Due: Thursday, February 27, 2014; 11am
1. Do you often find yourself forming misconceptions about others based on their backgrounds or culture? If so how can you become more competent? If not how do you keep from forming any misconceptions?
2. How would you describe the U.S.? Which metaphor do you believe most accurately describes the U.S. and all of the cultures within?
2. How would you describe the U.S.? Which metaphor do you believe most accurately describes the U.S. and all of the cultures within?
1. In middle school, I loved getting into debates and I always argued about things I actually knew nothing about. I listened to whatever the elders around me said. My parents are republicans. So I found out what Republicans generally think, and I always argued those points. I would speak out against gay marriage, yet I believe in equal rights for gay marriage. I would speak out against the Muslims because thats who everyone else was blaming for 9/11. Since middle school, thankfully I have formed my own opinions on topics. For instance, I support gay marriage. Through this class I learned more about the Islamic faith so I have more of an open mind towards that faith. I think to become more competent I need to work on hearing all sides of an argument. This means that I'll have to listen to multiple news channels to get different views. I think to avoid misconceptions, it is important to obtain facts from a reliable and creditable source. In the modern world, media tends to bend the truth to make us believe one thing or another. To avoid misconceptions, you almost have to have tunnel vision when watching the news. Don't listen to the opinions, but rather listen to the facts.
ReplyDelete2. I would describe the U.S. as a paint palette. On a paint palette holds many different colors, and the artist takes small amounts of colors to make a new color. While all the different colors have their separate area, they can be mixed together to create something original. In the U.S. we have many different races, ethnicities, religions, languages, cultures, traditions, etc. The great part about being in the U.S. is that so many of these groups can intermix and do great things. Wether they create a diverse business, an intercultural neighborhood, a baseball team, or anything else, the collaborative effort makes a beautiful result. I do think that some groups experience discrimination. I think the U.S. has a lot of work to do when it comes to being entirely accepting of all cultural groups. Every decade I think we make progress. Hopefully, the future paint palette will have less separate colors, and will instead host a variety of unique combinations.
1. Although I like to think of myself as a very non-judgmental person I do find that I sometimes form misconceptions about others based on where they came from. I don't mean to do it in a nasty way, but I think it is sort of just human nature to misunderstand something because it isn't what we are used to. I guess in order for me to become more competent of other cultures I have to be open minded. I feel that if I was more open to just understanding why I made a misconception, then I would be more aware of the differences between my culture and theirs and I wouldn't just be guessing. I think the basis of becoming more competent is to just learn more and to know that you will have differences, but that doesn't mean one culture is right and one culture is wrong.
ReplyDelete2. One metaphor that I have heard in relation to the U.S. and its many different cultures is that its like a quilt or tapestry. I really like this metaphor and I think it fits the description of America's different cultures. So many cultures have migrated to America and have settled here that they have formed little cultural groups in certain areas of the U.S. The best example I can think of is Chicago because within Chicago there is China town and Little Italy and many other cultural groups. This relates to the metaphor of the quilt because each cultural group is like a square on the quilt and the stiches in between is the American culture that we have in common. I think that the U.S. holds all the cultures together and reminds us that we are all just humans living in the world together.
1. Occasionally, I find myself forming misconceptions about others based on their backgrounds or cultures because I might judge too quickly. I try not to judge people and be open minded to other's backgrounds and beliefs because I know it is important to except everyone. God created everyone in his image and even though we are all different, we have to be accepting to what people believe or do. I can become more competent by learning more about other's cultures so I am not forming any misconceptions. This will allow me to see the world how other's see it.
ReplyDelete2. I describe the U.S as a "melting pot" because it is filled with many different people. One metaphor I would use to describe the U.S and all of the cultures within is diverse. People come from so many different backgrounds and cultures. For example, when I walk down the streets of downtown Chicago I see different races of people including, African American, Mexican, Caucasian, Arab, and many more. This is an example of how diverse our country is. Many people here have left their countries and lives behind to start new lives here in the United States.
1) I do not think that I form misconceptions about other cultures because I grew up in a very culturally diverse area so I have been exposed to many different cultures my whole life. I try not to make generalizations about people when I first meet them because I know that all people are different and it is not fair to make assumptions without knowing someone first. I find that people have made cultural generalizations about me for most of my life, and I know how frustrating it can be, so I try not to do it to other people to save them that frustration.
ReplyDelete2) I think that the US is like a melting pot because moving to the US allows people to come together and share their cultures. They are able to keep their own culture while adopting other people's and sharing theirs with everyone that they meet. The US is just a huge mix of everyones' cultures because we have all come together to share one place.
1) I do not usually find myself forming misconceptions about different cultures. I always try to maintain an open mind when interacting with people of a different culture, however I will admit that sometimes I feel uncomfortable at the same time. The uncomfortable feeling comes from not knowing enough about the other culture to communicate effectively. The best way for me to combat this feeling is to simply ask questions about their culture so I can better educate myself on other cultures.
ReplyDelete2) I think the US is like a salad bowl with dressing. I say this because we have a lot of different groups mixing in one place. All these groups remain separate, but also rub off on each other. The American culture is taking on some of the practices from the incoming cultures, but at the same time these new cultures are staying true to themselves and holding on to their beliefs and practices as well as assimilating to the American culture.
1.Even though I try my best, I do find myself forming misconceptions about others sometimes. When I see people practicing different things because it is part of their culture I tend to judge them. I hate when I catch myself judging others because I know that I do things differently from others and I don’t like when people judge me. Misconceptions can vary from one extreme to another. For example, a misconception can be as simple thinking that shaking a hand instead of kissing as a greeting is rude, but in some cultures this is how they greet others. I need to watch how I react when I see others treating others differently.
ReplyDelete2.I would describe the U.S. “a melting pot.” Our country is filled with so many different cultures and we are adapting a lot of their traditions and practices and making them our own. I heard that people are not using this metaphor as much to describe our country, but I still think that it is the perfect metaphor since pretty soon the minority will be the majority. I think that Caucasians will soon be the minority and then the melting pot metaphor will be extinct.
1.) Yes, I do often find myself forming misconceptions about others based off of their backgrounds or cultures. I think that the main reason i form these misconceptions are because they are all that I have been exposed to or heard about and partially because I may judge people too quickly if they aren't the same as me. I think that I can try to be more competent and open to others who come from different backgrounds or cultures by learning more about cultures that aren't just my own and even being more open minded to the world around me.
ReplyDelete2.) I would describe the U.S with the melting pot metaphor. In high school that was the main metaphor we used because America has many different cultures all mixed into one country (or pot). Like in a passage in the book that states "immigrants from many cultures came to the U.S. to work, live, mix, and blend together into one great assimilated culture" I think that is exactly how America is. There are so many diverse people in this country and everyone is just so intermixed that it forms a "melting pot". People come to this country because they know that they will be welcome and able to fit in a little bit easier due to all of the diversity.
1. As much as I would like to say that I don’t find myself forming misconceptions about others based on their backgrounds or culture, unfortunately I have. I think that all of us do at some point in our lives, and we tend to be proven wrong and people often surprise us. This can go either way. Just because someone comes from a good background doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re a good person, and just because a person has a rough background doesn’t mean that they will turn out badly. I think the best way that I can learn from judging others is simply by learning from my mistakes.
ReplyDelete2. I would describe the U.S. as a diverse country that has places nearly everyone can feel at home. One interesting metaphor that I found online to describe the U.S. is a “big brother.” I agree with this because the U.S. definitely stands up for what is right, and will defend others if need be, and sometimes we get involved in affairs that aren’t necessarily our issues.
1.) I try not to form any misconceptions about other based off their cultures or backgrounds because everyone is unique and it is impossible to put them all into one category to judge them, nor is it fair of me to do so. I don't want to be judged based off of my culture or what people might think my background is so I try to do the same for other people. I have to remind myself not to judge someone when I first meet them, and it's hard sometimes but I know that I could always be wrong about what I'm thinking and that I need to take the time to meet and get to know the person before making my judgments about their culture and background because that's what I would want them to do when meeting me.
ReplyDelete2.) In my high school history class we talked about how the United States was like a kaleidoscope and I have always thought of this as a really cool metaphor. Every person and culture is like a color and we all come together to make a the beautiful picture you see. We also talked about how when you turn the kaleidoscope that the colors change and move and that's an example of cultures changing and adapting and molding together into one another. Even though you keep turning the kaleidoscope and the colors or cultures keep changing and adapting, its still a beautiful picture. I think this is a great metaphor because it shows that all cultures change and adapt based off of each other and how we all work together to make something beautiful.
1. Unfortunately yes, I do form misconceptions about others based on their culture or backgrounds. I believe that it is in most peoples nature to in some way form a judgement whether it be good or bad about someone. I tend to take first impressions very seriously because I think that we portray who we want to be in front of people the first time we meet them. In order to not form misconceptions, I think it is crucial not to take past negative experiences into account when meeting new people. We need to have an open mind and be able to look past peoples different cultures especially when we first meet them.
ReplyDelete2. In my opinion the United States is a very greedy, work oriented society. We tend to be an egoistic society, meaning we are self oriented and focus on our own success before helping others. In some ways this can be a good thing but looking at it from a Christian perspective I think that God calls us to have more of an altruistic mindset. This means that we must put others first, which the United States seldom does. On the other hand, the United States is a very patriotic nation and we take pride in our country. I think that a metaphor for the United States would be that we are like stir-fry. There are many different cultures in one nation, yet we all come together as one in the end.
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ReplyDelete1. Unfortunately, I do find myself forming misconceptions about others based on their backgrounds/ culture at times, but I am continuously working against this habit. I think I do this because the stereotypes I heard as I grew up, situations I have been in, and the way society portrays certain people. Since I started stepping out of my comfort zone in the past few years, I have slowly but surely changed my misconceptions. I have first hand seen how people's backgrounds do not define them. I also have learned more about specific cultures, along with their beliefs and the reasons behind their actions. This has helped me to really understand why people do what they do. This is key to having tolerance. Education is the only way to understand behavior patterns that are foreign to you.
ReplyDelete2. I would describe the U.S. as diverse and hopefully evolving. We are extremely ahead of our time in some aspects but not in others. We are like a garden salad. We have all sorts of different ingredients, each toss might get you a different tasting salad. Garden Salads are the staple beginning to every meal, but you might not get exactly what you expected. There is no fixed arrangement to a garden salad.
1. I do sometimes find myself forming misconceptions about others based on their backgrounds or cultures. I think I do this because sometimes I am quick to judge when I see something that is not normal to me. I believe that most people have done this at least once in their life. I can become more by educating myself about other cultures. I think that this will help me to understand why people do the things that they do and it will help me be more opened minded.
ReplyDelete2. I would describe the U.S. as being very diverse because there is a wide variety of different cultures within our country. I would use the melting pot metaphor to describe the U.S. because it is filled with people of many different backgrounds and cultures living together. Living in the U.S. allows people to be apart of the culture that they were raised in while being able to learn about many different cultures as well.
1. Yes, I do often find myself forming misconceptions on other cultures. I think it is in human nature to do so because we fear the unknown. We need to take the time to learn how other people do things before we accept them. I can become more competent by being open to others views. Also I can be less judgemental to other cultures. My ways of living are probably a lot similar to their ways of living and I probably do not realize it because I do not take the time to learn their culture.
ReplyDelete2.I would describe the U.S. like I was always taught, that it is a melting pot. No race is different from the other. Our country is a bunch of cultures and races mixed together blened up to be one country that supposely accepts everyone. Almost everyone in America comes from another country and culture so we all have to be accpeting of this in the U.S. and blend to be one country that is open to others.
1. I would like to think that I don't form misconceptions when it comes to people of a different background or culture than my own, but I'm sure I have done it in the past. I think that people don't assume they are going to make these misconceptions, but it most likely ends up happening anyway. I can learn about other cultures more fully to become more competent.
ReplyDelete2. I would describe the US as a very diverse nation. The metaphor I would use to describe the US would be the "melting pot nation" one. There are some parts of the nation where the "melting" isn't happening very well. These places would have a lot of racial and culture issues.
1. I do find myself forming misconceptions about others based on their backgrounds or culture and I believe this is exactly what sterotyping is. I think that stereotyping is very inevitable and to most of society it is a norm we cannot get rid of. However, to become more competent, myself and others must educate one another about our cultures and put positive views on these stereoptypes rather than looking at the "abnormal" or negative aspects. This will help everyone understand why people are different and why we do the things we do based off culture.
ReplyDelete2. I would describe the United States as a growing country in the sense of culture. I believe we are diverse to begin with, but we are also becoming more and more diverse as time goes on. As John says above, the first thing that came to mind as a metaphor of the U.S was "the melting pot." This goes way back in history and is something I have always been educated on. I think it is the perfect explanation of our country and it is amazing that we are able to carry that reputation of "the melting pot" with us through centuries of our country's history.