Cultural identities are based on socially constructed categories that teach us a way of being and include expectations for social behavior or ways of acting. In order to be accepted as a member of a cultural group, members must be acculturated, essentially learning and using a code that other group members will be able to recognize. We are acculturated into our various cultural identities in obvious and less obvious ways. We may literally have a parent or friend tell us what it means to be a man or a woman. We may also unconsciously consume messages from popular culture that offer representations of gender.
List 3 things that would define your cultural identity, they may be things like religion, region of the country, gender, race, historical identity. For each of the 3 items you choose for your cultural identity, provide a brief paragraph about how you notice this identity in your daily life. For example if your religion is part of your cultural identity and you go to church twice a week, that plays a large part in your week, and in the activities that you participate in, the people you date, the groups you belong to. Be specific in examining your activities and how it helps to maintain your cultural identity.
