English Midterm Assignment
Communicating Identities
Chapter 3
University of Colorado Denver
Identity in communication
Our identities are present when we communicate, and they shape and affect our interactions
Communication also creates and shapes our identities
How does communication affect various identity groups?
Identity plays an important role in interpersonal and intercultural communication
Our sociopolitical climate is one steeped in identity politics
Identity is a site wherein individual and societal forces come together to shape our experiences
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IDENTITY IN COMMUNICATION
Identity becomes important when one identifies with it, or when others identify you with it Avowed and ascribed identities
Identities can be primary or secondary
Race, gender, nationality, etc.
Occupation, major, clubs
Identity is NOT fixed but it is dynamic, relational, and socially constructed
Identity is tied to historical, social, and cultural contexts
Social justice movements to alter how identities are perceived
One cannot understand communication without a conversation about identity
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IDENTITY FORMATION (INTERPERSONAL)
Self-Concept: The relatively stable set of perceptions you hold of yourself
It’s what you would see if you held up a mirror to yourself
List of traits – not each one is equally as important
Reflected Appraisals/Looking-Glass Self
Mirroring of judgments of those around you, the significance/the value we put on other’s perception of us
They leave an imprint on how you view yourself
Supportive messages can lead to one valuing themselves
Criticizing messages can lead to one devaluing themselves
Particular others: significant individuals in your life those opinion and behavior influence aspects of your identity
Generalized others: collective roles, rules, norms, beliefs, attitudes endorsed by your community that you understand based on interactions with media, acquaintances, and strangers
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SELF-CONCEPT
Social Comparison
Assessing if we possess more or less socially-valued characteristics than others in our community (reference groups)
Are we superior or inferior?
Are we similar or different?
Are we measuring up to those around us?
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SELF-ESTEEM
Part of self-concept that involves evaluations of self-worth.
How one feels about the qualities they claim
Self-esteem has a powerful effect on communication behavior
High self-esteem can lead to positive behaviors and positive feedback
Low self-esteem can lead to negative behaviors and negative feedback
Link it to interpersonal communication
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SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY
Our expectations of ourselves and others have a powerful effect on the way that we communicate
Self-imposed
Other-imposed
Expectations of something happening can increase its likelihood or vice versa
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INDIVIDUAL IDENTITY PERFORMANCE
Impression Management:
How do you perform your identity?
What does your home space look like?
What clothes do you wear? How do you choose them?
Role expectations:
Expectation that we will perform in a certain way because of how that role is typically occupied per cultural and social standards
The Stanford Prison Experiment (self-fulfilling prophecy)
1971 – Zimbardo: Power of communication and the internalization of our roles/identities
Critical paradigm – power and hierarchy and its effect on communication
IDENTITY AND SOCIETY
You cannot understand yourself without understanding how society constructs or defines characteristics such as gender, sexuality, race, religion, social class, and nationality
When an individual deviates from the socially-accepted performance associated with an identity, they are pressured to change their performance
They become victims to exclusion, bullying, and violence
Think, Share
What are some socially-accepted values/expectations assigned to these social identities?
Male & Female
White & People of Color
Christian & People of other faiths
Upper class & Middle/Lower class
citizen & immigrants
How do these expectations affect how you communicate your identity?
How easy is it to challenge these expectations associated with these identities?
IDENTITY & INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
Identity signifies belonging
In-group/out-group
Identity is often understood through a lens of difference
“I am this because I am not that.” “We are this because we are not that.”
Can lead to ethnocentrism: the notion that one culture’s beliefs, values, norms, and social practices is superior to that of another
Identity is a framework that organizes and interprets our experiences of others, and can stand as a barrier to communication entirely (stereotyping/reductionism)
ETHICS AND IDENTITY
Every identity comes with values attached to it
Attacking an identity can signify an attack on one’s values
Attacking one’s values can signify an attack on one’s identity
Privileged and marginalized identities
If you can claim a privileged identity, consider the impact of your actions and the risk of further marginalizing non-privileged groups
Commit to personal growth
Consider the language you are using
Do not fall victim to “reductionism”
Seek out understanding, not judgment
Recognize that acceptance of one’s identity does not equal adoption of their values