The document discusses identity development in young children. It covers topics like the dimensions of identity, gender identity, how identity develops for both privileged and marginalized groups, and how schools can support identity development. It also includes a case study example and suggestions for how to discuss issues of gender and sexuality with children of different ages. The presenter aims to help educators understand identity development and provide strategies for promoting inclusion.

1. I Can Be Anything…
Identity Development in Young Children
Abington Friends School Lower School
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee
Seattle Girls’ School
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

2. Agenda
 Identity Development
 Close-Up: Gender Identity
 Identity and Schools
 What We Can Do
 Resources
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

3. Identity Development
 What is it?
 What are the
various dimensions
of identity?
 Why identity
development?
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

4. Dimensions of Identity and Culture
This model of identifiers and culture was created by Karen Bradberry and Johnnie Foreman for NAIS Summer Diversity
Institute, adapted from Loden and Rosener’s Workforce America! (1991) and from Diverse Teams at Work, Gardenswartz & Rowe
(SHRM 2003).
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

5. Identity Development:
Marginalized Identities
 Innocence and Self Esteem
 Encounter and Self Doubt
 Immersion into Identity
 Emersion
 Integration
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6. Identity Development:
Privilged Identities
 Innocence and Self Esteem
 Encounter and Confusion
 Attempt to Reintegrate
 Re-Encounter and
Acceptance
 Immersion and Emersion
 Integration
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

7. Identity Development and Schools
 Positive Encounters
 Identity Socialization
 Identity Frames
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8. Case Study: Sibling Role Model
A 5th grade class is studying the Little Rock Eight story and the
experiences of the first African American students in integrated
schools. The curriculum is a well-vetted and successful one. It
includes many readings, first person accounts, and an in-depth
analysis of the n word (its history, impact, etc.). One day after
school, Kevin, a 2nd grader at the same school, overhears his 5th
grader brother reading aloud one of the readings with his
classmate, a first person account that uses the n word in full form.
Kevin mulls over the term and wonders what it means. At school,
he looks up the n word in the dictionary. He gathers a few of his
friends, and they talk about what the word means with some
confusion, some amusement, and some discomfort. Two girls,
one African American and one multiracial (part African heritage),
see the boys engrossed in the dictionary. One of the boys looks
at one of the girls, points to her, and giggles. The girls decide to
go over and investigate, and they find out what the boys are up to.
Angry and upset, they report the incident to a teacher.
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://sites.google.com/site/sgsprofessionaloutreach/)

9. Case Study: Sibling Role Model
What’s going on?
How is the conflict based on identity
development?
What would you do to increase awareness,
understanding, and esteem for your community?
What issues from this case resonate with you
and Abington Friends?
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://sites.google.com/site/sgsprofessionaloutreach/)

10. Close Up on Gender
 Gender Differences
 Gender Bias
 How Gender Shortchanges Girls
 How Gender Shortchanges Boys
 How Gender Shortchanges Kids
 Reimagining Gender and Sexuality
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11. Disclaimers and
Other Food for Thought
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12. Gender Differences
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13. Gender Bias
Brash Intuitive
Troublemaker Well-Behaved
Strong Delicate
Competitive Cooperative
Physical Emotional
Silent Verbal
Clever Pretty
Mistake-Prone Perfect
Belligerent Nice
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18. Girls and Gender Bias
Where Does it Lead?
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19. The “Good Girl” in Conflict
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20. Beauty “Pretty Girl” on Beauty
The
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21. Boys and Gender Bias
Where Does it Lead?
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22. The “Tough Guy” in Conflict
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23. Psychic Dissonance, Health,
and Violence
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24. Gender and Sexuality Paradigm
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25. What Can We Do?
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26. What Can We Do for Girls?
 Teach the difference between
self-sacrificing and good.
 Talk about or compliment
something besides her looks.
 Value the quality of her
relationships, not the quantity.
 Give her access to diverse
women mentors.
 Role-Play difficult
conversations with her.
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee

27. What Can We Do for Boys?
 Teach the difference
between strong and tough.
 Talk about feelings and
relationships.
 Make it okay to be
vulnerable.
 Give him access to diverse
male mentors.
 Help them understand
societal homophobia.
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee

28. What Can We Do for All?
 Help them develop strong interaction and social skills.
• Discuss nontraditional family and relationship models.
• Show them diverse role models of all GSD identities.
 Teach about gender and sexuality diversity.
 Give them healthy outlets for their feelings.
 Respect and nurture their true selves.
 Teach “norm”, “normal”, and “good”.
 Share your stories.
 Model the way.
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Rosetta

29. Gender and Sexuality – Young People Style
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30. Process Break
In what ways do you see your
students:
– internalizing and conforming to
gender norms and stereotypes
– feeling pressured to conform to
gender stereotypes
– being little affected by gender
stereotypes
– actively non-conforming to
gender stereotypes
How do you respond to these kids where
they are? What are some of your
“conversational gems and tidbits”?
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

31. Supporting All Children’s
Identity Development and Inclusion Skills
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32. Younger Children
 Exposure Base
 Allowing Questions
 Gentle Guidance
 Modeling Comfort With Discussions
 Expanding Definition of What’s Possible
 Fairness, Kindness, and Rightness
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33. Examples
 The Black Santa Story
 The Jackie Robinson Story
 What Makes a Family?
 Dress-Up Corner
 Don’t Yuck My Yum!
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34. Older Children
 Experiential And Discovery Base
 Facilitating Questions and Discussions
 Media Literacy
 Patterns and Systems
 Values and Actions
 Autonomy and Choice
 Justice and Activism
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35. Examples
 Classroom Commitments
 Art “Competition” with Different Resources
 What’s So Funny?
 The Trouble with Sameness
 Alternate Fairy Tales
 Guest Speakers That Defy Stereotypes
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36. Parents and Guardians:
Partners or Foes?
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37. What Parents Fear and
What We Can Do About It
 “I didn’t know about this stuff…”
 “I don’t have any language around this…”
 “I want to protect their innocence…”
 “Are you teaching my kids values?”
 Heads Up Communication
 Resources and Language
 Clear Reiteration of Mission and Values
 Research and Your Expertise
 Explicit Communication of Parents’ Roles
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38. Questions and Comments
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39. Presenter Information
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee
6th Faculty and
Professional Outreach
Seattle Girls’ School
2706 S Jackson Street
Seattle WA 98144
(206) 805-6562
rlee@seattlegirlsschool.org
http://tiny.cc/rosettalee
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

40. Identity Resources
• Carlos H. Arce, “A Reconsideration of Chicano Culture
and Identity”
• Atkinson, Morten, & Sue, “Racial/Cultural Identity
Development Model (R/CID)”
• Mindy Bingham and Sandy Stryker, “Socioemotional
Development for Girls”
• Vivienne Cass, “Homosexual identity formation: Testing a
theoretical model”
• William Cross, Shades of Black: Diversity in African
American Identity”
• Anthony D’Augelli, “ Identity development and sexual
orientation: Toward a model of lesbian, gay, and
bisexual development”
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

41. Identity Resources
• Erik Erikson, “Eight Stages of Man”
• J. E. Helms, Various Publications on Racial and Ethnic
Identity Development
• Jean Kim, “Processes of Asian American Identity
Development”
• James Maricia, “Four Ego and Identity Statuses”
• Suzanne Kobasa Ouellette, “The Three C’s of Hardiness”
• Jean S. Phinney, “Ethnic Identity in Adolescents and
Adults: Review of the Research”
• Ponterotto & Pederso, Preventing Prejudice
• Maria P. P. Root, Various Works on Multiracial Identity
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

42. Identity Resources
• Patricia Romney, Karlene Ferron, and Jennifer Hill,
“Measuring the Success of Diversity Directors in
Independent Schools”
• Pedro Ruiz, “Latino/a Identity Development Model”
• Chalmer E. Thompson and Robert T. Carter, Racial
Identity Theory
• Alex Wilson, “How We Find Ourselves: Identity
Development and Two Spirit People”
• Christine J. Yeh, “The Collectivistic Nature of Identity
Development Among Asian-American College
Students”
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

43. Resources
 Joshua M. Aronson, Ph.D., “Improving Achievement &
Narrowing the Gap,” Learning and the Brain
Conference, Cambridge, MA, November 2003
 Allan G. Johnson, Privilege, Power, and Difference.
 Miss Representation, documentary film on media and
women
 United Nations Population Fund Statistics on Gender
Equality as of 2005
http://www.unfpa.org/swp/2005/presskit/factsheets/facts
_gender.htm
 Learning to be critically literate of mass media
http://www.medialit.org/
 Media Guide for Parents and Educators
http://www.commonsensemedia.org/
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44. Gender Specific Resources
 Jennifer Bryan, various trainings and publications on gender
and sexuality diversity, From the Dress Up Corner to the
Senior Prom
 JoAnn Deak, Ph.D., Girls Will Be Girls: Raising Confident and
Courageous Daughters, How Girls Thrive
 Jackson Katz, Tough Guise, Wrestling with Manhood, The
Macho Paradox
 John Medina, Talaris Research Institute, various studies on
early gender differences in competition and play
 Mary Pipher, Ph.D., Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of
Adolescent Girls
 Rachel Simmons, Odd Girl Out, Odd Girl Speaks Out, Curse
of the Good Girl
 Michael Thompson, Raising Cain, Speaking of Boys, It’s a
Boy!
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)

45. Miscellaneous Resources
• Karen Bradberry and Johnnie Foreman, “Privilege and
Power,” Summer Diversity Institute, National Association
of Independent Schools, 2009
• Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman, Nurture Shock
• Kevin Jennings, GLSEN (Gay Lesbian and Straight Education
Network) www.glsen.org
• Allan G. Johnson, Privilege, Power, and Difference
• Johnnie McKinley, “Leveling the Playing Field and Raising
African American Students’ Achievement in Twenty-nine
Urban Classrooms,” New Horizons for Learning,
http://www.newhorizons.org/strategies/differentiated/
mckinley.htm
Michael J Nakkula and Eric Toshalis, Understanding Youth.
Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee (http://tiny.cc/rosettalee)