I grew up in the North East of England, studied  in Leicester then moved to London for work - am I still a Northerner after all these years or does my diluted accent make me a southerner? Am I still working class now I have a Masters, or have I moved into the middle class, in which case do I make a raspberry coulee to go with a dessert or can  I still have raspberry sauce? Does any of that count on days when my main role is as a daughter, a sister and a partner? And do I need to mention my colour or faith group ?

This emphasizes not just the number of labels we can all give to ourselves but also the confusion about which of them is relevant and how they change?

WDWTWA is not an exercise in list making. It is a genuine opportunity for young people to look at themselves and those around them and examine how they got there, in both an immediate and historical sense. All of us are affected by the cultural groups in which we live, the communities by which we are surrounded, the country in which we reside. We are all affected by the past as well as the present. Isn't it about time we helped young people talk about these things and find out more?  

The themes* of the project are there as a guide to examining some of the difficult questions surrounding identity and diversity they are conceptual and practical.

For me the strength of WDWTWA is in allowing young people to explore identities and to ask questions within a framework that brings them together on a shared learning journey even though the route might be quite personal. WDWTWA isn't ‘airy fairy' but real and directly linked to the National Curriculum. It is supportive to developing and utilizing required skills and for gaining knowledge and factual understanding.

By adopting the idea of a week we are recognizing that time is needed to tackle these issues and that the dialogue needed can't be done in one single lesson. 

Learning that everyone has multi-identities should not lead to a sense of disorientation or dilution.  Instead it can increase self esteem, provide a sense of shared citizenship, highlight issues of commonality and recognize that differences can be respected, acknowledged and exciting.

On a lighter note I have developed a new game for ice breaking/ pub games/ dinner parties/  long journeys - "In only five words tell me ‘Who Do you Think You Are?"

Written by
Paula Kitching
Citizenship Consultant

If you would like to comment on the content of this article, please send a response via the WDWTWA Blog (Have your say), or email wdwtwa@rgs.org.