Cycle of Socialization – Teaching about Identities, Diversity, and Equity

Topics and Competencies

Awareness of Social Identities, Knowledge of Identity-General Characteristics of Inequality

Grade Level

Middle Grades, High School, College/Adult

Subject Area Integration

None

Author(s)

Christy M. Byrd

Source

Adapted from Kaplowitz, D. R., & Griffin, S. S. S. R. (2019). Race Dialogues: A Facilitator’s Guide to Tackling the Elephant in the Classroom. Teachers College Press.

Date Created/Most Recently Revised

May 2021

Time

45 minutes

Setting

Appropriate for most settings

Type and Level of Engagement

Group Work, Low Engagement

Accessibility

Learning Objectives

Recognize the socialization messages received throughout life.
Understand how socialization influences personal identity and social identity beliefs.
Understand how socialization messages contribute to structural inequality

Materials

Cycle of socialization handout/slide
Signs for each portion of the cycle
Several post-it notes for each student
Writing utensils

Harro, B. (2000). The cycle of socialization. In M. Adams, W. J. Blumenfeld, R. Castaneda, H. W. Hackman, M. L. Peters, & X. Zuniga (Eds.), Readings for Diversity and Social Justice. Psychology Press.

Instructions

We are all born into a world where the rules are already set about who is expected to do what. Throughout our lives, we learn those rules in subtle and overt ways. Learning these rules is called socialization.
Either have students read Harro’s chapter or describe the cycle
Ask students to choose a social identity or provide a particular identity for everyone to focus on.
Give participants a stack of post-it notes and ask them to write down messages they heard throughout their lives that relate to each portion of the cycle
After each student has posted notes, have the students walk around and silently read
Discuss
- What did you find interesting or surprising?
- What ways have you found yourself continuing the cycle?
- In what ways have you been able to break the cycle?
- How do the messages you heard relate to different identities?
- What in your thinking about identity has changed as a result of this activity?

Variations

Extensions

This activity can be paired with the Social Identity Wheel and/or the Socialization Timeline.