CAP blog #1

Who are we? This is a question most of us will spend a good portion of our lives trying to answer. We grow up identifying ourselves with different groups in order to figure out who we are. Some our our decision while others are a family tradition or one we are born into. Identity is the concept of who we are. The social science perspective is built on the notion that an identity is created in part by our self and in part by the groups we belong to. People tend to attach themselves to a number of different groups to label their identity. Some of these groups include: religion, sexual orientation, gender, nationality, ethnicity and age. Our identities develop over time and through our self as well as the groups we belong to. (Martin and Nakayama, 2013).

I have grown up a middle class, white, catholic, heterosexual, female in the midwest. It does not get much more standard than that. As I was thinking about my identity and the social and cultural groups I attach myself to I began to wonder what it must be like for someone who attaches themselves to one or more minority groups. A person belonging to a minority group tends to develop their identity earlier than those of us who belong to the majority identity. (Martin and Nakayama, 2013) For example, although I never questioned my sexuality, I probably did not begin exploring it or thinking about it until a much later age than someone who identifies as homosexual. Someone identifying as homosexual would tend to begin wondering and orient themselves at a much earlier age.

This year's winter olympic games are right around the corner. They are being held in Sochi, Russia. There has been a lot of attention and media coverage around the fact that Russia has an intolerance of lesbians and gays. Their are a number of anti-propoganda laws in place in Russia which are beginning to place a social stigma and discrimination against gays and lesbians.  The anti-propoganda laws do not allow any discussion of gay and lesbian issues in front of minors. Since we have learned that people identifying with these minority groups tend to start developing their identity at a much earlier age than others it can be assumed this law is taking away the access to information for minors who may be questioning their identity. Homosexual minors may become aware of their sexual identity at an early age but due to these laws will have no way to communicate about it.

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/10390993/russian-lgbt-laws-put-athletes-advocates-wish-protest-difficult-spot

Communication is key to creating our identities. Without being able to communicate with our families, peers and the community it would be much more difficult to figure out where we belong and who we are. Keeping the lines of communication open between children and adults and people of all different minority and majority groups is the best way to promote healthy self-identites. I believe in the freedom laws we have here in the United States and the growing awareness of minority groups. No person or even child should ever have to feel scared to talk about their identity or question their orientation to any groups.

Martin, J.N., & Nakayama, T.K. (2013). Intercultural communication in contexts (6th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.