Sunday, February 28, 2016

Identify your in-groups and your out-groups. How have your in-groups influenced the way you see the world? And what influence have your out-groups...

This is really not a question that we can answer for you.  It is very likely that I identify with different in groups than you do.  It is likely that out groups have impacted me in different ways than they have affected you.  In this answer, I will define in groups and out groups and suggest some ways in which you might think about how you want to answer this question.

An in group is a group with which you identify strongly.  Your membership in this group constitutes a strong part of your identity.  What groups do you belong do that really matter to you?  Does your race or national background matter a great deal to you?  What about your religion?  Do you play sports or play in the school band?  If so, do you really identify yourself with those things or are those just things you do for fun?  In answering this part of the question, you have to ask yourself what really matters to you.  If I asked you to define who you are, what group affiliations would you mention?


For the next part of the question, you have to ask how you would be different if you were a member of different in groups.  If you include your race as an in group, what is different about you because of your race?  If you were of a different race, why would you be a different person?  If you belonged to a different high school clique, would you see the world differently?  Imagine that you are a popular kid, a jock.  How would that change the way you look at the world compared to how you would look at it if you were a smart kid who isn’t particularly popular?


Finally, you need to look at out groups.  These are the people who are not “like you.”  Have they had an effect on you?  If you identify whites as an out group, how have they impacted your life?  If your sex is an important part of your identity, how has the opposite sex affected you?  If, for example, you are male and you see that as an important part of your identity, how have female teachers affected you?  How have girls in your school affected you?  Have they forced/influenced you to act in ways that you would not otherwise act?  Do you act different when you are around members of your in group?  Why and how?  These are issues that you can ask yourself about as a way to think about how members of other groups have affected you.

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