Identity and Intersectionality

Identity wheels are a way of identifying various aspects of our identities, some of which we might think about a lot and some of which we might never consciously think about.

The wheel below has different sections, each labeled with one of the following Personal Identity categories:

• Birth Order - where you fall in the birth order of your siblings

• Favorite Music - type of music you prefer

• A talent you are proud of - some ability you have, usually something not everyone can do

• Favorite Movie - movie you currently like the most

• Favorite Book - book you currently like the most

• Personality Trait - a defining characteristic, such as "adventurous" or "imaginative"

• Favorite Hobby - activity you do for fun and/or relaxation

• Favorite Food - food you currently like the most

• Number of Siblings - number of your parents' children (can include half or step siblings if you consider them part of your immediate family)

• Favorite Clothing - item of clothing you currently enjoy wearing the most

You can either download the PDF of the wheel worksheet or you can simply make a list for yourself. The goal of the activity is for you to come up with a word or phrase to describe how you identify in that category. This is not an exhaustive list, so if there are categories which you consider to be part of your Personal Identity but were not included, feel free to list them for yourself.

Just as with the Personal Identity wheel you just completed, the wheel below has different sections, each labeled with one of the following Social Identity categories:

• Socioeconomic class - economic position in society, including financial resources and level of education (working class, affluent, etc.)

• Race - group identified as distinct from other groups because of supposed physical or genetic traits shared by the group (Asian, Black, White, etc.)

• Ethnicity - group that shares a common and distinctive culture, religion, language, etc. (Korean, Nigerian, Irish, etc.)

• Gender - someone's understanding of themselves as a man, woman, non-binary person, or another gender entirely, often associated with appearance and behavior (woman, gender fluid, etc.)

• Sexual orientation - one's tendencies of sexual attraction (Gay, Straight, Queer, etc.)

• Assigned sex - category assigned at birth based on the appearance of external reproductive organs (male, female, etc.); NOTE: when a person's current Gender matches the sex they were assigned at birth, that is referred to as being cis-gendered

• Nationality - country of origin (Pakistan, United States, etc.)

• First language - language one grew up speaking most often (Spanish, Tagalog, etc.)

• Age - number of years passed since birth (23 years old, etc.)

• Ability - power or capacity to do something physically, mentally, and/or emotionally (currently able bodied, hearing impaired, autistic, etc.)

• Religion/spirituality - set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe (Muslim, Buddhist, Christian, etc.)

You can either download the PDF of the wheel worksheet or you can simply make a list for yourself. The goal of the activity is for you to come up with a word or phrase to describe how you identify in that category. This is not an exhaustive list, so feel free to add any category you feel is important to your Social Identity.

Looking at your completed wheels (or lists), which identities were terms you already associate with your sense of who you are? Which identities took more time to identify or felt less important to your sense of self? Which of your identities do you think other people notice most often?