Running Head: IDENTITY REFLECTION

Identity Reflection
Laura Haight
Intercultural/International Communication - Com 40164
Ottawa University
Michael Henry
November 15, 2015

Running Head: IDENTITY REFLECTION

My Identity is much more than just my personality. Identities are created through
communication, come in spurts, are multiple, influenced by society, are dynamic, and develop
differently in different cultures (Martin & Nakayama, 2011, p, 92-97). My identity is who I am
and what defines me. It is how others see me and how I want to be seen, as well as being the
same as some people and different from others. My identity is made up of groups that I am part
of, experiences that I have had, the professional and personal roles that I play, where I come
from, and my culture values and beliefs; but mostly my identity is what makes me an individual.
I hold many identities, but as a woman, student, professional, daughter, wife,
sister, catholic, and Mexican American, the one identity I am most conscious of is my personal
identity. According to psychologist Buss, the personal identity is comprised of a public self and a
private self, each with its own components (Stangor, 2014). For as long as I can remember, I
have been concerned about who I am and how others view me. My family has always instilled in
me that having a strong personal identity is important because it will affect the way I feel about
myself and how I will behave in challenging situations.
The advantage of having this strong personal identity is that I always try to carry
myself as a strong, independent, and put together woman. My parents instilled in me that I
should always do my best in everything that I do. This involves being confident and assertive.
My values are another part of my personal identity that I am very proud of. My honesty,
integrity, courage, leadership, and confidence have proven to be a great advantage for me.
Because of these strong values, I am able to gain trust and people are more apt to confide and
trust in me. This has been valuable both in my personal and professional life.
The disadvantage of this identity is that I am very self-conscious. People
around me do not notice it, but I am constantly thinking of how I look, what my next steps are

Running Head: IDENTITY REFLECTION

going to be, the way I present myself, and what others around me are thinking of me. It is
important for me to feel well liked, feel needed, and most of all be there for others.
At work, my personal identity has proved to be a huge asset.
Carrying myself with confidence, professionalism, and showing genuine care and concern for
people has helped me build great relationships and gain promotions. I am constantly aware of my
surroundings and who is paying attention to what I am doing.
Because of my awareness of my personal identity and everything it entails,
I am always looking to get to know new people and build strong relationships. In order to do this
I have become extremely comfortable in groups large and small. It is quite easy for me to
approach a random stranger and strike up a conversation. In addition, I make it a point to get to
know people of other cultures, ages other than my own, as well as people that have different
interests than my own. To me, building relationships is extremely important. In order to work
with people from different cultural groups effectively, you will need to build sturdy and caring
relationships based on trust, understanding, and shared goals (Mc Pherson, 2011). There have
times I may have come across insensitive to people of other cultures. Not because I meant any
harm, but because I did not know certain things may have been offensive. I have learned from
this and it has really made me a stronger and more effective communicator.
People that do not share the strong personal identity that I do
probably either love me or hate me. I believe that some people admire that I carry myself with
confidence; I am very outgoing and assertive and pride myself in the strong relationships that I
have built and continue to build. Others may see this as me being overly confident, but I see it as
having been raised to build a strong personal identity.

Running Head: IDENTITY REFLECTION

References
Martin, J., & Nakayama, T. (2014). Experiencing intercultural communication: An
introduction. (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. ISBN: 9780078036927
Community Tool Box. (2015). Chapter 27. Cultural competence in a multicultural world | section
2. Building relationships with people from different cultures | Main section | Community
tool box. Retrieved from http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/culture/culturalcompetence/building-relationships/main
Flat World, & Stangor, C. (2014, June). Introduction to psychology. Retrieved from
http://catalog.flatworldknowledge.com/catalog/editions/stangor_2_1-introduction-topsychology-2-1