Identity, Inclusion, and Belonging
Identity
Pronouns
Everyone has the right to be addressed and referred to in accordance with their personal identity. If you choose, you may share your pronouns with the people in your class. It is not required. Sharing your pronouns can help others know how to refer to you in a way that you feel is respectful and affirming.
In conversation and discussion boards, take care to use the pronouns that people identify for themselves. For more information, check out this brief guide to using pronouns from the University of Oregon.
Pronunciation
There may be times when you are unsure how to say someone’s name. A person’s name is part of their identity, and pronouncing it correctly is an important way to show respect.
Here are some tips from research conducted by the University of Warwick about how to manage uncertainty over names in a respectful way. Read the full article written by Jane Bryan for more information.
- Ask the name-bearer how their name should be spelled or pronounced. Don’t assume you know how to pronounce someone’s name.
- Avoid characterizing a name as “tricky” or “difficult”–it is neither to the name-bearer.
- Be open to learning new things and being corrected.
inclusion and Belonging
One thing we all have in common is that we want to feel like we belong. When it comes to your classes, everyone will have a more fulfilling experience if they feel like they are a valued part of the learning community. According to Dr. Erik Carter and Dr. Elizabeth Biggs from the TIES Center at the University of Minnesota, “Students will flourish most within a learning community where belonging is actively promoted and personally experienced.”
To help define what belonging actually looks like, they developed the “10 dimensions of belonging.” They are (in no particular order):
| 1. Present | 6. Involved |
| 2. Invited | 7. Supported |
| 3. Welcomed | 8. Heard |
| 4. Known | 9. Befriended |
| 5. Accepted | 10. Needed |
Learning Lab
Notice where or with whom you spend time (at home, at work, at school, in nature, with friends, with family, etc.).
Reflective Prompts:
- Where do you feel the strongest sense of belonging?
- If you had to describe what it feels like to belong, what would you say?
- Where do you feel you least belong?
- If you had to describe what it feels like to not belong, what would you say?
- What do you think you could do to create a stronger sense of belonging in your academic and/or professional life?
Citations
- Bryan, J. (2021, December 1). Say my name: The importance of correct terms, titles, and pronunciation. Times Higher Education. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/say-my-name-importance-correct-terms-titles-and-pronunciation
- Carter, E.W. & Biggs, E.E. (2021). Creating communities of belonging for students with significant cognitive disabilities (Belonging Series). University of Minnesota, TIES Center. https://publications.ici.umn.edu/ties/peer-engagement/belonging/introduction
- University of Oregon, Division of Student Life (n.d.). Using pronouns. https://studentlife.uoregon.edu/pronouns