Taping Assignment Part 2*

 

At the beginning of the semester you made a tape in which you interviewed yourself and answered questions about your own ideas and attitudes about racism. In many ways the tape represents a story about your experience with oppression and racial identity. As we approach the end of the semester, it is time to listen to the tape and to reflect on your story as you told it at the beginning of the semester.

 

Your assignment is to:

 

1. Carve out a block of time (at least half an hour in addition to the length of your interview) and listen to your tape without interruption. After listening to the tape, write down your initial response to hearing your interview. Were you surprised to hear any of your responses? Would any of your answers remain the same? What were your feelings as you listened? What did you learn about yourself from listening to the tape? How do you understand your impressions and responses?

 

2. Respond to the following questions:

a. Describe your understanding of where you see yourself now in your

development.  What were earlier experiences (i.e. childhood, adolescence, early

adulthood) like for you? Identify events and/or experiences that you feel

facilitated your change process. Elaborate on factors (e.g. ethnicity,

socioeconomic class, religion, heterosexuality) that have been central to your

sense of social identity. Identify personal and social concerns that you have

resolved or are working on. For instance, reflect on what is your story, how have

you made sense of oppression, and what values were learned through

socialization into your family, neighborhood and community?

 

b. How has your story changed over the course of the semester? In what ways has

it changed? In what ways has it remained the same?

 

c. What does your story tell you about:

1) Barriers within and outside of yourself that make it difficult to confront

oppression,

2) Resources (i.e. emotional, intellectual, social) both within and outside

of self that can help you in confronting oppression.

3) Steps you will take in your personal journey regarding learning about

oppression after leaving this course.

 

Identify 3-4 references that have been useful to you in the development of your thinking and self awareness. The purpose of the assignment is self-reflection. Refer only to ideas, events and readings that were most significant to you in your analysis. The essay should be 7-10 pages in length.

 

 

* Assignment adapted from Betty Garcia , Dept. of Social Work Education, California State University, Fresno Foundation for Social work with Culturally Diverse and Oppressed Populations