Personal Narrative – Your Culture Sketch:
I’m in need of starting out my paper, a personal narrative. Here are some questions to help answer below. To help write about me I will be identifying and disclosing the several identities i carry:
I’m an immigrant, born and raised in Venezuela (all my family are from there), latino (or latinx/gender inclusive term), person of color, carrying citizenship here in the U.S. english was second language, formerly homeless for about a year and a half for being transgender, heterosexual, I’m 21 years old, dealing with major depressive disorder and trauma, I’m agnostic but had a catholic upbringing. I have dealt with transphobic, homophobia, racism, and discrimination, inequality, oppression, marginalization.
Answer the questions for each of the areas ADDRESSING Cultural Influences. Recognize there may be some overlap between the areas so that you may include additional information beyond the questions presented.
*Age and generational influences: 21 years old. When were you born and what were the social expectations for a person of your identity? How have your values and worldview been shaped by the social movements/events of your generation (e.g., The Civil Rights Movement, 9-11, social media, etc.)? What were some of the common messages or culture scripts you heard growing up regarding age? In what ways is your group made visible or invisible? If you identify as a dominant group member, what privileges do you experience as a member of this group? If you identify as a target group, how does this affect your daily routines, interactions or access?
*Physical or Intellectual Abilities: (Major Depressive Disorder and Trauma)Generalize. Do you identify as someone living with a visible disability or a nonvisible disability (e.g., chronic pain, psychiatric, or learning)? If no, has your personal or professional life been affected by others with disabilities? How have your abilities or disability affected your life and opportunities? What were some of the messages or culture scripts you heard growing up regarding disabilities? If you identify as a dominant group member, what privileges do you experience as a member of this group? If you identify as a target group, how does this affect your daily routines, interactions or access?
Religion and Spirituality: (Agnostic, but formerly raised Catholic. Open minded when it comes to Religion) Were you brought up in a religious or spiritual tradition? Do you identify with a religion or have a spiritual practice now? How were your values and goals shaped by your religious or non-religious upbringing? What were some of the common messages or culture scripts you heard growing up regarding religion or spirituality? In what ways is your group made visible or invisible? If you identify as a dominant group member, what privileges do you experience as a member of this group? If you identify as a target group, how does this affect your daily routines, interactions or access?
*Ethnic and/or Racial identity: Venezuelan/Latinx/Latino (same race and ethnicity within my family but have great granpa from Spain) What do you consider your ethnic or racial identity? How do other people identify you? Are these the same? Are there ethnic or racial differences within your family? What were some of the common messages or culture scripts you heard growing up regarding ethnic and racial identity? In what ways is your group made visible or invisible? If you identify as a dominant group member, what privileges do you experience as a member of this group? If you identify as a target group, how does this affect your daily routines, interactions or access?
*Socioeconomic status: Grew up privilege due to having a mother living in the U.S, but family was formarly poor. Went to an All girls private catholic School. When coming to the U.S I was in a segregated public school (Hispanics and African American) What social class did you grow up in, and what do you consider your socioeconomic status now? When you were in high school, what were the education and work opportunities available to you? What were some of the common messages or culture scripts you heard growing up regarding socioeconomic status? In what ways is your group made visible or invisible? If you identify as a dominant group member, what privileges do you experience as a member of this group? If you identify as a target group, how does this affect your daily routines, interactions or access?
*Sexual orientation: Straight/Heterosexual (have friends who have different sexual orientation) Do you identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, asexual, pansexual or heterosexual? If you are heterosexual, do you have a family member or close friend who does not shares a heterosexual sexual orientation? What is your family’s belief and response to individuals who share a sexual orientation that is not heterosexual? What were some of the common messages or culture scripts you heard growing up regarding sexual orientation? In what ways is your group made visible or invisible? If you identify as a dominant group member, what privileges do you experience as a member of this group? If you identify as a target group, how does this affect your daily routines, interactions or access?
*National origin: ( Venezuelan, carrying citizenship). Are you a U.S. citizen, an international student, or immigrant? Were you born in the United States? Do you (and your parents and grandparents) speak English as a first language? How has your nationality affected your life and opportunities? What were some of the common messages or culture scripts you heard growing up regarding nationality? In what ways is your group made visible or invisible? If you identify as a dominant group member, what privileges do you experience as a member of this group? If you identify as a target group, how does this affect your daily routines, interactions or access?
*Gender: Transgender Male (assigned female at birth). What were and are the gender-related roles and expectations for you in your family of origin and current family, in your work setting, and in relation to your other cultural identities? How have these expectations affected your choices in life? What were some of the common messages or culture scripts you heard growing up regarding gender? In what ways is your group made visible or invisible? If you identify as a dominant group member, what privileges do you experience as a member of this group? If you identify as a target group, how does this affect your daily routines, interactions or access?
**MUST ANSWER** Social Work Ethics, Values & Professional Development: What challenges do you see yourself having with social work values and ethical mandates given your overall social location? What client system do you feel the least prepared to work with or the least equipped to advocate for in any given situation? Develop a plan for addressing the identified challenges and limitations, including one concrete action you plan to take to further your process of becoming an ethical ally. Be sure to include a timetable for doing so, and details as to how you plan to hold your own “feet to the fire” (or elicit the help of colleagues or your OWN allies) in accomplishing it.
The paper requires an integration of relevant readings from this course into your analysis and an adherence to APA style guidelines. Your paper should be a critical analysis of your socialization into these key group memberships. It is meant to integrate your personal experiences with the theoretical framework of the course. It is not meant to be a journal type essay or a summary of your experiences and opinions/beliefs. Rather, draw upon the readings (cite the readings) and class discussions to provide an analysis of what shapes your perspectives, values, expectations, beliefs, etc. as a member of these specific groups. Include Abstract. Generalize as well to give a clearer view of how my identity is viewed in society and I am affected by it. identify privileges and how I’m a target based on m identity.
EXAMPLE #1-Good Response
1. Ethnic and/or Racial identity:
Living in America, I always identified myself as Chinese American, not fully Chinese and not fully American. Growing up in New York, others would refer to me as Chinese, not Chinese American and not American even though America was where I was born and raised. At a young age, I was exposed to many different cultures through school. The first distinction was observing facial features that differed from mine and seeing food that was foreign to what was normal for me. Although we had differences, we also had many similarities. We were students, we loved to play, and we got along with one another. As I got older I would get called “chink” on the streets by strangers, they would also try to speak Chinese to me without even asking if I was Chinese. Other than these minor unfortunate experiences, I as a Chinese American had a relatively quiet upbringing in terms of facing discrimination because of my heritage. According to the New York Times article authored by Vega (2014), I learned that racial micro-aggressions can take the form of micro-assault, micro-insult, and micro-invalidation. It can have detrimental effects on those who face this discrimination. As social workers our unconscious prejudice thoughts which lead to microaggression can also influence the effectiveness of our services if we don’t recognize our personal tendencies.
HERE ARE THE READINGS TO INCLUDE AND HELP IN THE PAPER :
Spencer, M. S. (2008). A social worker’s reflections on power, privilege, and oppression. Social Work, 53(2), 99-101.
https://onesearch.cuny.edu/permalink/f/1tm5gtp/TN_oxford10.1093/sw/53.2.99
Wildman, S.M., & Davis, A.D. (1995). Language and silence: Making systems of privilege visible. Santa Clara Law Review, 35(4), pp. 50-60.
Wildman_Language and Silence- Making Systems of Privilege Visible.pdf
^ Can include own articles but please use at least 2 of these readings.v
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