Reflective Learning Journal on Self and Identity, Prejudice and Discrimination, and Close Relationships

This reflective learning journal explores the topics of self and identity, prejudice and discrimination, and close relationships. It discusses the importance of self-esteem, different types of prejudice, and what leads to friendship and attraction. The journal aims to improve academic performance and personal development.

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Reflective Learning Journal
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Introduction
Reflective Learning Journal allows one to focus on their learning experiences and how to
express those experiences successfully through writing. A reflective learning journal is based on
the personality and experiences of one. A reflection of students’ experiences allows him to
reflect on his personal identity and professional development. Thus, reflective thinking can be
seen as a tool for continuous improvement. The paper makes reflective learning on three
different topics on self and identity, attraction and close relationships and prejudice and
discrimination.
A scholarly reflection involves internal thinking and mental processing on a subject.
While it is based on individual and personal reflection journal writing based on past experiences,
the purpose is to achieve some conclusion and use the learning outcomes in practical life and
fulfil a purpose. The reflection journal helps the student to apply scholarly theories in everyday
life for a deeper understanding.
Learning Journal has been introduced in this unit to improve academic performance as
well as inter-relationships. As the topics include self and identity, prejudice and discrimination
and attraction and close relationships, they are evidently based on understanding self and the
others and make thoughtful discussions on one’s behaviours and actions. I hope to become
better at self-reflection and make academic progress. more importantly, it will help improve me
as a person and as a student as well as create better relationships and understanding with others.
A subtopic is a small part of a much broader area of discussion. For example, Self and Identity is
a much broader topic and can be divided into subtopics like Spotlight Effect & the Illusion of

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Transparency, Self Concept, Self and culture, and Self esteem.
Self and Identity- Self-esteem
Healthy self-esteem and identity have long been related with internal control and
competence. There has been considerable debate on the connection between self-identity and
how achievement can enhance self-esteem (Whitesell, Mitchell, & Spicer 2009, p. 38). There are
different aspects that can lower self-esteem in one. Self-esteem is the subtopic chosen for
discussion under Self and Identity, and it is a fascinating subject as the self-esteem of an
individual is reliant on so many different aspects. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs places self-
esteem is the fourth place (Peixoto Monteiro, Mata, Sanches, Pipa, & Almeida 2016, p.2).
Rosenberg defines ” self-esteem as an individual's thoughts and feelings about his own worth
and importance” (Moksnes & Espnes 2013, p. 2922). It reflects an individual's assessments of
himself and his life satisfaction. Studies show self-esteem to surge during the teenage years and
can impact the psychological well-being of young adults. Low self-esteem is connected to
depression and anxiety. A study on different groups of students shows the detrimental effect of
retention on their academic achievement. Grade retention lowers their self-esteem and their
motivation to study. Different aspects, such as self-efficacy, self-concept, and self-esteem work
behind the motivation of the students to study, and those with lower self-esteem are seen to drop
out of school. (Peixoto, Monteiro, Mata, Sanches, Pipa, & Almeida 2016, p.2).
Disability leads to very complex sociocultural issues and can damage the self-esteem in
an individual. A disabled person suffers physical, mental, psychological damage that lowers not
just his social and economic independence but harms his self-esteem. These people suffer
negative attitudes and social isolation and show reduced self-esteem and self-confidence, as
asserted by Peixoto Monteiro, Mata, Sanches, Pipa, & Almeida (2016, p.2).People with visual

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incapacities have inferior self-esteem and weaker social skills, when compared to sighted peers
(Salehi, Azarbayejani, Shafiei, Ziaei, & Shayegh 2015, pp. 930). A study on Chinese migrant
children from rural areas to cities report lower levels of general self-esteem in them. Their self-
esteem lowers as they face different stressors and challenges due to rural-to-urban migration (Jia,
Liu, & Shi 2017, p. 1).
When I evaluated myself based on my self-esteem, I found myself to be somewhat
balanced. I am confident and interact freely with my professors and peers. However, when I
observed the minority group of students from other countries in our college, I find them lacking
in social and academic faculties. most of them are below average and suffer from low self -
esteem. Self-esteem plays a dynamic part in shaping behavioural characteristics and
development. It indicates how an individual perceives himself, and his self-esteem gets
expressed in speech and behaviours. People with low self-esteem suffer from loneliness
depression, and hopelessness (Salehi, Azarbayejani, Shafiei, Ziaei, & Shayegh 2015, pp. 931).
The above discussion suggests the need to comprehend the significance of self-esteem and
nurture self-esteem of those who suffer from lesser self-esteem. This is essential for their
relationships and subjective well-being.
Prejudice and Discrimination - different types of prejudice
Prejudice is an incorrect attitude, while discrimination is a behaviour based on a negative
attitude. Attitudes are shaped by the emotions, how one behaves, and the belief system of one
regarding an aspect. People develop consistent behaviours or follow certain attitudes when they
find a link between the initial and subsequent behaviours or spillover. A positive spillover
increases the likelihood of second behaviour (Brügger Höchli, 2019, p. 1). The behaviour-based
attitude has a direct impact on decisions and behaviours.

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Stereotypes infer a wide range of characteristics for a specific group and often convey a
negative impression about an individual or his group. Prejudiced behaviours develop when most
of the majority-group members behave in specific ways with other members of other community
or races (Carr, Dweck, & Pauker 2012, p. 452). Discrimination develops due to the unfair
treatment of an individual or a group if they fall under certain stereotypes or due to prejudiced
behaviours. There are many examples of stereotypes in a society like men can’t cook, or women
are not good drivers, or all Muslims are fanatics and support terrorism. There are many
stereotypes that are still prevalent in the United States, for example, the black gay men are
immoral, or the Jews are greedy (Cox, Abramson, Devine, & Hollon 2012, 427). As I have a
couple of tattoos on my arm, I was looked upon to be not a serious student, and many believed I
was into drugs. It makes me feel uncomfortable when people judge me all the time.
The sub-topics chosen under prejudice and discrimination is the different types of
prejudice. What interested me about the topic was that I was still not aware of the various
prejudice types that exist in our society and how one can get rid of those stereotyped beliefs and
negative feelings that discriminate the members. Prejudice is a multi-layered phenomenon that
encompasses a negative orientation toward persons or groups based on their race, ethnicity, and
nationality. Those negative attitudes get expressed through multiple dimension. (Raabe &
Beelmann,2011, p, 1715). Ethnic, racial, and national prejudice can lead to complex social
problems, and the victim can face discrimination as a personal and societal level at his work and
home. School bullying and hate crimes are prevalent in society because of those negative
prejudices.

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Any kind of stereotype is not good for an individual or society. While positive self-
stereotypes contribute to disorders like narcissism, negative stereotypes lead to depression and
anxiety (Cox, Abramson, Devine, & Hollon 2012, p. 441). Stereotyping degrades the self-esteem
and individuality of a person. It is a grave human error to stereotype individuals based on
prejudiced behaviour. A constructive relationship with better understanding can make a positive
difference in society. Different types of prejudices hamper an individual's ability to develop and
thus harms the whole society. Even if one may not be directly involved with prejudices and
stereotypes, he is living in an environment that is conducive to those behaviours. Prejudiced
behaviour leads to discrimination at home, school, work, and relationships. It is essential to
lower prejudiced behaviours and remove stereotyping for personal and societal as well as health
benefits (Cox, Abramson, Devine, & Hollon 2012, 441). Thus, it is essential to remove
prejudices and stereotypes for the benefit of society.
Attraction and Close Relationships- what leads to friendship and attraction
Attraction & close relationships play a significant role in human life. The feelings,
emotions, and attitudes that one invokes in others, or the outcomes we receive, define the
development of close relationships with the people around us. Human interactions and
relationships are defined by the level of interaction and comfort in a relationship. As the topic is
a comprehensive one, a subtopic of “what leads to friendship and attraction?” is selected for
discussion. This is an interesting topic as
It is observed that children typically develop friendships with other children who are
similar in age, social behaviours, and sex. Further development of friendship relies on how well
they stand within a bigger peer group (Spencer, Bowker, Rubin, Booth-LaForce, & Laursen
2013, p. 107). It is apparent that the aspect of familiarity and similarity leads to friendships.

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Proximity can further develop those bonds, but a lot relies on interpersonal skills. People who are
sincere and with a positive attitude are seen to be reliable and thus are more attractive for
friendships. Ordinary friendships lead to a deeper one, and best friends are created among those
who are alike in social information processing or SIP as asserted by Spencer, Bowker, Rubin,
Booth-LaForce, & Laursen (2013, p. 127). When I look at the group emf my close friends, I find
that three out of five belong to my gender and class. Two out of them come from the same city,
and my best friend lives just a block away. Geographical nearness too plays a role in making a
friendship more attractive. We become friends with those with the same likings and habits.
Mitchell (2010, p.51) discusses her sister in her article and how she has more friends on
Facebook and wonders if it is because she is vivacious and extroverted. Despite those higher
number of friends, the author feels that she has a higher standard of friendship. She makes fewer
friends than her sister but good ones. Here, one is forced to wonder if the quality is more critical
in friendship or the quantity.
There are several factors that can cause a casual friendship to develop into a deeper one.
It is the kind of interactions, the proximity and the value of the other person and his socially
desirable traits that add to the attractiveness of a friendship. A healthy friendship between a man
and woman can develop into an attraction when one enjoys the company of others. However, the
attraction may increase over time and may develop romantically. Romantic attraction can further
change the friendship into a relationship. When men make friends with women or vice versa, the
bond relies on the level of attractiveness between them.
The concept of friendship is far more complicated as there are various factors and
numerous forces that keep the friendship going. The intimacy between friends can add to that
something special that elevates them to best friends. People are likely to become friends with

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those who work in the same office or live in the same apartment. Thus, interactions and
communications lay the initial groundwork for friendships. From there on, the process gets more
complex, and several factors come into play to decide in which direction the friendship will
head.
The above reflection journal on self and identity, prejudice and discrimination, and close
relationships has indeed helped me to understand myself and my relations better. I can now
understand why a particular friend of mine has developed low self-esteem or why I hear those
stereotype remarks sometimes. More importantly, the reflection journal has taught me to be more
thoughtful and sensitive to the needs of others and think about their life and situation. The
writing experience has helped in a deeper understanding of life and evolved my thought process
to create new conclusions. I understand the topics of identity, self-respect, self-esteem, prejudice,
stereotypes, friendships, and relationships a lot better.

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Bibliography
Brügger, A., & Höchli, B. 2019. The Role of Attitude Strength in Behavioral Spillover: Attitude
Matters—But Not Necessarily as a Moderator. Frontiers in Psychology, 10 (1) pp. 1- 26.
Carr, P. B., Dweck, C. S., & Pauker, K. 2012. "Prejudiced" behaviour without prejudice? Beliefs
about the malleability of prejudice affect interracial interactions. Journal of personality and
social psychology, 103(3), pp. 452–471
Jia, X., Liu, X., & Shi, B. 2017. Perceived Discrimination and Subjective Well-being in Chinese
Migrant Adolescents: Collective and Personal Self-esteem As Mediators. Frontiers in
psychology, 1(1), pp. 1- 13.
Moksnes, U.K. & Espnes, G.A. 2013, Self-esteem and life satisfaction in adolescents—gender
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Raabe, T. & Beelmann, A. 2011.Development of Ethnic, Racial, and National Prejudice in
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