Intercultural Competence

Chapter 6 Notes

Define cultural identity and include the various nature or types of identity. Apply the components
of cultural identity to yourself.

 Cultural identity is an individual’s self-concept that is built on cultural, social, and personal
identities. The various types of identity are:
o Cultural identity
o Social identity
o Personal identity
I identify myself as an African-American male in the United States of America. In many instances, during
my life, I have experienced being judged upon or treated in certain ways because of the historical social
construct that dictates that I am a black male and that it entails certain undesirable qualities. But in my
opinion, being identified as an African-American specifies who I am in an ethnic sense rather than what
society dictates I should be for historical hegemonic reasons. With that said, I am proud to identify myself
as an African-American and embrace the uniqueness and distinction that it brings. I am proud to have an
African background as much as I am proud to be an American. It is a unique experience and it has its
difficulties, but I wouldn’t change who I am even if I had the power to do so.

How is cultural identity formed?

 Cultural identities develop through a process involving three stages:

o Unexamined cultural identity – at this stage the individual does not have any curiosity in
knowing what it means to be who he/she is.
o Cultural identity search- there is an intellectual curiosity that motivates the individual to
find and discover what they are worth in terms of their cultural identity.
o Cultural identity achievement- The individual comes to terms with who he/she is and has
developed a sense of pride in who they are and the value it brings to society.

List elements or characteristics of cultural identity

 Central- the core aspects of your identity

 Dynamic- your identity is not static. It changes with your ongoing life experiences.
 Multifaceted- at any given moment you have many components that make up your identity.

Based on information learned so far explain your own cultural identity in each of the categories
mentioned.

 As aforementioned, I identify myself as an African-American male. This is central to my cultural

identity.
 I never understood what being “black” really was until I was 7 years old. I played baseball in a
little league where I was the only African-American. The league took stats, and I led the league in
Homeruns, RBIs (Runs batted in), and HBP (hit by pitches). Of course, I made the All-Star Team,
but they gave the league MVP to somebody else. When my coach asked for an explanation on
how this could be, they never gave him a feasible answer. That was my first experience with
racism. I have been treated fairly and unfairly in my lifetime. That is a part of life that everyone
 has to deal with. As it pertains to my cultural identity, I can honestly say that I have built a sense
of pride and love in who I am and a sense of love for those who do not share the same cultural
identity as I do. My experiences caused me to have outstanding intuition and that the actual
character of an individual prevails over what we may assume they might be by outward
appearance or by the ill actions of those who might share the same appearance or cultural
identity. Regardless of cultural identity, individuals will be individuals and we should judge what
they are responsible for - character. My understanding of who I am is dynamic and is still
pending.
 In addition to being and African-American male, I am a brother, a boyfriend, a son, a friend, a
confidante, father figure, student, mentor. My identity is multifaceted.

Application

Where Do you fit in?

Biblical Links

EDU542

Yes, we have ethic distinctions and different cultural identities. But if we proclaim to be Christ-like would
it be hypocritical to judge each other unfairly based on discriminatory perceptions?