Self Image: Activity 1

What follows is a list of categories that serves to define and divide us. Make a personal list of the categories you belong to or have conflict with and visual symbols that are associated with each. Aspirations and expectations should also be listed.

Photo by Kevin Dooley

1. Age/generation - As a teenager, I do not have very much freedom to do what I want or need, whether is be to go to the store to get things for school or hang out with a friend, and I am expected to get good grades so I can go to a University, but at the same time have a vast social life. It is difficult to cope with the stresses of school when I am stuck at home, and it is even harder to balance my homework and spending time with friends.

Photo by McNeney

2. Gender - As a female, I am viewed as overemotional, whiny, and needy by most men and even some other women. Personally, it is exactly the opposite for me, and I think these stereotypes have caused me to suppress my emotions and not ask for any important help. 

Photo provided by bearingdrift.com

3. Race - Being hispanic, as I am, means that many people will look down on you, believe that you're unintelligent and only capable of cleaning wealthy people's homes. Many times, I get emails from colleges talking about their "recruitment of minorities", and I do not feel that being hispanic should be a major factor when it comes to me being admitted to college.

Photo by Paul Grillo

4. Religion - I have no affiliation with any religions, which can personally be difficult for me at home because all of my family is religious in one form or another. They tend to ask me what I do and don't believe, and accuse me of being apart of different groups, but I choose to be Agnostic. 

Photo by Keith Cooper

5. Class or caste - As someone who is in the lower-middle class, I feel that most people think that we can't afford as many things as people in higher classes, or that we do not have a good quality of life, but we do not base our lives on how much money we have. We may not have a big house and we may have to clean our own bathrooms, but we live just as happily as other people, and we get by on not having as expensive of things.

Photo provided by ethos3.com

6. Personality - Because I have a large mix between extrovert and introvert features, I am actually an ambivert. It is harder for me to adjust to my setting and, while a large group of people have a tendency to drain my energy, I like to hang out with one or two close friends, and am very outgoing with just a handful of people. In a social setting, I tend to be shier and quieter.

Photo by Steven S.

7. Intelligence - As a gifted student in multiple advanced, honors, or AP classes, I tend to hang out with smarter people. I feel like I am an "average smart" student, but in my two regular classes, I definitely feel the separation between myself and a majority of the other students. Smarted students are usually more mature and tend to stick together, and get along better with other teenagers who are at closer to their maturity and intelligence level.

Photo by Katya Horner

8. Political persuasion - Personally, I do not know a lot about politics, or what being a democrat or republican means, but because my parents both lean toward being democrats, I tend to think like them when it comes to political views. I think that most teenagers' views on politics are somewhat based off of their parents, but not all teenagers.