Exploring Identity Construction

Abstract

This teaching activity uses the social networking site Facebook to explore the conception, construction, and expression of personal identity. By asking students to create a fictitious Facebook account that is dissimilar from the way they perceive themselves, students are faced with decisions about how to construct such an identity, as well as how this identity may or may not be perceived by others. Students conclude by presenting their fictitious Facebook profiles to their peers, and then discussing how/why it differs from their “real” self-identities, how/why they made the decisions they did, and so on. Throughout this process, the activity offers potential entry and discussion points for an instructor to clarify or expound upon claims made by students regarding the construction and performance of personal identity. In doing so, it generates an environment of mutual respect, and uses social networking technology to engage students in an academic manner, while also promoting reflexivity beyond the classroom setting alone.