Week 1: What Is Culture?

Welcome to HUMN 4009: Cultural Humility and Diversity. Throughout this course, you will journey into the past experiences, beliefs, and values that have shaped you and examine them in light of new understandings. You will also practice openness and curiosity as you work toward being culturally humble in your life and work.

This week, we start with the concept of culture. Every person is introduced to their own unique cultural norms—the established ways of believing, being, and behaving—from their earliest years. This process, called primary socialization, is performed first by caregivers, then larger extended family and friends, then the schools and places of worship they may attend.?And, in more current times, media content and the frequency of exposure also play a pivotal role.?

Like the air we breathe, exposure to our particular culture is a round-the-clock yet invisible experience, so ever-present that we are rarely even conscious of it. ?

But we must awaken to our own unique cultural process before we can fully recognize and appreciate the cultures of others.?For this reason, the first week of this course is about coming to an increased awareness of your own unique culture.?Or, in other words, examining the invisible.?

Learning Objectives

Students will:

· Define diversity

· Describe the difference between cultural competency and cultural humility

· Illustrate the importance of cultural humility for professionals

· Identify cultural beliefs and values

· Analyze personal culture in terms of socialization

· Record diversity or homogeneity of surroundings

Learning Resources

Culture and Socialization

Lyon, G. E. (1999). Where I’m from. https://iamfromproject.com/i-am-from-george-ella-lyon/

Markman, A. (2015, March 19). What cultural differences can teach us about human nature. https://www.fastcompany.com/3043789/what-cultural-differences-can-teach-us-about-human-nature

University of Minnesota. (n.d.). Agents of socialization. In Sociology: Understanding and changing the social world. University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing. https://open.lib.umn.edu/sociology/chapter/4-3-agents-of-socialization/

Document: Socialization and Diversity Worksheet (Word document)

Cultural Competency and Cultural Humility

Ungvarsky, J. (2020). Cultural humility. In Salem Press encyclopedia. Grey House Publishing.

CSUN Family Focus Resource Center. (2019, January 23). Cultural competency & cultural humility [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eWb7N6MJ8A&feature=youtu.be

Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 16 minutes.

Walden University. (2020a). The importance of cultural humility [Video]. Walden University Blackboard. https://class.waldenu.edu

Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 4 minutes.

Accessible player

Credit: ""

THIS IS DUE TOMORROW 10/13/21 BY 11PM

Discussion: Cultural Competency and Cultural Humility

When you think of your culture, what comes to mind? Perhaps you think Black, Latinx, White. To many, the term “culture” is synonymous with “race or ethnicity.” But in fact, culture goes beyond those indicators to encompass many other elements of identity. Diversity, too, means more than just racial differences.

An understanding of culture and diversity is necessary as you explore how to respectfully interact with people who are different from you in a personal or professional capacity. Cultural humility is the cornerstone of this respectful interaction.

In this first Discussion, you examine cultural humility by comparing it with cultural competency and considering its importance in your field.

To Prepare

· Review your course announcements for possible information related to this week’s Discussion and Assignment.

· If you have not already done so, introduce yourself to colleagues in the Class Cafe in a way that is comfortable for you. Your Class Café introduction will not be graded, but it is required. Then, return to this Discussion.

· Review all of the Learning Resources assigned for this week. Pay special attention to the Cultural Competency & Cultural Humility video, and reflect on the difference between these two concepts.

By Day 4

Describe how broad or narrow your definition and understanding of the term “diversity” was, prior to reviewing the resource materials. Then, compare the concepts of cultural competency and cultural humility. Finally, referencing these materials, explain why cultural humility is important for professionals in your chosen discipline. Provide an example to illustrate the importance.

THIS IS DUE SATURDAY 10/16/21

Reflective Assignment: Your Unique Socialization Experience

Humans begin to learn the rules that govern their environments from their very first days. For instance, babies learn that if they are uncomfortable or feeling scared, and that if they cry long or hard enough, that someone will come and comfort them—or not. Babies learn too that if they dislike the taste of a certain food and spit it back out, they will be given something else to eat—or not. Each human group has its own rules—its own culture comprised of unique beliefs and ways of being and doing in the world. And individual people bring this culture with them into every human interaction.

For this Assignment, you complete two tasks—one designed to make visible the invisible process called primary socialization that you and every human being experiences from birth, and the other to bring awareness to the diversity or homogeneity in your everyday life.

Note that throughout the course you will engage in reflective assignments of a personal nature. The information you include within these particular assignments will be held as strictly confidential, and it will be your choice regarding what and how much you share with classmates.?

To Prepare

· Read Lyon’s “Where I’m From” poem in the Learning Resources.

· Reflect on your own cultural background, how you were raised, and your experiences with diversity.

· Download the Socialization and Diversity Worksheet from the Learning Resources.

By Day 7

Complete the Socialization and Diversity Worksheet to observe and reflect on your socialization into your culture and the diversity or homogeneity of your surroundings. Please be aware that there are no right or wrong answers for this exercise.

pur-new-sol

Related Questions