Download Personal Cultural Response Project

Student Project: A Personal Cultural History
As we begin to look at social relations, you will engage in some self-reflection in a brief written report. We will use
this information in a class discussion but you will only be asked to share if you chose to do so. The following
questions are intended to help you describe and reflect upon your own personal cultural history. Please response to at
least 5 of the 7 questions in well written sentences.
1. Describe the earliest memory you have of an experience with a person or people of a cultural or ethnic group
different from your own.
2. Who or what has had the most influence in the formation of your attitudes and opinions about people of different
cultural groups? In what way?
3. What influences in your experience have led to the development of positive feelings about your own cultural
heritage and background?
4. What influences in your experience have led to the development of negative feelings, if any, about your own
cultural heritage or background?
5. What changes, if any, would you like to make in your own attitudes or experiences in relation to people of other
ethnic or cultural groups?
6. Describe an experience in your own life when you feel you were discriminated against for any reason, not
necessarily because of your culture.
7. How do you feel you should deal with (or not deal with) issues of cultural diversity in American society?
When you submit your written responses, please indicate whether or not I may read their responses (anonymously, of
course) in class. You should not feel pressure to disclose your responses if they are reluctant to do so. You should share
your thoughts only to the extent you feel comfortable.
Adapted from the following source: Paul Pedersen. 110 experiences for multicultural learning (pp. 240–241). Copyright
2004. Reprinted by permission of the American Psychological Association.