, gender identity, nationality, and age/generation). Then you’ll consider this from the perspective of intersectionality to explain: how do you define yourself, given all these social group memberships? How does your identity influence you as a human services professional?
Then you will change at least three of your social groups (e.g., if you identify as a US citizen, maybe you’ll consider yourself an immigrant, or adopt a different gender identity or age/generation). How would these changes impact your identity? How would they impact you as a human services professional? For example, many young human services professionals focus on children’s needs; as they grow older, they begin to consider the needs of senior citizens.
1. Identify your membership to each of the social groups discussed in the class. Add in any others that are important to you.
2. Explain how all these group memberships intersect to define who you are. For example, are some memberships more influential than others? Why or why not?
3. Explain how your identity impacts you as a human services professional, from the perspective of working with clients to working as a leader within human services.
4. Identify the three social groups you will change.
5. Explain how these changes would impact your identity.
6. Explain how these changes would impact you as a human services professional, from your work with clients to you as a leader