11 Sep Reflecting on Positionality & Cross-Cultural Dialogue

This assignment provides an opportunity to reflect critically on your positionality and consider how it might shape what you bring to your future social work practice.

Instructions:

Positionality comprises many dimensions of social identity. For this assignment, you will explore relevant dimensions to gain a deeper understanding of what they mean to you personally, how these meanings developed, how your life has been shaped by larger social interpretations of these dimensions, and how these meanings might impact your stance toward difference. In sum, the purpose is to answer the questions “Who am I?” and “How does this affect how I relate to others, especially those who are different from me?” For the purposes of this assignment, the dimensions can include:

1. Race/skin color/ethnicity/nationality/first language (Black/Brown/African American/English)

2. Gender and gender expression (Female)

3. Socioeconomic class (Lower class)

4. Age (29)

5. Religion/spiritual belief system (non-religious)

6. Ability/disability (ability)

7. Sense of place (knowledge and experiences of certain geographic areas)

Part 1 (4-6 pages):

Provide an overview of the positionalities you have, as well as the ones you consider relevant focus points for this paper.

Discuss how your positionality engages with larger ecological, intergenerational, and intersectional considerations.

Discuss how your positionality might likely impact the type of social worker you plan to be and the ways in which you plan to engage in this helping profession.

Discuss how your positionality might impact your connection to the social work profession (i.e., social work practice or their engagement with the NASW code of ethics).

Use relevant terms and ideas from texts/readings where appropriate.