Awareness of Microaggressions

This week I was to observe my own and other people’s verbal interactions and detect examples of microaggression. Microaggressions are quick statements that contain insulting messages and can be based on any marginalized group. Whether it’s because I live and work around really kind people or because I don’t watch much T.V., I didn’t observe any microaggressions this week so far. Instead I did a little more reading about racial microaggressions and found this article while I was at it.

I've heard many microaggressions in my lifetime but off the top of my head I can just remember a few. There have been many times when people labeled someone who may be Asian as “Chinese” or “Japanese”. I probably made statements like that at one point or another before being more aware of stereotypes, discrimination and prejudice.Recently I heard someone describe someone as "retarted" and don't even get me started on people using the word "gay" as a synonym for dumb or stupid. I heard that far too many times when I worked with middle schoolers while I was in college. 

Sometimes microaggressions are spoken by well-intentioned individuals. It’s important to be aware of microaggressions and how they can impact the person they’re directed at. Microaggressions can make someone feel inferior, insulted and excluded. 

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

For this week’s blog assignment I was to ask three people to tell me their definition of culture and diversity. Their answer are as follows:

Person #1:

Culture: “The norms and practices of a group of people.”

Diversity: “A wide range of different kinds of things or people.”

Person #2:

Culture: “A person’s background. It shapes him and her into who they are today”

Diversity: “What sets someone apart from others.”

Person #3

Culture: “A collection of beliefs, gender, race, socio-economic status, language, values and more which guide our understanding of the world.”

Diversity: “All the ways one is unique compared to others in society.”

From what I have studied in this course, the people I have talked to touched on a number of important of aspects of these two words. Their responses about culture went beyond surface culture (artifacts, clothing, foods, holiday) and focused on deep culture.

Some additional items I could add to these definitions are as follows:

• -          Culture is learned from what’s around you. It’s a set of rules that governs what we do. Culture and gender are always connected.
• -          Some additional components to deep culture are: work, housing arrangements, religion, migration, ideas about education and many more.

This exercise was a good opportunity for me to think of my own definition of culture and diversity. I have certainly learned a lot about these two important words just from the first three weeks of this course. 

My Family Culture

EDUC 6164 Week 2

Scenario: 

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.

One of items that I would bring relating to my family culture would be a DVD with a collection of home videos from when I was little. These videos include footage of some relatives who are no longer living, vacations, birthday parties and random funny clips from my sister and I as children. I would also bring a family history book that I made full of photos and stories of my maternal grandparents and their ancestors and offspring. Finally, I would bring my recipe box full of many of my mom’s recipes including a number of recipes from her grandparents. If anyone asked me about the items I brought I would explain that each of them provide many memories for me and are preserving my family history so it can be passed down to future generations.

If, upon arrival, I was told that I could only keep one personal item and have to give up the two other items I would be devastated.  To have something so terrible happen to your country and then to have your precious memories taken from you would be unbearable.

Reflecting on this scenario I have had to take the time to really think about the items that are important to me as I have weighed the value of each of them. I would have a very hard time leaving many albums and pictures behind, as those are extremely important to me.