| What is sexual identity? | Sexual identity is people's definitions of who they are with respect to gender orientation. |
| Is sexual identity an important element of identity formation? | Yes, it is of high importance because sexual identity influences student choices ranging from CLOTHES and FRIENDS to the OCCUPATIONS they consider and ultimately pursue (Martin & Ruble, 2010). |
| What is meant by sexual orientation? | Sexual orientation is the gender to which an individual is romantically and sexually attracted. |
| Let's talk about homosexuality amongst student population. According to research, how many percent of the student population find sexual orientation as a difficult identity process? | For most of the student population, sexual orientation is not a major issue, but an estimated 3% to 10% of students find it confusing and stressful (Macionis, 2013). |
| According to research, homosexuals go through a 3-phase sequence in their attempts to understand who they are (Berk, 2013). With respect to this, describe this process. | 1. The first phase is feeling different, a slowly developing awareness that they aren't like other children, which is followed by a feeling of confusion, often occurring in adolescents.
2. In the second phase during adolescents, homosexuals attempt to understand their developing sexuality, looking for both social support and role models.
3. Finally in the third phase, the majority of gay and lesbian teenagers accept their homosexuality and share it with those who are close to them. |
| What is "ethnic identity"? | "Ethnic identity [emphasis added] refers o an individual's sense of belonging to an ethnic group, which is defined by one's CULTURAL HERITAGE, and includes attributes such as VALUES, TRADITIONS, and LANGUAGE." (Brittian, Umana-Taylor, & Derlan, 2013, p. 178) |
| Why is ethnic identity important, especially for cultural minorities? | Researches suggest that ethnic identity is particularly important for members of cultural minorities living in heterogenous society, because the identity may provide members with a SENSE OF BELONGING and ACCEPTANCE in societies where the majority group sometimes hold negative stereotypes about them.
This sense of belonging helps DIFFUSE the negative effects of social devaluation that members of minorities sometimes feel (Brittian et al. 2013). |
| What is key in the process of fostering ethnic identity? | The family is key in this process (Umana-Taylor, Alfaro, Bamaca, & Guimond, 2009). It is through the family that minority adolescents INVESTIGATE their ethnicity and come to UNDERSTAND what it means to be a member of their ethnic group, and it can be particularly important in societies such as the United States where members of ethnic minorities often believe that majority groups have access to privileges that minority groups don't have.
In these contexts, positive ethnic identity can protect individuals' sense of self-wroth (Brittian et al., 2013). |
| What is self-esteem or self-worth? | Self-esteem is an emotional reaction to, or an evaluation of, the self (Schunk et al., 2014), and it raises a number of personal questions like:
1. Will others like us?
2. Are we perceived as smart?
3. Do people think we are attractive? |
| Culture plays a role in self-esteem and is particularly important for members pf cultural minorities. What does collective self-esteem refer to? | Collective self-esteem refers to individuals' perception of the relative worth of the groups to which they belong. When these groups are valued by society and perceived as having positive status, personal identities and self-esteem are enhanced (Jaspal & Cinnirella, 2012). The opposite is also true. |
| In the context of the United States, discuss how young children experience collective self-esteem. | Even very young children know they are members of an ethnic minority, and research dating back nearly 80 years indicates that children who are members of cultural minorities such as African Americans (Clark & Clark, 1939), Mexican Americans (Weiland & Coughlin, 1979), and Chinese Americans (Aboud & Skerry, 1985) evaluate their ethnic reference groups as LESS WORTHY than the White majority.
As children who are in ethnic minority groups develop, they become increasingly aware of problems with inequality and discrimination (Brittian et al., 2013 Coker et al., 2009). These problems are especially acute for recent immigrants, who also face language barriers (Click & Bates, 2010; Hernandez, Denton, & Macartney, 2010). |
| What are some of the hardships faced by cultural minorities? | Many cultural minorities experience hardship linked to poverty, crime, and drug-use, and schools that are UNRESPONSIVE to their needs can retard the development of self-esteem (Jaspal & Cinnirella, 2012; Olmedo, 2009).
Unique challenges often exist for students who are members of ethnic minorities, and sensitive teachers are crucial in helping these students form positive, healthy identities. |
| What happens to students with positive ethnic pride? | Students with positive ethnic identities are better adjusted, achieve higher in school, and have more positive beliefs about their ability to cope with their environment (Ghavani, Fingerhut, Peplau, Grant, & Wittig, 2011; Marks, Patton, & Coll, 2011).
In addition they are less likely to use drugs or engage in risky behaviours (Brook, Zhang, Finch, & Brook, 2010). |
