1. Determining affinity group structure
Elements of Identity
The following activity can be used to determine which affinity groups are worthwhile based on the identities of your students. The identity make-up of your students will likely vary from class to class, therefore your affinity group structure should as well.
Determining affinity group structure

2. Identity Markers: Who are we?
On three stickie notes, provide a word on each that describes your identity (who you are)
When finished, stick all 3 notes on the white board
Begin grouping similar items together and give the category a name
Category names may change (do not erase previous category name, rather write below or above it)
Begin by asking students to self reflect on their identities…(turn to directions on slide)
-Provide students 2-3 post it notes
-on each note, ask them to include one aspect of their identity (a way to describe who they are)
-direct students to post their notes on the walls
-while doing so, ask them to say standing and develop categories for similar identities (tell them to label these….others can provide a different label however no labels should be crossed out, rather a new label written above or below)

3. Identity Markers: Debrief
How did you select what to include on your stickie note?
Was this difficult or easy? Why?
Would you have included another identity had it not been in this classroom (this context)? Why or why not?
How did you group items together?
How did you label them?
Debrief:
-we tend group identities based on comparing ourselves to other groups
-discuss why these groups are a group (do they have similarities…shared experiences?)
-ask what identities are absent or not reported?
-The ways students begin to label groups can be an opportunity to distinguish:
-race v. ethnicity
-sexual orientation v gender
-LGBTQ (what all stand for)
-black versus african american versus person of color
Reference
See Person of Color Video clip in media resources (also listed below)
(2011, February 15). The Origin of the phrase "Women of Color" [Video file]. Retrieved from

4. What makes an identity? Personal versus Social
What commonalities were evident among those who listed personal versus those who listed social identities in the activity?
Typically, students of minority identities such as black, LGBTQ, Muslim tend to report/see those as salient characteristics of their identities yet students who are white, heterosexual, and of higher socioeconomic statuses tend to report characteristics such as personality traits, or future careers/occupations.
Therefore….You’ll want to answer the question “How do social identities differ from personality traits?”
Answer:
personal identities are often considered ones traits (shy, outgoing, fun, loving, etc)
Social identities are the groups in which you belong to/ an association or assigned to by large organizational structures (age groups, political groups, sexual orientations, religions, sports, academics, etc.
Your self is made up of BOTH your personal identity and social identity however the focus of affinity groups is based on social identities.

5. Example COM315: Intergroup Communication
The slide represents the aforementioned activity in my Fall 2017 COM315: Intergroup Communication class. A majority of students in the class were white/heterosexual/higher socioeconomic statuses.
-As seen from the photos, a majority of students included personality traits and current/future occupations as the main components to describe who they are (their identity). Very few students selected race as a way to describe their identity.
-Such results highlight the need for individuals, especially those who are white to reflect on what it means to be white. Typically, students see white as simply “is” or the status quo, while students of color constantly see race as a primary way to describe who they are as they are constantly reminded.

6. Determining Affinity groups
The case for race-based affinity groups:
White Affinity Groups
People of Color Affinity Groups
Based on the results of the activity and the debrief, you can determine what affinity groups are needed for your students. Such a decision will also depend on the size of your class. Due to the small class sizes at class poly (30-35), I recommend using white and people of color affinity groups. When there are too few members of an affinity group, it can convey too much power or a lack thereof.
-I also recommend conducting the activity at the end of the quarter to see if those 3 identities have changed. For my COM315 class, all but one of my students reported their racial identity as center to who they were.
The Case for Race-based affinity groups:
Why race-based affinity groups when multiple identities may be reported?
Why race based affinity groups in this instance?
1.) “race & racism, and its intersections with class & classism, are at the root of or
are the root of the challenge of educational inequity in the United States.”
2.) “Isolating race in this case allows us to focus on our own learning and healing needs along
racial lines, while providing in-group spaces to tackle differences in experiences of class and
other salient intersecting identities” (Teach for America, 2017).

7. References
Teach For America. (2017). National Institute Resource. 101-FAQs
(2011, February 15). The Origin of the phrase "Women of Color" [Video file]. Retrieved from