Social Identity - Sabrina

Following up on our discussion last class on social identities and privilege, reflect on 1-2 aspects of your identity and how has this shaped your lived experiences. How might this aspect of your identity shape your experience in Zambia? How do we use certain privileges based on our identity to adapt to certain situations? How does your social identity shape what power you have as a global citizen? What aspects of your identity do you think you would you use in country or would be more apparent in country ?

              I think that the most influential part of my identity comes from being white. While I think also being a woman affects my lived experience, being a the white woman has a much deeper historical and cultural significance. I am afforded a lot more privileges by being white, privileges that generally outweigh the disadvantages of being a woman. While I was raised a feminist, I didn't understand the concept of intersectionality until much later. Since coming to Cornell I've become more aware of the responsibility white women have to reverse their/our history of shutting down voices of women of color, women with disabilities, transgender women, and more within discussions of feminism, equality, and justice. 

              Relating to my time in Zambia, I think that my identity as a white person is readily apparent and I expect to work harder to combat stereotypes and form bonds, because I already look like an outsider. I hope that if I can perform research related to women's health, I will forge relationships with women who come from a different place and share a different culture than mine. I hope to use the position of mobility and education that Cornell has offered to me to produce quality research that affects women's health positively and creates a larger impact. 

             My social identity greatly impacts the power that I have is a global citizen. While I can go to Zambia, conduct research and make friendships, I can also just as easily go back to the US afterwards, relay my research, and retreat into the American lifestyle. I think the responsibility that I have relates to producing good research and also staying true to the people that I talk to. I want to make sure that I properly represent everyone I meet and talk to in ways that they prefer to be represented; I don't want to project their own identities onto them. 

             I hope that during the course of my interview-based research I can connect with women more deeply than I would be able to if I were not a woman. I think this involves a good amount of trust, and requires me to stay attentive, observant, and respectful, to be aware of my privilege and use it as a force for positive change as I mentioned above. My biggest fear is that I will lapse into carelessness at any given time and retreat into my privilege instead of living with the discomfort that confrontation of inequality can sometimes present. I think that if I am vigilant to my own emotions, thoughts, and actions, however, I can stay true to my goals and come away content with my lived experience while in country.