Identity Development(Tatum, 1997, p. 94)

“…the task for Whites is to develop a positive White identity based on reality and not on {unacknowledged privilege}.

According to Janet Helms, “task for people of color is to resist negative societal messages and develop an empowered sense of self in the face of a racist society…”

“No one was born wanting to be racist, sexist or homophobic. Misinformation is not acquired by free choice, but is imposed on us…” (Sue & Sue, 2003)

WE ALL HAVE A LOT OF UNDOING TO DO

Racial/Cultural Identity Developmental Tasks Move from a White frame of reference

to a positive Black [racial/cultural] frame of reference (Cross, 1971;1972).

Move towards greater acceptance of one’s culture and ethnicity (Ruiz, 1990).

Commitment to eliminating all forms of oppression.

Stages of Racial/Cultural Identity Development (Atkinson, Morten, & Sue, 1998)

Conformity-The White Way is the Right Way A time of “Imposition of Etics” (Berry)

Etic- the process of trying to find universal behaviors, beliefs and values across cultures

Emic- an examination of behaviors and norms within a culture to determine what is important within that culture.

Dissonance-Crisis Resistance & Immersion-Pendulum Swing Introspection- Looks at self more, Group views

conflict with personal views Integrative Awareness-There are acceptable

and unacceptable aspects to all cultures.

White Racial Identity Development

Two Developmental Tasks: Abandon individual racism Recognize and oppose

institutional and cultural racism.

Statuses of White Racial Identity Development (Helms, 1995) Contact-The White Way is the Right Way Disintegration- Crisis Reintegration- Resolves crisis by going back to

contact Pseudo-independent-Paternalzing and

“tolerance” of other racial groups Immersion/Emersion-Redefines own white

identity Autonomy- Uses informed internalized

standards for self definition, capacity to relinquish the privileges of racism.

WRID (D.W. Sue & Sue, 1990; D.W. Sue, et al., 1998) Conformity-The White Way is the Right Way,

“We are all the same under this skin” Desire minorities to assimilate to White norms States “Color blindness” A time of “Imposition of Etics” (Berry)

Etic- the process of trying to find universal behaviors, beliefs and values across cultures Emic- an examination of behaviors and norms within a culture to determine what is important within

that culture. Dissonance-Crisis Resistance & Immersion- Pendulum Swing

Starts to see racism everywhere Anger at being sold a “false bill of goods” Guilt for having been part of the oppressive system

Introspection- Looks at self more, Group views conflict with personal views Reformulation of what it means to be white no longer denies:

participation in oppression benefiting from white privilege or racism

Integrative Awareness-There are acceptable and unacceptable aspects to all cultures.

Awareness of sociopolitical influences with respect to racism

Latino Dimensions of Family and Personal Identity

Latino Personal Dimensions

Model (Arredondo & Santiago, 2000)

Latino Personal Dimensions

Model (Arredondo & Santiago, 2000)“B” Dimensions

Acculturation

Citizen Status

Educational Background

Geographic Location

Family Relationship

-Status/Familismo

Hobbies/RecreationalInterests

Self-referent labels

Economic Status

Health Care Practices/beliefs

Work Experience

Religion/Spirituality/Folk Beliefs

“C” DimensionsPersonal/Familial/Historical

Eras/Events

Sociopolitical Forces

“A” Dimensions

Age/Generational Status

Race

Culture/Euro/Mestizo/indigenous

Sexual Orientation

Gender/Marianismo/Machismo

Social Class

Language/Regional Accents

Phenotype

Physical/Mental Status

Biracial Identity Development

Root, Maria (1990). Resolving “other” status: Identity development of biracial

individuals. Women & Therapy, 9, 185-205.

Assumptions U.S. Culture divided into white and

non-white White is considered superior to

non-white Privileges and power assumed by

whites are desired by non-whites Racial hierarchy based on

similarity to “norm”

U.S. Culture Oppressive to biracial people Biracial persons given little choice

as to how they identify Society is silent on biracialism Similarity to whites may foster

isolation from communities of color because of history of racism perpetrated by whites.

It is the marginal status imposed by society rather than the objective mixed race of biracial individuals which poses a severe stress to positive identity development (p. 188).

Developmental Challenges

Childhood Awareness of race and the response of people in a child’s environment

Impact influenced by social relationships and the positive/negative messages communicated by family.

Adolescence and search for identity may result in increased feelings of alienation

Dating is complicated Passing becomes an issue Tokenism (used by white

organizations) Stereotypes (exotic, threatening)

Strategies for Resolution of Other Status Acceptance of identity society

assigns Identification with both racial

groups Identification with a single racial

group Identification with a new racial

group

Themes Common to Resolution – Biracial person: Accepts both sides of her or his racial

heritage Has the right to declare how they wish

to identify themselves – even if this is discrepant from others’ views

Develops strategies for coping with social resistance or questions about racial identity so that external bias is not internalized.

Resolution strategies can change over a lifetime

Looking for acceptance outside of oneself keeps the biracial person trying to live by ‘irrational’ racial classification rules which may keep her or him marginal in any group (p. 203).

Lesbian/Gay/Bi-Sexual Identity Development Lifelong Process (deMonteflores & Schultz, 1978):

Adopting a nontraditional identity Restructuring ones self-concept Altering ones relations with others

and society Two levels of coming out

To oneself To others

All aspects of identity will have development that accompany them. Peter Russell and Theo Burns plan to come and speak to you more about working with GBLT clients.

For now, let’s look at some of the models available

Lesbian Identity Development (McCarn & Fassinger, 1996)

Awareness Exploration Deepening/Commitment Internalization/Synthesis

Gay Male Identity Development (Fassinger & Miller, 1996)

Internal individual sexual identity development

Contextual group-membership identity development

Bi-Sexual Identity Development

A Proposed Model of Bisexual Identity Development the Elaborates on Experiential Differences of Women and Men

Page Range: 68 - 91DOI: 10.1300/J159v02n04_05 Tom Brown

 Bisexuals have experiences that make them unique as a group. Thus, it would seem reasonable to have a model of identity development for this group. This article reviews theoretical and empirical models of lesbian, gay, and bisexual identity development. A new model of bisexual identity development is then proposed, containing research from lesbian and gay identity development models to serve as hypotheses. These hypotheses serve to help better understand how women and men might experience the bisexual identity development process differently.

?

Klein’s Grid Model The Klein Sexual Orientation Grid is shown in the table below. For each person, it sets out the seven component

variables of sexual orientation, listed as A through G down the left side. The three columns indicate three different points at which sexual orientation is assessed: the person's past, their present, and their ideal. The person then receives a rating from 1 to 7 for each of the 21 resulting combinations, one rating for each empty box in the chart below. The meanings of the ratings are indicated just below the grid itself.

For variables A to E: 1 = Other sex only

2 = Other sex mostly3 = Other sex somewhat more4 = Both sexes5 = Same sex somewhat more6 = Same sex mostly7 = Same sex only

For variables F and G: 1 = Heterosexual only

2 = Heterosexual mostly3 = Heterosexual somewhat more4 = Hetero/Gay-Lesbian equally5 = Gay/Lesbian somewhat more6 = Gay/Lesbian mostly7 = Gay/Lesbian only

Note that the Klein Grid takes into consideration the fact that many people change their orientation over time. Where a person is today is not necessarily where she or he was in the past -- or, for that matter, where he or she will be or would like to be in the future. The concept of sexual orientation as an ongoing dynamic process is necessary if we are to understand a person's orientation properly in its entirety.

It’s all about integration …

in a particular context

Therapist/Client Identity Development Interactions It is the therapist’s job to advance their

own identity development in the areas of the isms, since they are in the position of power and ethically mandated to be not only competent, but culturally (which integrates all forms of diversity) competent.

And what does Spiderman say comes with power??

What if a therapist does not? Let’s consider a case in which the

therapist is at the conformity stage and the client is at the resistance state.

Let’s move beyond the current literature that speaks as if all therapists are of the dominant culture of identities.

OK let’s play with some more combinations….