M5D1: Identity Change Upon successful completion of this activity, students will be able to: 1. Explain the concept of social deviance and provide examples of deviant behavior in social context. 4. Ap

 M5D1: Identity Change

Upon successful completion of this activity, students will be able to:

1. Explain the concept of social deviance and provide examples of deviant behavior in social context.4. Apply appropriate social science theories and methodologies to do an in-depth analysis of an important question, issue or problem (Social Science Learning Outcome 2).6. Identify ethical problems faced by individuals or communities and propose reasonable solutions (General Education Outcome 5).

Chapters 23-25 detail the processes by which identity change takes place for two different kinds of stigmatized groups. As you read though these chapters, consider the ways in which your own identity has changed and developed throughout your life; at one point you were learning to “become” a kindergartener, while later you learned to become an athlete, musician, writer, gamer, dancer, etc.

After reading Chapters 23-25, describe the process by which your identity changed at some point in your life (this does not have to be an example of deviance). Use the models provided in Adler & Adler to discuss the various stages of your identity formation as you changed from “being” one identity to another. As you complete this exercise and read and respond to your classmates’ examples, try to identify as many of the “seven stages of [an identity] career” as you can. Also, see if you observe any ways in which your classmates are “using techniques of neutralization” as they discuss their various identity shifts.

Your initial post should be at least 300 words and must substantively integrate the assigned readings in the instructions with proper APA style formatting. Be mindful of plagiarism.

M5D2: Stigma Management

Upon successful completion of this activity, students will be able to:

1. Explain the concept of social deviance and provide examples of deviant behavior in social context.4. Apply appropriate social science theories and methodologies to do an in-depth analysis of an important question, issue or problem (Social Science Learning Outcome 2).6. Identify ethical problems faced by individuals or communities and propose reasonable solutions (General Education Outcome 5).

As you read the introduction to Part V of Adler & Adler and Chapters 32-33, consider how each of us manages smaller stigmas, or embarrassments, in our day-to-day lives. Imagine, for example, walking through a crowded city intersection, when suddenly, you slip and fall onto the pavement, skinning both knees and dirtying your work clothes. Think about various strategies you might use to overcome the embarrassment of that moment: you might try to stand up quickly and recommence your walk, pretending it never occurred (passing for normal); you might laugh heartily and make a joke, “I always try to eat pavement in the morning with my coffee” (employing a disidentifier); or, you might play up the physical injury to gain sympathy, which would distract from the embarrassment of having tripped. This discussion asks you to look at managing deviant stigmas, just as we all manage embarrassment and awkwardness daily.

After completing the readings and viewing the videos in this module, discuss how your observations of homeless people and overweight people have changed or have not changed as a result of these readings. How effective do you think these strategies are for managing stigma? Do you think members of any of the groups that are discussed in these two articles are able to escape from their “deviant identities”? If so, how? If not, why not?

Your initial post should be at least 300 words and must substantively integrate the assigned readings in the instructions with proper APA style formatting. Be mindful of plagiarism.