Module 2.2 Identity Vocabulary

Identity: The unique combination of characteristics, beliefs, experiences, and roles that defines who a person is.

Personal Identity: How you see yourself as an individual, including your interests, goals, personality, and values.

Core Values: The principles that are most important to you and guide your choices, actions, and relationships.

Beliefs: Ideas that you accept as true or meaningful and that help shape how you view the world.

Personality: The combination of thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that makes a person unique

Physical Identity: The part of identity connected to physical characteristics, abilities, and appearance.

Social Identity: The part of identity connected to your relationships, social roles, and membership in different groups.

Cultural Identity: Your connection to the traditions, language, customs, values, or history of a cultural group.

Ethnicity: A person’s connection to a group that shares cultural, historical, or national characteristics.

Race: A social category often based on physical traits, such as skin color. Racial categories are created by societies rather than being clear biological divisions.

Religion: An organized system of beliefs and practices that may involve faith, worship, traditions, and moral values.

Spirituality: A personal sense of meaning or connection to something larger than yourself. It may or may not involve religion

Tradition: A belief, activity, or custom passed from one generation to another.

Custom: A usual way of behaving or doing something within a family, group, or culture.

Role Model: A person whose behavior, qualities, or accomplishments influence or inspire others.

Identity Formation: The ongoing process of discovering and developing who you are as you grow and gain new experiences

Expression: The ways people communicate who they are through words, art, clothing, interests, behavior, or other choices.

Belonging: Feeling accepted, valued, supported, and included within a group or community.

Stereotype: An oversimplified or unfair belief about all members of a particular group

Bias: A preference for or against a person, group, or idea that may not be based on facts or fairness.

Respect: Valuing and treating people with dignity, including people whose identities or experiences differ from your own.

Inclusion: Creating conditions in which people feel welcomed, supported, and able to participate.

Diversity: The presence of people with different identities, backgrounds, abilities, experiences, and perspectives

Sexual Orientation: A term describing whom a person may be emotionally, romantically, or physically attracted to.

Heterosexual or Straight: Describes someone primarily attracted to people of a different gender.

Gay: Describes someone primarily attracted to people of the same gender.

Lesbian: Commonly describes a woman who is primarily attracted to women.

Bisexual: Describes someone who may be attracted to more than one gender.

Pansexual: Describes someone whose attraction may include people of any gender

Asexual: Describes someone who experiences little or no sexual attraction.