Step 1: Visual Representation
Create a visual representation of your socialization journey.
- Choose a specific social identity you want to explore and reflect upon.
- Make a paper or digital timeline map:
- Write the social identity you are mapping at the top of the paper.
- Draw a line straight across the paper.
- Cut the line into four or five equal sections.
- Label each section based on age ranges (e.g., 0-5, 6-10, 11-15, 16 to present) or school life stages (e.g., preschool, elementary, middle/junior high, high school, college).
- Map your experiences using the cycle of socialization chart as a reference.
Questions that students should answer directly on their timeline map:
- What messages or beliefs were you taught about your social identity?
- Where did these messages come from? (Parents, family members, teachers, religious organizations, friends, media, society, etc.)
- How were these messages reinforced?
Step 2: Reflection
Write a reflective response that addresses the following prompts (200 words):
- How did these messages influence your perception of yourself and others?
- Reflect on specific behaviors that were encouraged, rewarded, supported, discouraged, unsupported, or punished concerning your social identity.
