Social Identity Map

Explore the Social Identity Map in healthcare, highlighting how personal identities impact patient experiences and care delivery for improved outcomes.

By Bernard Ramirez on Aug 2, 2025.

Fact Checked by Gale Alagos.

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What are the 12 social identities?

Social identities are crucial in healthcare, as they shape both patient interactions and professional dynamics. These identities are based on various factors and influence how individuals perceive themselves and are perceived by others. Understanding social identities is important for creating an inclusive healthcare environment. Here are twelve key social identities:

Race: Defined by physical characteristics such as skin, hair, or eye color (e.g., White, Black, Asian).
Ethnicity: Cultural factors like nationality and ancestry (e.g., Hispanic, Irish, Canadian).
Sex: Assigned at birth based on reproductive organs (e.g., male, female, intersex).
Gender: How individuals perceive themselves in societal roles (e.g., man, woman, non-binary).
Sexual orientation: Identity related to gender attraction (e.g., heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual).
Social class: Societal division based on economic status (e.g., upper class, working class).
Religious affiliation: Connection to a religion (e.g., Christian, Muslim, atheist).
Ability/disability: Judged by impairment relative to societal norms (e.g., able-bodied, disabled).
Age cohort: Grouping based on birth period (e.g., teenager, adult, elderly).
Level of education: Education progression (e.g., high school diploma, college graduate).
Immigration status: Legal standing in a country (e.g., U.S. citizen, refugee, undocumented).
Occupational status: Social esteem based on profession (e.g., doctor, unemployed).

These identities, individually and collectively, shape experiences and impact healthcare delivery. Understanding them enhances patient care by addressing diverse needs.

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What is a Social Identity Map?

A Social Identity Map is a visual tool used in critical qualitative research to reflect on a person's identity, including how various aspects of social identity influence research practices. This map helps researchers explore their own social identity, capturing key aspects like sexual orientation, political affiliation, race, social class, and gender. By visually organizing these facets, the map promotes self-awareness and a deeper understanding of how identity impacts one's approach to data analysis and interactions with research participants.

The map is divided into tiers, guiding researchers to identify the broad social categories they belong to (Tier 1), how these positions affect their lives (Tier 2), and deeper reflections about personal emotions tied to those identities (Tier 3). Using the map encourages qualitative inquiry by making abstract concepts of identity more tangible. It prompts students and professionals to examine their social relations and how their membership in a particular group might affect their research interests and results. While it is not a straightforward or easy task, this identity mapping provides an important lens for understanding social groups in the research context, fostering both reflexivity and critical qualitative research (Jacobson & Mustafa, 2019).

Difference between personal and social identities

Personal identity refers to an individual's unique characteristics, beliefs, and values, shaping their own identity independently of external group affiliations. It encompasses a person’s belief system and how they see themselves as a certain person, reflecting deeply personal attributes such as values and self-concept. On the other hand, social identities are socially constructed and relate to how a person is perceived as part of a particular social group, like their political affiliation, race, or gender. These identities are tied to certain aspects of society's classification, influencing how people interpret and relate to others in social worlds.

Understanding the difference between personal and social identities helps researchers view participants' experiences holistically in qualitative inquiry. Using an identity map as a reflexivity tool enables a better understanding of these distinctions, fostering self-awareness and explicit positionality in research design, data collection, and data analysis (Jacobson & Mustafa, 2019)

How does the Social Identity Map work?

The Social Identity Map helps healthcare practitioners reflect on their social positions and how these influence professional practices. Here's how it works in five steps:

Step 1: Identify social categories

Begin by listing the key aspects of your identity, such as race, gender, and sexual orientation. These are the core social categories that define socially constructed positions in society.

Step 2: Reflect on life impact

For each category, think about how your membership impacts your work. This can also be a helpful reflection tool on how membership in a particular group influences one's experiences in healthcare. This reflection promotes self-awareness and helps one understand one's role within social worlds.

Step 3: Examine emotional ties

Consider the emotional impact these identities have. How do these feelings influence your interaction with patients and colleagues? How would these emotions impact other aspects of your work?

Step 4: Analyze positionality

Use the map to understand how social identities affect patient interactions and decision-making processes in healthcare settings.

Step 5: Practice reflexivity

Apply the map as a reflexivity tool to evaluate biases and assumptions continuously, enabling more inclusive and empathetic healthcare practices.

How to encourage students to build a solid social identity using this map

Educators should first create a supportive environment for practicing explicit positionality to encourage students, particularly those engaging in research or those studying to be healthcare professionals, to build a solid social identity using the Social Identity Map. This begins with fostering self-awareness by guiding students to explore their own identity within the context of their lived experiences and socially constructed affiliations, such as race, political affiliation, and gender.

Using the map as a reflexivity tool prompts students to critically reflect on the key aspects of their identity and how these influence their interactions within social worlds. Educators should engage students in discussions about the belief systems they belong to and help them recognize their connection to a particular group. This graphic tool allows students to practice positionality by connecting their personal experiences and broader societal structures.

Encouraging students to actively participate in data collection and data analysis of their own social identity through this map can deepen their understanding. They will begin to see how these elements shape their perceptions and professional practices. Through this process, students better understand their role in healthcare settings, preparing them to approach patient care with greater empathy and inclusivity.

Reference

Jacobson, D., & Mustafa, N. (2019). Social identity map: a reflexivity tool for practicing explicit positionality in critical qualitative research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 18(18), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406919870075

Commonly asked questions

The map aids researchers in practicing explicit positionality by making abstract social identities tangible. It supports qualitative inquiry by offering insights into how a person’s identity impacts data collection, interpretation, and analysis.

The map consists of three tiers. Tier 1 identifies broader categories such as race and gender. Tier 2 explores how these positions influence the individual’s life. Tier 3 reflects on emotions and nuances tied to these identities, aiding in self-awareness and a better understanding of social worlds.

Students can use the map to practice positionality, reflect on their belief system, and examine their connection to a particular group. It enhances self-awareness, making it easier to understand personal biases and how they affect interactions in academic and healthcare settings.