Belief, Belonging, Behavior: Venn Diagram Activity

Using belief, behavior, and belonging as a framework can help us better understand our own religious identity and provide a shared language for potentially challenging conversations. As health care providers, it is important to be aware of your own religious and moral beliefs, how and when these intersect with your sense of belonging, and how these may impact your behavior as a health care professional.

A Venn diagram is a visual tool that uses overlapping circles to show the relationships between different categories or groups. Each circle represents a specific category—in this case, Belief, Behavior, and Belonging. In this activity, you will use a Venn diagram to explore how different aspects of religious identity relate to three key categories:

• Belief: What we hold to be true

• Behavior: Actions and traditions that form our conduct

• Belonging: A sense of acceptance, inclusion, connection to a community and to one’s own values

To begin, click on the orange (belief), purple (behavior), or green (belonging) tab to see a specific set of word bubbles. Each phrase represents a concept that for you could fit into one – or more – of these categories.

• If a word fits only one category, it goes in that circle.
• If a word fits two categories, it goes in the overlapping area between those circles.
• If a word fits all three categories, it goes in the center where all circles overlap.

This helps you visually see where there are similarities and connections between different aspects of religious identity, and how these concepts relate to your role as a health care professional.

For example, if the belief “Human life is sacred” impacts your behavior and is influenced by a group that you belong to, it would be placed near the center of the diagram.

Tips:

• Consider how the word shapes your own religious identity and/or how it might impact others. Does it describe what you believe, how you act, the sense of community you feel, or some combination thereof?
• There are no “right” or “wrong” answers; this is about your personal reflection on how each word relates to the framework of belief, behavior, and belonging.
• The tab for each category also includes 2 boxes with prompts to stimulate additional reflection. Writing in these boxes is optional.

Your Venn diagram will not be shared with anyone else or stored anywhere. You might wish to take a screenshot of your completed diagram to engage in further reflection over time.