Social Identity Wheel

Overview The Social Identity Wheel worksheet is an activity that encourages students to identify
social identities and reflect on the various ways those identities become visible or more
keenly felt at different times, and how those identities impact the ways others perceive or
treat them. The worksheet prompts students to fill in various social identities (such as
race, gender, sex, ability disability, sexual orientation, etc.) and further categorize those
identities based on which matter most in their self-perception and which matter most in
others’ perception of them. The Social Identity Wheel can be used in conjunction with the
Personal Identity Wheel to encourage students to reflect on the relationships and
dissonances between their personal and social identities. The wheels can be used as a
prompt for small or large group discussion or reflective writing on identity by using the
Spectrum Activity Questions on Identity.

Goals 1) To encourage students to consider their identities critically and how identities are
more or less keenly felt in different social contexts. The classroom and the university
can be highlighted as a context as a way to approach questions on barriers to
inclusion.

2) To illuminate how privilege operates to normalize some identities over others. For
example, a student who speaks English as their first language can reflect on why they
rarely need to think about their language as an aspect of their identity while some of
their peers may identify language as the aspect of their identity they feel most keenly
in the classroom.

3) To sensitize students to their shared identities with their classmates as well as the
diversity of identities in the classroom, building community and encouraging empathy.

Implementation 1) View this video (at the 6:46 mark) to see how to facilitate this activity in your
classroom.

2) There are three ways you can approach this activity:

a. Option A: This can be done as an independent activity where students answer
the questions on their own and then you lead a whole-class discussion.

b. Option B: You can post the different social identity categories around the room
and have students go through the questions on the handout, moving to the
identity that best answers the question. Students can then discuss with other
students who chose the same identity. You can then lead a debrief after the
activity.

c. Option C: In combination with Option A or B, have students complete the

Personal Identity Wheel as well.
 3) If you are choosing Option B or Option C/B, place the social identity categories around
the room before class.

Challenges 1) The students may not perceive the activity as relevant to the course and thus may
exhibit resistance.

2) Students may not be familiar with particular concepts, or they may have different
assumptions about those concepts that the activity assumes. For example, they may
not know the difference between the terms “sex” and “gender,” or they may be
resistant to the distinction between the two.

3) If the wheel is used as a discussion prompt or if students are in close quarters and are
able to see what their peers have written on their worksheets, this exercise may feel
especially vulnerable to students with invisible identities that they may not want to
disclose to the class. Disclosure in verbal or written form should be voluntary and
discussion questions should be broad enough that students can opt to not talk about
more vulnerable aspects of their identities while still leaving space for them to share if
they wish.

Materials 1) Social Identity Wheel Handout (Options A, B, C)

2) Social Identity Categories (Options B, C)

3) Personal Identity Wheel Handout (Option C)

Citations Adapted for use by the Program on Intergroup Relations and the Spectrum Center,
University of Michigan.
 Option A Session Sequence
Time
Lesson (Estimated
amount of Activity Content and Instructions
Structure time for each
component)

Introduction 3 mins The instructor welcomes the class and provides an overview of the activity:
students will critically consider their social identities, reflecting on how they
shape and inform their lives.

Social 15 mins Individual student activity

Identity
Wheel and 1) Distribute the social identity wheel handout.
Social
Identity 2) Review “Social Identity Groups” as a class, noting additional examples of the
Groups different identities presented.

3) Give students time to answer the five questions on the front and to review
“Social Identity Groups” on the back of the page.

Large Group 15 mins Lead the class in a debrief of the activity.

Debrief
Some possible debrief questions:

1) Go through the five questions on the handout:

a. What identities do you think about most often?
b. What identities do you think about least often?
c. What identities would you like to learn more about?
d. What identities have the strongest effect on how you perceive
yourself?
e. What identities have the greatest effect on how others perceive you?

2) Why is it important to critically reflect on our identities?

3) What is the value in completing activities like this in our class?

 Option B Session Sequence
Time
Lesson (Estimated
amount of Activity Content and Instructions
Structure time for each
component)

Introduction 3 mins The instructor welcomes the class and provides an overview of the activity:
students will critically consider their social identities, reflecting on how they
shape and inform their lives.

Social 20 mins Whole class activity

Identity
Wheel and 1) Distribute the social identity wheel handout.
Social
Identity 2) Review “Social Identity Groups” as a class, noting additional examples of the
Groups different identities presented.

3) Having posted the different social identity categories around the room, ask
each of the following questions out loud, allowing time for students to self-
select the identity that best answers the question and time for students to
discuss with others who chose the same identity. If there is a student alone in
an identity, you can join them in conversation. Questions:

a. What identities do you think about most often?

b. What identities do you think about least often?
c. What identities would you like to learn more about?
d. What identities have the strongest effect on how you perceive
yourself?
e. What identities have the greatest effect on how others perceive you?

Large Group 15 mins Lead the class in a debrief of the activity.

Debrief
Some possible debrief questions:

1) Go through the five questions on the handout:

a. What identities do you think about most often?
b. What identities do you think about least often?
c. What identities would you like to learn more about?
d. What identities have the strongest effect on how you perceive
yourself?
e. What identities have the greatest effect on how others perceive you?

2) Why is it important to critically reflect on our identities?

3) What is the value in completing activities like this in our class?

 Option C-A Session Sequence
Time
Lesson (Estimated
amount of Activity Content and Instructions
Structure time for each
component)

Introduction 3 mins The instructor welcomes the class and provides an overview of the activity:
students will critically consider their personal and social identities, reflecting on
how they shape and inform their lives.

Personal 20-25 1) Distribute the personal identity wheel handout:

Identity mins a. Give students 5-10 minutes to fill out.
Wheel, Social
Identity 2) In pairs or small groups, have students share their personal identity wheels:
Wheel, and a. Give students 5 minutes to share.
Social
Identity 3) Distribute the social identity wheel handout.
Groups
4) Review “Social Identity Groups” as a class, noting additional examples of the
different identities presented.

5) Give students time to answer the five questions on the front and to review
“Social Identity Groups” on the back of the page.

Large Group 15 mins Lead the class in a debrief of the activity.

Debrief
Some possible debrief questions:

1) Go through the five questions on the handout:

f. What identities do you think about most often?
g. What identities do you think about least often?
h. What identities would you like to learn more about?
i. What identities have the strongest effect on how you perceive
yourself?
j. What identities have the greatest effect on how others perceive you?

2) Which components of the personal identity wheel were hard to fill out?

3) Which components of your personal identity were harder to share out?

4) Which personal identities, if any, are informed by your social identities?

5) Why is it important to critically reflect on our identities?

6) What is the value in completing activities like this in our class?

 Option C-B Session Sequence
Time
Lesson (Estimated
amount of Activity Content and Instructions
Structure time for each
component)

Introduction 3 mins The instructor welcomes the class and provides an overview of the activity:
students will critically consider their personal and social identities, reflecting on
how they shape and inform their lives.

Personal 30-35 1) Distribute the personal identity wheel handout:

Identity mins a. Give students 5-10 minutes to fill out.
Wheel, Social
Identity 2) In pairs or small groups, have students share their personal identity wheels.
Wheel, and a. Give students 5 minutes to share.
Social
Identity 3) Distribute the social identity wheel handout.
Groups
4) Review “Social Identity Groups” as a class, noting additional examples of the
different identities presented.

5) Having posted the different social identity categories around the room, ask
each of the following questions out loud, allowing time for students to self-
select the identity that best answers the question and time for students to
discuss with others who chose the same identity. If there is a student alone in
an identity, you can join them in conversation. Questions:

a. What identities do you think about most often?

b. What identities do you think about least often?
c. What identities would you like to learn more about?
d. What identities have the strongest effect on how you perceive
yourself?
e. What identities have the greatest effect on how others perceive you?

Large Group 15 mins Lead the class in a debrief of the activity.

Debrief
Some possible debrief questions:

1) Go through the five questions on the handout:

a. What identities do you think about most often?
b. What identities do you think about least often?
c. What identities would you like to learn more about?
d. What identities have the strongest effect on how you perceive
yourself?
e. What identities have the greatest effect on how others perceive you?
2) Which components of the personal identity wheel were hard to fill out?

3) Which components of your personal identity were harder to share out?

4) Which personal identities, if any, are informed by your social identities?

5) Why is it important to critically reflect on our identities?

6) What is the value in completing activities like this in our class?