Social Identity Map

Understanding your positionality, it’s life impact and consequent emotions

Our outlook and interpretation of the world shape our interactions with others, inform our decision-making processes, and influence how we perceive the words and actions of others. To be able to practice equity and inclusiveness as educators, it is crucial to recognize and understand how our own identities can bias our perceptions. Your positionality has a big impact on how you understand and handle circumstances. Our varied identities - gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or religion, as well as the wide range of experiences we've had, shape the way we see the world. We become more receptive to seeing things from many angles when we own up to our prejudices and the places where our knowledge may be limited. By using tools such as the 'Social Identity Map', we can gain a deeper understanding of our emotions, triggers, and reactions. 

Researchers Danielle Jacobson and Nida Mustafa developed the social identity map to examine and reflect upon social identity. This method is structured into three distinct levels, that facilitate the understanding of social identities and positionality. It begins with the identification of a personal social identity (Tier 1), like race or gender. Following this, you assess the influence this identity has had on your life experiences (Tier 2). Subsequently, for each impact identified, you explore the corresponding emotions or feelings (Tier 3). It's common to find multiple life impacts associated with each social identity, and a variety of emotions linked to each impact.

  • It allows users to reflect on and visualize how their social identities and associated power dynamics impact their work, particularly in educational settings.
  • The map facilitates reflection on the fluid or changing nature of social identity, helping to challenge and broaden previously held notions.
  • It helps educators in developing reflexivity, a critical skill in understanding how their social influences their interactions in the classroom and their teaching practice in general.

Read more about the social identity map here. 

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