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Identity and Positionality

IDENTITY

Identity: the distinguishing character or personality of an individual e.g. race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, class, disability, language, and/or religion. (Source)

  • How are identities made? Are the constant?
  • In what ways might society classify our identity to position us with more or less power?

POSITIONALITY

Positionality: socially constructed power relationships based on our identity. (Source)

  • How does technology classify our identity to position us with more or less power?

IDENTITY + POSITIONALITY IN THE CLASSROOM

  • How might you highlight harms to certain identities without stereotyping or tokenizing those identities?
  • How might you highlight harms without reinforcing harm or a deficit-based narrative?
  • Alternative to harm, how might you leaving room for joy, resistance, revitalization, and agency?