Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

Age-Sex	What is your definition of culture?	What is your definition of the definition of diversity?
Nineteen year old female	Something you identify with part of your identity.  Such as I’m black, I like upbeat music, Zydeco music spin on country music and has an African American music sound.  I like long hair my mails done.  Like Baptist , Pentecostal church don’t do quiet church	What make you different the difference between people in society
Eleven Year old male	A way of life past down by different ethnicity passed down through generations. How different people live.  Different people do different stuff	People being different.  There are no two people who are alike they are all different, special and unique.
Forty-nine  year old male	Applies to a way of life for a defined region mid-west east coast. Practices of norm with in a region	I look for equal representation of multiple races or things.  I think there has to be diversity not just one a variety.

·         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?

What I have learned was reflected in the answers such as: music, things pasted down from generation, things specific to regions, and ways we do things differently. 

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

In a broad since of what we have studied noting has been left out.  If more time or thought was given I think each person would have added more.  For the most part the definitions was covered.

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

My thinking has not changed. The responses from the 11 year old has given me hope in this world that appears for be going backwards in respect for others cultures and their diversity.   I think sometime we know the definitions but putting them into everyday practices is something totally different. 

My Family Culture

Think:

A major catastrophe has almost completely devastated the infrastructure of your country. The emergency government has decided that the surviving citizens will be best served if they are evacuated to other countries willing to take refugees. You and your immediate family are among the survivors of this catastrophic event. However, you have absolutely no input into the final destination or in any other evacuation details. You are told that your host country’s culture is completely different from your own, and that you might have to stay there permanently. You are further told that, in addition to one change of clothes, you can only take 3 small items with you.

 You decide to take three items that you hold dear and that represent your family culture.

I would do the following:

·         A description of the three items you would choose

1.     My Bible – that contains important facts and a bit of family history

2.    Paper/Pen

3.    Small photo album with key family members

·         How you would explain to others what each of these items means to you

1.    My Bible – My faith, and guidebook for no matter where I live

2.    Paper/Pen – to write and journal my new experiences

3.    Small photo album with key family members- If asked where did I come from it gives a small history lesson about my-self

·         Your feelings if, upon arrival, you were told that you could only keep one personal item and have to give up the other two items you brought with you

• My Bible it would keep me going and a reference in tough situations

·         Any insights you gained about yourself, your family culture, diversity, and/or cultural differences in general, as a result of this exercise.

• My faith is what grounds me in tough situations. 
• The exercise has made me think our culture is not made up of so many external items but internally what makes us

How would you as a reader respond and what is the single item you would take?