The A-B-C Dimensions of Personal Identity

  The A-B-C Dimensions of Personal Identity

            The A-B-C Dimensions of Personal Identity was pioneered by Patricia Arredondo. Patricia Arrendondo, born on 17 July 1945, has gained notoriety through her research on Multicultural Therapy Skills and is a nationally renowned Latino psychologist. She is a worldwide pioneer in marketing, counseling and psychology and is the founder of Leadership Seminars, Incorporated, a consultancy that focuses on diversity issues related to the workplace. Through her research, outreach and leadership, she led and encouraged a generation of counselors and psychologists to look at what it takes to work in a wide variety of cultures (IResearchNet, 2016).

A-B-C Dimensions of Personal Identity

Through her consulting work, Arredondo has pioneered the use of personal identity dimensions. The model divides identity into 3 measurements: A, B and C. Include Age/general status, community, nationality, sex, language, physical / mental health, race, sexual orientation and social class. The following dimensions include: Both dimensions can have positive and negative valences, affecting self-concept, self-esteem, and empowerment. The B dimension is less evident and established in nature: it involves an educational history, geography, hobby, nutrition, religious / spirituality, military experience and work experience. The B dimensions are apparent. The C dimensions reflect historical backgrounds and external factors to be dealt with by individuals and families. The C dimensions include individual / family / historical, eras / events and social and political powers. Following this model, consultants may conceptualize customers in a context and concentrate their behavior on dimensions. Empirical evidence for the use of the model is emerging in the research literature (IResearchNet, 2016).

My A-B-C Dimensions of Personal Identity

Based on the A-B-C dimensions of personal identity, I was able to effectively create my collage. My collage entails pictures that represent me in a powerful way. Those images represent my beliefs as well as my philosophy about life itself. The images of a woman wearing a cap and gown symbolizes me as a college student that is destined for success. The award images represent the degree I’ll achieve upon successful completion of schooling. In addition, I also incorporated an image of an educator, which signifies my dream career of teaching elementary children. I am currently pursuing my bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. The image that stood out the most to me was the mini word collage. It encompasses the words “diversity”, “inclusion”, “support”, “equality”, and “fairness”. These are all values that I possess and will carry out in the education field. I included a quote on faith because I’m a devout Christian, and truly believe that having in God will open door of opportunities and manifest any blessings. I included a picture of a family. Family is the glue that holds a house together. I have my own family. Family is valuable and will always be your biggest support system. I plant many seeds of love. Love is the greatest attribute of them all. The bride and groom symbolize marriage. I recently got married to the love of my life. The Bible declares that a man who finds a wife, finds a good thing. Marriage is a sacred union and should always include God. The black girl represents who I am. I am a beautiful woman of color who is deeply grounded in the Lord. The pen and paper represent me as a writer. I love to write. I also have an image of prominent African American leaders whom I admire for their bravery and heroism. They paved the way for humanity to have civil rights and equality. Last, but not least, I included the fish with the word “Jesus” carved into its body. I love Jesus Christ, and I live for Him every day of my life.

Personal Identity: Effect on Classroom

My personal identity will allow me to effectively implement a learning environment that welcomes diversity, is inclusive, and instills morals and values into my students. Identity-safe classrooms encourage students of all backgrounds to their assets and interest. As social identity influences the experiences of students, identity-safe teaching can enable students to become effective students (Cohn-Vargas & Steele, 2015). A social process that involves good interactions to allow students to feel comfortable about full engagement in education. Education is a social process. Cognitive growth cannot take place without addressing the social complexity of learning in all facets of education. A negative social atmosphere distracts students from learning because they think about their abilities and affiliations.

My personal identity will help me teach my students how to be faithful servants of Christ by modeling Christ-like behavior and by being active participants in the school and community. I can fiercely and proficiently integrate a diverse classroom setting through the implementation of multicultural activities, festivities, and moral support to parents of different cultures. In my classroom, I will welcome diversity by first teaching my students to love all people. My personal identity will enable me to set expectations of my students that will push them to strive to be productive citizens of the universe. Inclusively, my classroom will open doors for students of all walks of life to challenge themselves to be the change they want to see. For students with special needs and typical students, I will empower them by accommodating their needs and speaking life into them. I will shower them with love, nurture, and support to accomplish goals they have set for themselves.

References

Cohn-Vargas, B., & Steele, D. M. (2015, October 21). Creating an Identity-Safe Classroom. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/creating-an-identity-safe-classroom-becki-cohn-vargas-dorothy-steele

Patricia Arredondo – IResearchNet. (2016, September 15). Retrieved March 29, 2020, from http://psychology.iresearchnet.com/counseling-psychology/history-of-counseling/patricia-arredondo/