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Unit 2 - Cultural Identity
This film looks at what is considered to be traditional music in Ireland North and South.
It asks questions about cultural identity and what that means and opens the discussion around what we consider to be ‘our’ Cultural Heritage and whether our Heritage is or can be shared with another community that we see as an ‘other’ community?
- Watch
- Discuss
- Reflect
- Resources
Watch Cultural Identity film clip
(5 minutes)
The film clip looks at what is considered to be traditional music on the Island of Ireland. It asks questions about cultural identity and what that means, and opens the discussion around what we consider to be ‘our’ cultural heritage and whether our heritage is or can be shared with another community that we see as ‘another other’ community?
Discuss/Think
(10 minutes)
In small groups, use Worksheet Three as a stimulus to discuss and note down:
Describe your Cultural Identity?
Is your cultural identity determined by your religion, your parents religion, the colour of your skin, political alignments, your taste in music, the groups/societies you belong to, your family history in the last 50 years, your family history prior to the last 50 years or your heritage prior to the last 150 years?
Is it possible for your cultural heritage to change? Why?
Share
(5 minutes)
Each group feeds back their work so that the teacher can use this as a springboard for a short discussion about how we see ourselves and the many different aspects of ourselves that make up who we are.
Discuss/Think
(20 minutes)
In small groups, use Worksheet Four as a stimulus to discuss and develop a diagram on a large piece of paper to:
Identify the major cultural groups that are present in NI, put them in circles around the edge of the paper.
Within the circles, list the things that identify them as belonging to that group e.g. religion etc.
In the centre of the page draw another circle and list the things the groups on the outside of the page have in common and draw lines to the groups they relate to e.g. females, age etc.
Share
(5 minutes)
The teacher asks each group to show the rest of the groups their sheets of paper and the teacher can use this as a springboard for a short discussion about how many different ways we describe ourselves, reinforcing the earlier discussion.
Exercise
(5 minutes)
Students work individually using Worksheet Five to write lines beginning with the words ‘When I look in the mirror I see….’
Share
(5 minutes)
Those who wish to share what they have written are given the opportunity to do so.
Learning Points
- Understand that we can be identified by more than one aspect of who we are.
- Everyone has things about themselves that are both different and common to others.
- Understand that how we see ourselves may not be how others see us.
Next Time
- Specifically at the engagement during the Fleadh between the Londonderry Bands Forum and the Fleadh organisers to see how they were able to come together through a shared musical heritage.
