Module 5 – Identity Labels Reflection Assignment:
Like many others, I have many labels—mother, daughter, Wife, Homemaker, Student. I was born female and identified as a female. My sexual Identity would be heterosexual.
The issue is I can’t say I would label myself entirely 100 percent fall into those categories. For instance, I have a lot of masculine characteristics. For example, my personality traits are more masculine than what many label females. Like, for example, men, I’m not emotional outwardly. I rarely cry. Unlike most women, when I’m stressed or have issues, I don’t turn to friends or other women for support. I will reflect by myself and usually find a way to fix the problem. Like men, I would instead bond over activities. I even enjoy bass fishing. When you see me in person; however, I’m incredibly feminine looking, I also was a former contestant in Ms. America. The funny joke about me is if anyone tried to kidnap me or harm me, they wouldn’t expect that I’m also athletic, brave fearless and have no problem defending myself. Some would say I’m unique.
As for sexual Identity, I’m married, have always been attracted to men, but can appreciate beautiful people of both genders. I grew up in the ’70s and ’80s and never considered an attraction to the opposite sex.
I do feel, however, if I were a single person in today’s society, I would object to exploring women. I can’t say I’m bi-sexual, though, because there hasn’t been an opportunity to consider it. Maybe it just curiosity, but I’m not sure. So, like the lessons in this module expressed, these labels could change over time. Who knows maybe if you contact me in a few years, I would be given a different name. In the end, I understand that labeling helps simplify an individual’s mind and an understanding of different generalities as a whole. I
I intend on just living my life the same, with myself profound labels non-judgmental of others,
- discusses the benefits and/or disadvantages to using labels in daily life to sexual Identity
However, there are some disadvantages and advantages associated with using labels in everyday life to sexual Identity. One of the advantages is that the labels enable an individual to understand their sexual orientation. Ott et al. (2011) further elaborate that Irrespective of the current usage of three categories of sexual orientation, such as bisexual, heterosexual, and lesbian, when a person is identified to belong to a particular group, they are likely to understand why they have been labeled that way. Furthermore, even though it can be challenging to understand one’s experiences or emotional problem, labels will make it easier for an individual to relate and connect with other people who have been identified to belong in the same sexual identity.
Labels also enabled
one’s sexual orientation or gender identity easier to explain to other people. According to Ott et al. (2011), if a person has a specific word, they can easily use it to describe their preferences or Identity. However, other individuals are likely to understand and then accept the way they have been labeled. For instance, when someone tries to explain to society, they do not identify themselves as male or female. Furthermore, people can as well find it easier to identify their own Identity through labels. Hence, by having a specific label can make one connection to other people of similar sexual Identity.
On the other hand, using labels in daily have contributed towards lowering an individual’s self –esteem. According to Ott et al. (2011), in most cases, when a person is identified as either a lesbian or gay group, people tend to have a negative attitude towards them. For that reason, the biasness and negative perception of the individuals result in low self-esteem. Even though people do not understand that labeling someone and categorizing then to belong to a particular group not only makes them inferior but also creates some form of fear when they are relating to others.
References
Ott, M. Q., Corliss, H. L., Wypij, D., Rosario, M., & Austin, S. (2011). Stability and change in self-reported sexual orientation identity in young people: Application of mobility metrics. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 40, 519-532. doi:10.1007/s10508-010-9691-3