Issues in Uncovering Hidden Identities in Intercultural Training

In this article, I explore how intercultural teaching exercises can lead students to experience a “disclosure dilemma,” or face a difficult decision between disclosing a concealable identity as a part of a teaching exercise or keeping it secret. Using the example of religious identity and the “Step on Jesus” exercise, I describe the disclosure dilemma brought forward in an intercultural training exercise and how this activity can pose challenges for students with religious identities. I also identify strategies teachers can adopt to facilitate intercultural training that is sensitive to disclosure dilemmas faced by students.