Social Identity- Priyanka

Our class discussion surrounding social identity made me think more critically about many parts of my identity, but specifically about my gender and my class, and the way those two aspects relate. Growing up, I was never explicitly told that my gender would put me at a disadvantage in society. It is only recently that I have really confronted this aspect of my identity and how it shapes my views of myself and the views others have toward me. Learning about gender inequality in classes and through day-to-day reading, media, and lived experiences has definitely brought being a woman to the forefront of my mind. While this is true, I have also been thinking a lot about the fact that although I identify as a woman, and by that fact alone I may be viewed as inferior, I have not felt the level of structural violence or discrimination against me that I know so many other women feel every single day.  Learning about global health has taught me that pregnant women are being mistreated by failing healthcare systems in the United States and abroad, that poor women all over the world lack basic access to reproductive services and rights, and that the human rights of women and girls to autonomy, safety, education and more are compromised every day, often at the hands of men. This brings me to another aspect of my identity- class. Thinking a lot about this topic both in and out of class has made me realize that the privileges I have in life due to the financial security and status of my family have enabled me not to worry about many things that other women have to deal with. I have good healthcare, access to birth control, a nice house, the ability to get a higher education at Cornell and to choose my own life path, all because I was born upper-class. Using my own identities and life as an example highlights the importance for me of considering intersectionality when thinking about privilege and social identity- certain aspects of my identity give me power, while others may take power away.

In terms of our trip, while I know that other aspects of my identity will impact my experience abroad in Lusaka, I can’t help but think that my identity as an American citizen is the most important to grapple with. Many Americans are not proud of the current status of our country, whether it be the lack of action on gun control, discrimination in various realms, or other problems facing healthcare, the economy, etc. However, I think it is important to realize that many people in the world would give anything to be in our shoes. Along with a United States citizenship comes so many benefits that we oftentimes forget about in the midst of everything else. America is the one of the most powerful and richest countries in the world, and while sometimes compromised, we in theory have the rights to free speech, religion, fair trials, and so much more.  Our status as Americans will be blatantly apparent in Zambia and it is our responsibility to confront this identity, to realize that it gives us a certain level of power, and to use that power in the right ways.