I sometimes find myself "examining my identity" as other people examine their conscience ... I scour my memory to find as many ingredients of my identity as I can. I then assemble and arrange them. I don't deny any of them. — Amin Maalouf, contemporary Lebanese author, from In the Name of Identity: Violence and the Need to Belong

Individually and in small and large groups, participants will explore the concept of identity, defined as "something without which you'd 'miss what being human is for you.'" Participants will further explore how a person's perspective on a situation or event might be influenced by their experiences and by the various identities they claim.

Before leading this workshop, review the accessibility guidelines in the program Introduction under Integrating All Participants.

Goals

This workshop will:

• Demonstrate how individuals can have common experiences that carry vastly different meanings
• Explore the meaning of "identity"
• Explore how individuals and groups shape and are shaped by their life experiences, or how life experiences shape "identity"
• Introduce the idea that our perspectives on situations and events are shaped by identities we claim.

Learning Objectives

Participants will:

• Discover that different people bring different perspectives on the same experience
• Become familiar with the concept of identity, and deepen their understanding of the concept through individual, small group, and large group exercises and reflection
• Explore how individuals and groups shape and are shaped by their life experiences, and how life experiences shape "identity"
• Explore how identity shapes perspective on events and experiences.