Who are you?

So... This is my first assignment for grad. school class #2 - International and Intercultural Communication. I thought it was interesting, so I am posting it for you and would love to know what your thoughts are :) Enjoy!

Understanding ourselves is the first step to understanding others. As a means to begin to develop that understanding, and to get to know each other, you are being asked to respond to a quote from Earl Babbie’s What is Society? Reflections on Freedom, Order, and Change. Babbie, a sociologist, says:

"…your identity – who you think you are and who others think you are as they decide how to treat you – is inextricably interwoven with social structure" (p. 69).

How we respond to Babbie’s suggestion will depend on our race, ethnicity, social class, gender, abilities, etc. Your task in this first assignment, your pre-assessment, is to take a good look at who you think you are and who society thinks you are. Below are some questions that you should use to explore and compose your sociological autobiography:

1. What are your social roles?

2. How do the following things shape your values and perspectives:
- Your ethnicity
- Your race
- Your social class
- Your gender

3. Where do you shop? Eat? Live? What do you do to have a “good time”?

4. Think about the messages you heard as a child. For example, if you were middle or upper class, did you learn televisions did not belong in the living room? If you come from a working class family, was it natural to have a television in the living room?

5. What advantages or disadvantages have you experienced due to your social class?

6. How were meals served in your home? Were there communal dishes, a nicely set table? Did you eat meals together as a family? How does this compare with your life now?

7. What messages did your parents give you about education and schools? How was this communicated to you?