Students are to create and prepare an identity narrative that they will share on the class wiki page. The instructor will set up the wiki page for students to use. Wiki details to follow. The written component will be a 4-5-page essay (excluding title page and references) that addresses three questions of identity (see below). The visual component requires students to decorate their wiki page through various multimedia methods (i.e., images, photos, video, music, emojis, symbols). Classmates will be able to view wiki pages and provide feedback. Students are not graded on their artistic ability, but on the effort put into the visual component of the assignment.
Learning Goals:
Self-reflect about intercultural experiences
Demonstrate written communication
Sharing knowledge of materials foundation of terms and concepts learned in the course
Use creative expression
Learn how to make a Wiki Page
Demonstrate effective online communication
Instructions (Writing Template)
I. Introduction
Statement to Classmates: Open the narrative with a brief statement for your audience. The statement can be words of encouragement, inspiration, advice, poetry, or simply a greeting.
II. Discuss Your Various Identities: Identities and their attributes are typically related to ethnicity, race, gender, generation, socioeconomic status, region, world view, and dominant cultural patterns.
For this assignment, you’ll focus on the following three main areas of your identity:
A. Discuss the Communication Norms of Your Culture. (Pointer: Norms can be verbal and nonverbal, gender roles, or rules for behavior)
B. Discuss your Social/Relational Identities. (Pointer: Consider organizations and groups that have shaped you and how each of the groups you belong to, or have belonged to, had some effect on your behavior and your communication–family, religion, work, interests, clubs, teams, to name a few).
C. Discuss your Personal Identity. (Pointer: What makes you unique? Personal Introspection and Evaluation required. How your own individual experiences, attributes, and abilities shape and influence your own personal identity. These will have helped shape your own personal beliefs, values, norms, attitudes, and perceptions about life, the universe, and other people and groups. These effects will also be evident in how and with whom you are willing to communicate).
III. Conclusion: Synthesize/review the four main points in at least 4-5 sentences.
Required: Bibliography of sources used in your discussion.
Preparing Notes for the Identity Discussion:
A. This assignment is not based solely on your experiences and opinions. To find the information you need to complete this assignment, you should use your textbook, class notes, and the library to look for information about your own culture. The idea is to draw on concepts discussed in class that shape society at large: intercultural discipline, national policy, and our views of communication. The best approach to this assignment is to make notes and clearly answer the questions ONE AT A TIME. Provide reasons and examples in your notes, to help you develop your discussion.
B. Understanding Intercultural Communication (review chapters 1-2). Make sure that you understand and can answer these questions: What is culture? What are values? What is the relationship between values and the institutions and behaviors of a culture?
C. Explore Who You Are (review chapters 8-12). Take time to explore who you are as a cultural being. This can be challenging, but try to gain a degree of objectivity on the very personal subject of you, because, without cultural self-awareness, it is very difficult to approach understanding another culture openly. Pick the 5 or 6 things that are most relevant to you. Try to place yourself in relation to how you “fit” into American culture. What values do you share with the mainstream culture? What values are different? Why?
