(500-600 words)
Essay should be saved as a Word document, formatted in Times New Roman, 12-point type, double-spaced, with one-inch margins.
Key Questions
What personal characteristics define you?
Start with the basics. It can feel pretty radical just to acknowledge your basic social position, such as something like “I am a white, middle class, cisgender, straight, non-disabled female.”
How are your personal characteristics sources of power and privilege, or, alternatively, marginalization and disadvantage?
Many of us have a mix of characteristics, some of which confer privilege, others of which create marginalization (make us outsiders). For example, age, gender, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, social class, and health status are some of the key characteristics. What are some of yours and how do they affect your sense of belonging?
Ask yourself: What characteristics orient you in society?
Personal characteristics situate almost everyone in their broader social context. Think about yourself in different settings: at home (wherever you define “home” to be), at school, at work, in your neighborhood, etc. Of the characteristics you’ve described above, which ones give you power, or make you fit in in each of these settings? Which ones marginalize you and make you feel different? The way these characteristics “intersect” with each other creates your unique viewpoint.
The settings where you grew up and relevant family information.
How did your early childhood experiences affect your choices (school, career, etc.)?
Tying it all together: How to I think about dis/ability, difference, identity, inclusion?
What are your beliefs about this topic? Do you have any history or personal experience with this topic? What questions would you like to explore?