Identity Work
Wisdom from the Field #7
In the memoir Becoming Duchess Goldblatt, the author (anonymous) describes how she created the online personality referenced in the title. Duchess is an author living in early America. Duchess’s creator posts irreverent and pithy comments on Twitter as if she were that personality. For example:
In real life, the memoirist initially struggled with a divorce and was subsequently feeling alienated by some friends and family. She created Duchess as a channel for her feelings, as well as extending compassion toward others online. Pretty soon her followers are sending her gifts such as pies and homemade crafts. The author ends up forming a friendship with the musician Lyle Lovett; she is regularly invited to hang out backstage at his concerts.
The more the author posted as Duchess, the more she “became” her. Relationships in real life improved; she began to excel in her job as a copywriter. She developed more confidence through her regular posts and the subsequent following she received as Duchess on social media.
As the author notes in the book:
“Online and in real life, we decide how to present ourselves, we teach each other how to behave, and we reinforce for one another which ideas we’re keeping and which ones we’re throwing away. Good manners are a social construct, weekends are a social construct, value and beliefs and democracy, all social constructs, all ideas that we have come to agree to in our various interactions with other humans over time.
Duchess Goldblatt is a social construct, too, as it turns out. I just have to figure out how to bring her with me in real life.” (p. 58)1
Practicing Who We Want to Become
“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.”
- James Clear2
If we want to be a writer, then we must write. Same for almost any position or role we seek to become.
And the more we engage in a practice one might do within a position or role, the more we begin to identify with and become that person. Duchess Goldblatt’s creator initially saw a clear separation from herself and this character. Yet through every tweet and positive feedback she receive online and in person, the more she realized that she is that compassionate, confident, and magnanimous person others saw.
Who do learners want to be? What are the daily habits of successful individuals? What practices did they develop that led to achieving their goals? This is the identity work we want our students, our faculty, and ourselves to engage in over time.
Reflective Questions
What positions and roles exist within a discipline or subject area? Think more specific than “reader” or “writer”; for example, “historian” or “blogger”.
What types of products do they create or services do they provide? Design authentic assessments that replicate or closely emulate their work.
What knowledge, skills, and dispositions are essential for the position or role we seek for learners? Create tasks that support their development.
How will you design your environment and prioritize the time needed to engage in these practices? How will learners become who they may want to be through their daily actions and habits?
In my upcoming book, Wisdom of the Field is one of several features. Pre-order now to learn how to effectively influence teaching and learning.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50130587-becoming-duchess-goldblatt
https://jamesclear.com/identity-votes