Getting to the root of identity self-reflection is meant to reveal that the cultural influence has been laying an intricate net for me to walk through as I move along in time. The visual representation shows my relatives’ bridges, roads, buildings, and life stories that accept my own life story for a more compelling interpretation of my narrative. From my upbringing as a single child born in a military family to my explorations on a college campus where I question the intersections between my African American heritage and my educational pursuits, each element has its role in developing a colorful self-portrait of who I am and how I got here.
The ever-changing process of my identity is the outcome of complicated interactions of what I have experienced, who I am with, and I reflect. As a military kid and being the only child, my childhood was embedded with traveling experiences that involved packing up every time and moving for my family. Naturally, I became very good at adapting to different environments and dealing with the sudden changes that life could bring me. Having an African American ethnic background graced my roots, and it determined many things, such as culture, community, and endurance, among others, and directed me to the surface with no obstacles. Getting married to another soldier at that age gave me common ground, which was also proof of our shared experiences and values and our attachment to the military community. Graduating from my education sequence and beginning my position in school district teaching marked a crucial era where my interests in education and advocating started to merge. Every academic stage, creating with my degree in social work to my current degree in advanced studies social work, not only supported me with my knowledge but also allowed me to champion oppressed communities and challenge the root causes of justice breaches(Afuape & Kerry Oldham, 2022).. My travel from Fort Hoods, Texas, to where I stand today as an educator and aspiring social worker reflects a continuous process of self-discovery, growth, and the steady act of causing positive change to the mentality of other people.
As a testimony from my own identity development experience, I can easily understand what my clients going through similar issues, particularly those who manage the complexity of expatriate upbringing, family matters, and career progression might encounter. As an army brat, an African American woman, and an activity generalist, I can offer a reservation and attentive environment for clients to tackle their personality stories, affirm their ordeals, and devise coping strategies. By utilizing genograms, such as those I just made, a client may have a powerful visual in which he can represent all his familial relations, cultural influences, and life events, and thus know more about the way they affect one’s perception of himself. Also, having had a vested interest in the education field taught me the ability to interact and work with clients, to explain theories of identity development and make sense of their experiences, trying to identify any patterns or themes in their lifestyles. As a social worker, one can use his strengths to give the clients confidence in embracing their identities and celebrating their cultural heritage. At the same time, they deal with daily challenges that life throws their way. Integrating culturally sensitive methods like accepting the incident of systemic suppression and practicing cultural humility will ensure that previously determined interventions will be adjusted to the various demands of each client in addition to their different experiences. Putting the clients at the core of my work, I plan to use individual counseling, group intervention, and community outreach as means for creating an atmosphere that feels safe, seen, and heard, and further to become strong and confident in rocking who they are(Cheatham, & Mason, 2021). My experiences have become a living testimony that self-awareness, resilience, and self-advocacy can bring anyone toward independent thinking and self-control. Consequently, this path will motivate me to support clients toward self-discovery and empowerment.
After that, I pointed out exciting things about the genogram, which helped me understand how I have been influenced by the interactions I have been part of throughout my life. After observing my family ties as they were connected on the map, it immediately became apparent that being a senior child from a military family had influenced my ability to adapt, tolerate, and become highly independent-minded. My parents, especially my dad, a military man, familiarized me with the militarized culture, which shored up the sense of discipline, duty, and doing something for others at a young age (Ferrell et al., 2021). Moreover, a genogram theory helped to explore my culture of African Americans. It revealed cultural traditions, familial bonds, and the experience of being a person of color, all enriching my sense of belongingness and awareness of institutionalized inequities. The marriage to a military community strengthened my relationship with the armed forces people: the more I understood the interests and values of the community, the more my value systems, perspectives, and interpersonal relationships were formed. What followed was a significant change in my identity due to my schooling, from obtaining my associate degree to eventually pursuing a master’s in social work, when I discovered and refined my passion for advocacy, education, and social justice.
In conclusion, I was terrific, and it looks like I used a petri dish easier to understand myself and my relatives. It has been a profound process to reveal the sources shaping the peculiar knots of my life, which incorporate family ties to ethnic roots and learning experiences. The knowledge that I have gained and which aids me in my self-discovery journey is my armor while confronting the complexities of my life, and I can hold myself true to this realization through resilience, authenticity, and a strong sense of purpose. I will use these insights to push for continuous development, influence people for social justice, and be a change-maker in building a better world that is right for all.
References
Afuape, T., & Kerry Oldham, S. (2022). Beyond ‘solidarity’with Black Lives Matter: Drawing on liberation psychology and transformative justice to address institutional and community violence in young Black lives. Journal of family therapy, 44(1), 20–43.https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-6427.12369
Cheatham, C. B., & Mason, E. C. M. (2021). Using the ACA advocacy competencies as a guide to group work for supporting the career development of school-aged African American males. The Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 46(1), 62–74.https://doi.org/10.1080/01933922.2020.1856253
Ferrell, E. L., Braden, A., & Redondo, R. (2021). Impact of military culture and experiences on eating and weight‐related behavior. Journal of Community Psychology, 49(6), 1923-1942.https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.22534
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