Practicing Awareness of Microagression

Examples of microagression are everywhere.  When I watched the video for this week, I immediately began self-reflecting to see if anything I do would be considered microagression.  The first thing I thought of was when I deal with people who speak another language.  At my preschool there are several families who speak Spanish as a first language.  Unfortunately, I do not speak Spanish.  Sometimes my teachers are available for translation, but most of the time I try to communicate with them on my own.  I find myself speaking very slowly, but also much louder than I normally speak.  Although this is not something I do intentionally, I am sure they notice this.  I imagine it may make them feel as if I think they are stupid, or hard of hearing.  I will definitely be more conscious of this in the future.

Some other examples I can recall are girlfriends talking about guys they have dated.  I have heard statements like, "police officers are abusive", "latin men are controlling", and "jewish men are cheap".  These comments really irritate me.  I think classifying all people based on the actions of one or two you may  have come into contact with is a true sign of ignorance. 

The Definition of Culture and Diversity

The Definition of Culture and Diversity

RYAN: 

 Culture - the unique lifestyle, beliefs, and customs of a society.

Diversity - is different

HEATHER:

Culture is how we act based on how we were raised. Different people from various parts of the world or even the country are exposed to all kinds of experiences that shape us. Ways of thinking, acting, or even expressing ourselves is going to reflect our culture. Our parents pass onto us their culture and then when we have children we pass it on to them. The more culture we are exposed to the richer our lives can be!

Diversity is the variety of life and is what sets us apart from others. What a boring world we would live in if everyone was exactly the same.

LYN:

Culture is a way of life. It is a group of people. It is based on how people behave, their actions and values. Culture is shared and passed down through communication in actions. Diversity is knowing and accepting the variety of characteristics that make people. For example, age, gender, culture economic background, education, ethnicity, religious beliefs and political views all make up what makes people diverse.

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?

This course has taught me that culture does consist of the unique lifestyles, beliefs and customs of a society.  It also consists of the values that are embedded in us from how we were raised.  Our parents and surroundings influence the pieces of our culture we carry with us.  Diversity consists of differences and what sets us apart from others.  Examples are age, gender, economic background, ethnicity, religious beliefs and political views.

Which aspects have been omitted—and what are some examples of such omission?

I think what's truly important and is not emphasized in these definitions, is the fact that culture means something different to everyone.  Our circumstances and choices determine our own culture.  The way we were raised plants the seeds of our culture, but our personal decisions and life experiences formulate the way culture manifests in our lives. 

In what ways has thinking about other people’s definitions of culture and diversity influenced my own thinking about these topics?

We all view culture and diversity in a different light.  It is not only important to appreciate cultural diversity, but to respect the opinions of others in regards to the topic.

Family Culture

If I was being uprooted out of my country and was only allowed to bring three items to preserve my family's culture, I would choose the following:

• Family photo album
• Shoebox of cards and letters from family over the years
• Celtic Cross

The family photo album would allow me to look at the photos anytime and share them with those around me, as well as future generations.  The shoebox of cards and letters would express the sentiment and love we always felt for each other.  The Celtic cross would remind me of my Irish heritage and the fact that God is always with me.

If I was told I could only keep one of the three items upon arrival I would be hurt and angry.  It would be extremely hard to make such a decision.  I guess I would choose the photo album.  A picture is worth a thousand words, and no one can ever take God away from me, because he lives in my heart.

This excercise only reiterated the fact that the two most important things in my life are God and family.