Social Identity in the Context of Zambia

As we learned during our intergroup dialogue discussion, our identities are multifaceted and complex. Social identities and the privileges that come with them shape the way the world perceives you and interacts with you. One aspect of my identity that I had not considered much before the discussion was my opportunity to become college educated. Most of the people I surround myself with are also college educated, leading me to take it for granted at times. With a college education, especially from a school with prestige like Cornell, comes expectations, respect, and privilege. When we arrive in Zambia this summer, we will have resources from Cornell there for us as we represent the university. We will also have connections within the community that have been established by past cohorts of students. Being from an American university gives us respect. Sometimes we may also be expected to know more that we do at times, like in the hospital where we will shadow.

Most importantly, our education gives us power as a global citizen. It has expanded my worldview beyond the environment I grew up in and has allowed me to increase my perspectives. This power must be used wisely. While in Zambia, we must be culturally sensitive, respectful, and not put ourselves above others. We must stay open minded during our time in Zambia to better understand how culture and policies shape Zambia in the context of Global Health. We are going to Zambia to learn about aspects of Global Health that cannot be taught in class. We will see the “human” side of it, the people who work everyday to serve others and improve the health system. Being conscious of our privilege and power will make this process easier as we navigate our interactions with the people around us and reflect on our experiences in country.

Social Identity

Social identity plays a huge role in the way a person grows up. It can influence the way they see the world around them and how they are viewed by others. 2 important elements of my social identity are my race and my gender. As a black male, there are many factors which effect the way I, as well as others who look like me are, am viewed by society. Growing up, it always felt like I was the minority. I would often be the only black person in honors classes or in leadership roles. What I think would be most interesting about the experience in Zambia is that I will be apart of the majority. I believe that being able to readily slip under the radar compared to the other people in my cohort makes me privileged in a sense. I feel as though because of my race and the way I grew up, I might not stick out as much as others. However, being an American from an Ivy League institution sets me far apart from the people I would be interacting with in Zambia. It is because of this huge discrepancy in privilege that it is important for me to actively be aware of my situation. In order to contribute most to this program and truly become a global citizen, I must strive to find similarities among my peers rather than differences and strive to approach Zambia as if the problems faced by the country are my own.

Social Identity and Privilege: At Home and Abroad

In reflecting on the various aspects of my identity- as a white, upper middle class, female (among other identifying characteristics), I believe one of the most salient aspects of my identity is my citizenship as an American. While domestically, in the chaos of everyday life I often take my American citizenship for granted and rarely reflect on the privileges it grants, when abroad, it serves as an aspect of my identity that is particularly defining and undoubtedly influences not only other’s perceptions of myself, but also influences the nature of the interactions I engage in. However, reflecting on my identity as just an American is a bit too broad; my experience as an American certainly does not align with many other Americans’ experiences, so I believe it’s necessary to specify my identity as an American with an additional trait that clearly defines my privilege: An American who attends an Ivy League school- a privilege so great and so rare in the context of the socio- economic spectrum of the world, we all often forget just how privileged we are to not only be able to study at such a prestigious institution, but also to be able to receive an education at all. Although I have only been at Cornell for almost two semesters, there is a marked difference in how individuals interact with me (particularly off campus) after discovering I go to Cornell. Depending on the individual I am interacting with, there is almost an immediate increase in the level of respect I am shown, or in some cases obvious intimidation (this usually depends on the educational attainment of the person I am engaging with, and his or her familiarity with Cornell).

While this is a domestic example of how my identity as a Cornell student has shaped my experiences and interactions with others, when traveling internationally, my identity as an American often elicits stronger responses- sometimes contempt, sometimes admiration, but almost always results in applied stereotypes (either that Americans are fat and lazy or Americans live the lifestyles of the Kardashians). I believe that when in country, my identity as a white, American female will largely influence my interactions, and I will be treated differently as a result of the pre- conceived notions that Zambians may possess about Americans- but I believe these reactions will be diverse. While I am unsure about in what ways specifically I will be treated differently, I will certainly be mindful of the privilege I possess as an American that may not be as widely experienced in Zambia- particularly in terms of education, healthcare, and other overall standards of living that we often take for granted in the U.S. I believe this recognition of the privileges associated with our social identities as American, Cornell students goes hand in hand with the power we possess as global citizens. At Cornell, we have so many incredible resources at our immediate disposal to not only potentially enact changes that we want to see, but also to further ourselves. Simply having the privilege of attending such an incredible institution grants us so much power on a global scale, because of the pre- conceived notions of what it means to be a part of the Ivy League community, and what it means to attend Cornell. This automatic, inherited power that stems from attending an Ivy League school is also what often elicits the inequitable advantages when it comes to attaining wealth- of which Ivy League students/graduates make up much of the top 1%- of the world. Therefore, I believe it’s necessary that we remain mindful of this overwhelming privilege that we possess as Americans and as Ivy League students, and use our privilege to not only uplift ourselves, but also those around us.

Me.

I often consider my gender and my race to be the identities that have the biggest effect on my life. As a male, I feel safe and comfortable in most places at most hours. I walk alone at night on a regular basis and never think much of it. I can recall a few times in my own life when I’d expected my female friends to have the same feelings of security, and then realized that many of them don’t – and with good reason. Some had a few experiences that made them weary of certain places and times. Those who didn’t could rattle off the names of their friends who did. And as for me, I almost never thought about my safety unless I was participating in something that required a waiver.

But maybe that means I’ve got extra time to think a bit more about the safety of others. When I went to Thailand in high school, our group was walking beside the road when a man rode by on a motorcycle and slapped a girl in our group’s butt. From then on, whenever we made our long treks across town, a few of the guys on the trip would walk closest to the road so the girls wouldn’t have to. It was subtle and simple, but it was helpful. In Zambia and in America, the best way to operate with my privilege is to use it to help those who don’t have the same privilege. Practically, this could mean anything from accompanying people so they don’t have to walk alone to discouraging inappropriate talk.

My race is a big aspect of my identity because I think about it often. Along with blackness comes a set of ideas about who I should spend time with, what I should enjoy, and how I should talk that are imposed on me by those who are black and those who aren’t. In order to navigate these rules and judgments, I have to constantly ponder about race.

When it comes to privileges and disadvantages, both exist depending on the situation and the context. In Zambia, I assume the fact that I'm black will help me not to draw attention to myself in instances where I might have otherwise. In the same way that I’ll be watchful for opportunities to use the advantages associated with being male to be of service to the women I our group, I plan to be diligent about employing the advantages of being black in Zambia as needed.

As a global citizen, I must realize that my identities give me different amounts of power in different situations and that, in the words of Spiderman’s Uncle Ben, “with great power comes great responsibility.”

Social Identity and Privilege in a Global Setting

I think that my family and the culture in which I grew up has really shaped my identity and lived experiences. I grew up in a very liberal household (my parents lived in Ithaca for many years before I was born) and I was always encouraged to keep an open mind and look at various controversies from a liberal perspective. This aspect of my life has shaped me to be an open-minded and liberal thinker. My parents also taught be to embracing of all differences rather than being judgmental. Growing up, our family activities included going to Gay Pride rallies and church services, even though we were Hindus. My parents wanted to expose me and my sister to a variety of people different than ourselves so that we would learn how to accept and embrace differences among people, rather than reject them. One of the biggest lived experiences that my upbringing has shaped is actually my college experience. The liberal and open-minded spirit that my parents instilled in me from a young age, prompted me to choose Cornell, when I was deciding on which college to attend during my senior year of high school. I loved the diverse student body at Cornell and I also really appreciated the liberal atmosphere and the attitude of the student body to embrace all differences. This open-minded attitude has also shaped many of my academic interests because it has gotten me very interested in learning about different cultures, which is one of the main aspects of global health. One of the main reasons that I am so interested in global health and anthropology is because I want to learn about and experience different cultures, while looking at how traditional practices effect the overall health of a population. I am very excited to experience Zambian culture, firsthand, which will allow me to maybe develop some connections between certain health issues and cultural traditions in Zambia. Due to my upbringing, I think that I would be very excited and willing to dive into every aspect of Zambian culture, whether it is trying a new food or learning Nyanja.

I think that from a broader sense, being an American citizen from an upper-middle class family is also a part of my identity, which gives me certain privileges, such as the ability to receive a good education, have a say in my government, travel to almost any country in the world, and to be treated with respect by most people of different cultures. I think that this aspect of my identity combined with my open-minded attitude makes it easier for me to adapt to new situations because I am open and flexible to change. I also sometimes feel like my citizenship and socioeconomic status sometimes obligate others, especially from lower socioeconomic statuses, to make change easier for me to handle. For example, when I travel to India, seeing that I am from the United States, most relatives and family friends from my village will keep boiled water ready for me when I visit them because they know that I cannot drink the regular water. I could easily just bring a water bottle with me, but my family and friends feel obligated to make it easier for me to adapt because of my citizenship. Like in India, I think that the citizenship and socioeconomic status aspects of my identity would be very apparent in Zambia, however, I hope that I am able to lessen the impact of this identity so that I can experience Zambia like a local, and not as a privileged tourist.

My Identity Over the Years

One aspect to my identity which has affected my world view and has changed recently in some interesting way is my white ethnicity. Growing up in Hawaii, white people are a minority which certainly contributed a lot to the way I viewed this particular aspect to my identity. But more than that there exists a lot of negative emotions towards white people that stem from Hawaii's recent history of colonization by America and of course, by white people. Because of this I grew up constantly trying to minimize my ethnicity in anyway I could, doing anything possible to try and draw attention away from my very obviously white skin and consequent role as a foreigner and even a threat. It was a tough situation because I very clearly could understand why the people who had been taken advantage of by the American government had all these built up feelings and emotions towards anyone who might represent that, yet at the same time I just wanted to be judged for the person I was, not for what people of my ethnicity may have done. This led to me thinking and viewing my ethnic identity in a way that I do not have to anymore. Here at Cornell white people are the majority, and there do no exist the same stigmas that exist back home in Hawaii. However I still feel like I am more aware of my ethnicity than a lot of other people who share this aspect to their identity, and this is something that I imagine will stay with me for the rest of my life. 

I think it will be interesting to see how my perspective on this aspect of my identity changes during my time in Zambia. I will, of course, go back to being in the minority, however I have no idea what this might mean for how other people will view me, and consequently how I may start to view myself. 

My Identity in a Global Setting

Growing up in a low-income community where the major demographic was Black and Hispanics, my identity was quickly shaped first by my religion and then by my race/ethnicity. Being Black vs. African American is a constant circle in my mind because on one hand, I am viewed by those who don’t know me and only get a glance as Black, whereas my family, friends and myself identify me as being Ghanaian-American. It’s going to be interesting as a student of color being in a community with other people of color but still viewed as a foreigner. I think that this will be similar if I went to Ghana because I look like everyone else but because I was born in America, I’ll be called ‘obroni’ which means white or foreigner.

Another major aspect of my identity is my religion; being a Christian influences how I view and interact with others. This part of me will probably be the most influential during our eight weeks in Lusaka. Showing love towards others, being kind to people I meet and being respectful are values that I always try to express. As a Christian, I was taught to never judge anyone and I’m not perfect, I make judgments sometimes, but I don’t put myself above anyone. In order to be a global citizen, that is a key point: not putting myself above others. In order to help a community, it takes everyone and their variety of opinions coming together to work on what is best for the community.

During our class discussion about power and privilege, I wasn’t a fan of the terms used ‘superior’ and ‘inferior’ although that is the reality. We were all born with different aspects of our identity we can’t control, such as race, ethnicity, wealth, etc., so when dealing with power the first step is to be aware of that privilege when we’re interacting with others. I have power, not in terms of physical things, but in terms of education and knowledge. As global citizens, it’s essential to learn as much as possible about the communities that we get the chance to work with, from the politics to the cultural norms, so that we can work on the specific needs for those communities. As a student from Cornell, a student learning about global health, a student who is going to Zambia, I have the opportunity to gain knowledge that otherwise can’t be taught in class.