Overview This assignment will give you an opportunity to learn about another culture by researching a different culture or diverse background.

Overview

This assignment will give you an opportunity to learn about another culture by researching a different culture or diverse background. Learning about culture and diversity in this way allows us to see how culture affects our worldview and relationships.

Preparation

Your instructor will ask you to identify a culture or diversity category you are interested in (other than your own) and conduct research on the culture.  Your research can include an interview with someone who represents the culture you are interested in.

Hour 1 – Friday, March 18 from 8:00 to 9:00 AM

Next, you will create a concept map for the culture that you have selected.

Your concept map should reflect your current ideas and impressions about the target culture. You don’t need to do any research to prepare your concept map. It does not need to be overly detailed, and there are no “wrong” answers. Be honest about your beliefs when you create the concept map. You will not show your map to the person that you interview.

Submit your draft concept map to the Dropbox, in the Draft Cultural Concept Map folder by the due date.

Hour 2 – Wednesday, March 23 from 4:00 to 5:00 PM

During this hour of class, you will conduct detailed research on the culture you have chosen.

·        Examine your draft concept map and prepare questions that will allow you an opportunity to challenge your existing ideas about the culture.

·        Using the questions you have prepared, conduct your research to find answers to the questions.

·        Remember, your main purpose is to confirm or challenge your original concept map. Keep this in mind during your research.

Hour 3 – Wednesday, March 23 from 5:00 to 6:00 PM

Following your research, create and submit a new concept map which is based on your revised perspective on the culture.  Next, write a reflection on the differences between the original and updated concept maps and on your experience.

Your reflection should be prepared in a question/answer format.  At the end, you can also write about other parts of your experience which aren’t covered by these questions. Your reflection should be between 450 and 550 words in length.

Guiding Questions for Your Reflection

·        In what ways does your revised concept map differ from your original?

·        In what ways are the two maps similar?

·        Is there one correct concept map for this culture? Why or why not?

·        In what ways will this experience change the way that you relate to members of this cultural group?

·        In what ways has this experience changed you?

·        Has this experience influenced the way that you view your own main culture? Why or why not?

Submit your revised concept map and your reflection to the Dropbox under the Revised Cultural Concept Map folder before the assigned due date.   Please review the rubric on Learn to see how you will be evaluated.

[1] Based on Through Another’s Eyes: Using Concept Mapping in Cross-Cultural Training by Paula Horvath-Neimeyer, as described in Developing Adult Learners by Taylor, Marienau, and Fiddler (2000), p. 170-171.