Saturday, September 24, 2011

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

I have chosen three individuals one a co-worker, one a friend and one a family member.
Co-worker:  My co-worker and I have worked together for nine years this month and have a great working relationship.  Our cultures are different in that she is African American and I being Caucasian.
Culture:  “I think culture is difference in the way people live and believe”.
Diversity: “I think they are very similar and it’s the difference in beliefs and perhaps faith”.
Friend:  The friend I choose to ask these questions I feel is very similar to me in her beliefs and we share very similar culture characteristics. This friend is also a first grade teacher in the public school system.
Culture: “Culture can be anything from the difference in how individuals live and their beliefs”.
Diversity:  “Diversity is differences in individuals, race, language, spiritual beliefs and life style”.
Family member:
This family member I choose is a Caucasian female who is married to an African American man.  I choose this family member because I thought her definition would be very interesting since she has a very successful culturally diverse marriage.
Culture:  “Culture is what a person believes in and holds close to their heart”.  “It also includes their spiritual beliefs, mannerisms, food, dress and so much more”.
Diversity: “Diversity involves the difference in people which includes the same items I mentioned in culture’s definition”.
Which aspects of culture and diversity that I have studied in this course are included in the answers I received—and what are some examples?
All of the answers I received had creditability; an individual’s spiritual beliefs can be part of their culture or diversity. For example, individuals with the same skin color can still have difference in culture/diversity, meaning that some individual with the same skin color can have different spiritual beliefs.
Which aspects have been omitted—and what are some examples of such omission?
I don’t think any aspects were omitted in the definitions I received.
In what ways has thinking about other people’s definitions of culture and diversity influenced my own thinking about these topics?
Having my cousin definition given it made me think that there are so many aspects to an individual’s culture and it’s not all about the person’s skin tone or language that sets individuals apart in culturally diverse aspects.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Blog Assignment: My Family Culture


OMG….this would be so hard to endure! However, the first thing that came to mind was my photo album which includes my parents, siblings and my immediate family.  I would take album because my photos are very important to me and present who I am as an individual and also my family.  If I wasn’t able to remain in the US then these pictures would be the only representation of my culture and my family’s culture.
I would also take all of my letters and cards I have saved over the years from friends, family and my husband.  These items are very important to me also because again it shows the love and compassion of my friends and family and our culture.  My husband and I were childhood sweet hearts and have been married for nearly 20 years and I have every love letter he and I ever wrote to one another, money couldn’t buy them!  If I have collected and saved these items for over 20years there is no way I would part with them now.
I would also take my family bible.  I would not say I’m the most religious person however, I believe in God, I pray, I teach my children about God and try to live my life in a Godly way, but my bible would have to go with me and my family.  Another reason why I would insist of taking our bible is because we maybe going to a country where a bible isn’t in existence or where God is not believed in.  But most of all in order to get through this ordeal me and my family must have faith in God and be able to read the bible for strength!  
OMG not again, this would be so terrible if I could only take one item with me! I just honestly can’t say what I would do in that situation until I had to live through it, but I suppose I would have to take my Bible because this would be a living hell as it is but without the Bible for spiritual strength my family wouldn’t or would have a very-very hard time surviving.
I know I pictured this ordeal to be a very bad situation, however, If could have choose the country my response wouldn’t have been so bad. Therefore, not knowing what country we might be sent to I had to think the worst case scenario.  My insight was gained through thinking how difficult it must be for other nationalities to come over to the US and make a new home for their family and considering the US to be the land of well being and prosperity.