Students will place themselves in another culture and feel what it is like to be a minority member of that particular cultural community. For this exercise, culture will be defined broadly, but a context should be selected to create at least a minimum of discomfort as the student experiences different habits, ideas, values, etc. At the same time, a student should always use judgment in regard to their personal safety in selecting an environment in which to experience these concepts (please, no getting arrested, entering a World Wide Wrestling main event, or joining the Mafia for a day, etc). The goal for the student will be to “make the strange familiar and the familiar strange”. Examples will be discussed in class to facilitate the student selection of an appropriate plunge site. Students must initiate a plunge this semester–no prior events may be used. An Evaluation Rubric is attached.
(1) The place and the activity
I went to a Jehovah's Witness church - A Kingdom Hall is what they call it.
For some reason I was surprised to find one in Sapulpa where I live. (Maybe
I thought Jehovah's witnesses weren't as common as they are.) I went to a
Sunday service - from 10am to 12 noon. I had called a Kingdom Hall in Tulsa,
and gave my phone number to a lady who called a gentleman in Sapulpa. Within
30 minutes he called me and invited himself and his wife to my house, or invited
me to a "meeting" on Sunday. I didn't want them to know where I
live (-Bad I know), but let him know I Might be to the meeting on Sunday.
(2) Majority population (how you were a minority) and why you selected this
group.
I was the minority here because I've never talked to any Jehovah's witness
with any real interest other than arguing with them over their beliefs. I
also was the only one of two people there in Jeans. I was fairly obviously
a newbie, and was welcomed by a nice lady there who seemed to tolerate my
ignorance fairly well. 8) She turned out to be the wife of the gentleman I
spoke with who lives in Sapulpa. I was hooked up with reading material, a
bible that has been rewritten to include Jehovah where the name Jehovah "should
be," and other reading material. I was not in a privileged position because
according to them and their belifs I was going to die permanently (there is
no hell it was explained as a misinterpretation) because I was not a "friend
of Jehovah" yet.
I picked this place because of all the suggestions - that was the least likely I think I could agree with. Since I couldn't (didn't want to) find any Satanists, and other suggestions such as "find a leper colony or nudist colony" didn't hold any appeal - I figured this one would do. (That sounded REALLY bad - but those were the suggestions, and I'm being totally honest. I had used my support systems - friends/family - to help me decide on a course of action with this assignment.) I believe growth happens when we can see the point "the other side" makes, and disagree/agree with it and broaden our knowledge thusly.
(3) Your thoughts and feelings before, during and after the experience.
Hm... My thoughts before this experience were that I really didn't want to
do this (was antisocial that day), and that I just didn't want them to come
knocking at my door (I hate to say NO to people). I went in with an open mind,
and let them know that I was curious about their beliefs and traditions, and
about their religion in general. For some reason I was surprised that they
call themselves Christian... I don't know why.
Some of the things I noticed were: it was very structured, they read a lot
out of the bible (Not King James version), and they conducted a class-type
meeting from a magazine that introduced a topic of discussion, and referenced
itself back to the bible. There were 2 songs that were sung - and they weren't
very ... uplifting? There wasn't a whole lot of "spirit" felt in
the church. (I've only been to a church where they jump around and
fall over each other once, when I was young, and it scared me - but even by
conservative standards they were pretty calm. No Amens were said just whenever.
Also, when people sneeze - no one says bless you. (I'm a weirdo for noticing
these things, and I'll put a disclaimer that maybe that's not something they
Don't do - it just didn't happen). When I went to church, we had sunday school
class first, and "big church" with the whole congregation last.
Here the meetings were in the same room, and everyone was there. The kids
weren't called Brother or Sister, but all the adults were alled "Brother
___" or "Sister ___". There were about 50 people there, and
although the congregation was fairly with regards to skin color, I didn't
see a lot of other cultures represented (as in obviously Asian, etc.). Also,
there were very few "children" there, and the youngest I saw was
probably 10.
(4) How this experience enhances your ability to practice at the micro, mezzo
and macro levels.
Hmmm... In the micro level - they had some good points about not comparing
yourself to others (they were speaking of tithing, and giving to the church,
but it also goes to other areas of life). You give what you can - everyone
gives their 100% of themselves and dedicates themselves to a cause (this one
just happens to be being "Jehovah's friend"). At the Mezzo level,
church as a support group was reinforced. They hold meetings during the week
at different members houses, and one lady said that it was the best day of
the week besides Sunday. At the macro level - they talked about their members
numbering 60k and more around the United States. As a group they can effect
change, and they try and do so by witnessing all over the US.
(5) Any other insights
I think I've detailed enough. lol.
Oh - even the older ladies/gentlemen at the church I grew up in didn't know
their bibles HALF as well as these people did. There were chapters and verses
shot-gunned into the sermon and pages were turning and I felt like falling
off my chair because they were soooo very good at finding their bibles, and
knowing them inside and out. (during the class portion, members would raise
their hands and give their take on the sermon with scripture to back it up.)
Also - I got pegged. After the service, the gentleman I spoke with who invited
me asked me if I was there as a class project. I told him that I was genuinely
interested in their religion, and that I indeed had an assignment but that
it allowed me the courage and push to seek them out and learn more about them.
8)
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I attended the Chinese New Years celebration at Tulsa Community College southeast campus on January 17th. The majority of the audience consisted of people who were Chinese. I chose this population due to interest in the Chinese culture. On more than one occasion, I have seen different Chinese celebrations on television and I have always had that desire to attend one of these celebrations for myself. At this event, I had the opportunity to see the Lion dance, Bamboo dance, fashion show, martial arts demonstration, performers singing solo songs, and various other performances. The martial arts demonstration was my favorite event of the evening, but I thoroughly enjoyed the whole celebration.
I learned of this particular event during the past week and from that point I was excited to have the opportunity to witness the Chinese celebration. Before the event, I was anxious and a little nervous, because the event would be new to me and I had no idea of how the Chinese population would react to me. Once I got to the event, I spotted a group of about 20 Chinese young men and I chose to sit near them. Immediately, as I found a seat I noticed their “welcoming” nature. I was greeted with smiles and a few “hello’s” which immediately helped alleviate my anxiety. Overall, I witnessed a genuine respect among the Chinese people for each other and complete strangers. The group of young men were from China and they were in the United States and presently students at Spartan Aeronautics. They were at this particular event as a choir; they were one of the last performances of the night.
Many of the performances, such as the comedy skits and songs were conducted in the Chinese language. Even though I was fascinated at the performances, I would have liked to have known some of the interpretations of the songs. I felt isolated at times, not knowing what the jokes were or the meaning of songs. I got a real good experience of a language barrier between two cultures. I found myself thinking that there is so much that could be learned regarding other cultures. This feeling of isolation made me think to my own culture. In my church, the services and music are conducted in my Native American language. I realized how people who may not be aware of my culture, or who may not understand the language, would feel during the church services.
After the celebration, I had the desire to learn more in regards to the Chinese culture. I would like to research some of the dances and to educate myself about the meanings of the dances. Something that I kept thinking about is the beauty of the Chinese culture. I saw that beauty in the gracefulness of the dance routines, in the costumes, and in the singing. There is evidence that the performers took pride in their culture and they wanted to perform to perfection. I seen a strong cultural connection by observing the Chinese people in the audience, they continually cheered on the performers, showing equal respect for all performers.
This experience enhanced my awareness of other cultures. I was provided the opportunity to learn to be more sensitive and appreciative of other cultures. I realized if I ever have to work with the Asian population, I understand they have a strong identification with their culture. One of the most remarkable occurrences of the evening is when the host announced that they would have a group singing. Many of the performers got on stage and he said that they would sing folk songs that all Chinese people across the world would know. Every time they would start a new song, the Chinese people in the crowd would break out in cheers and applause. The greatest lesson I learned from this event is that the Chinese find so much strength in each other and their culture. I believe that whether working on the micro, mezzo, or macro level the clients culture identity can be one of the greatest tools, a readily source of strength. In regards to the Chinese culture, I believe it would be imperative to display warmth, empathy, and genuineness in interactions with the Chinese people. I feel these are traits that characterize this culture.
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1) The place and the activity?
I attended a Buddhist service at Tam Bao Buddhist Temple on Sunday.
2) Majority population (how were you a minority) and why you selected this group?
I was surprised to see that the majority population appeared to be Caucasian, there appeared to be four people who were Asian and one African American. I guess I am guilty of stereotyping the Buddhist religion by assuming that the majority of people would be Asian. Also, I assumed the person who led the service would be a male and would be Asian. The person who actually led the service was a Caucasian women with blonde hair. I was a minority because I am not familiar with the Buddhist religion and the ceremonial traditions. Also, I have never known anyone who practices the Buddhist faith. I selected this group because I knew I would feel uncomfortable attending a religious service of a faith that I am unfamiliar with, and was curious to learn more about the Buddhist religion. I looked at the temple's website on the internet, and it appeared to be welcoming of visitors. The site provided information to visitors about needing to take your shoes off before entering the temple, and also provides visitors with a folder to follow along with the order of the service.
3)Your thoughts and feelings before, during, and after the experience?
Before the experience I was nervous or had a fear of the unknown. I was unsure about what might occur during a Buddhist service; would it be a relaxing, informal experience; or would it be formal and tense where I would feel out of place. I also worried about how that religion would react to someone with a disability and whether the temple would be fully wheelchair accessible. I was nervously excited and curious, but at the same time I was worried and ready to finish the plunge experience. I worried about what to wear to a service, and whether it was permitted for a women to wear make-up. During the experience, when we pulled up to the temple it was surrounded by a chain-link fence and had a house in the front with bars on every window, which made me nervous. Before entering the temple I had to take my shoes off outside of the temple. I went inside and picked up a folder for the visitors. People have the options of sitting on pillows or sitting on a chair at the back of the room. It is considered rude if you extend your leg out and point it to the front of the temple where the statues are located. If you choose to sit on a pillow you must keep your legs bent. I parked my scooter next to the chairs located at the back of the room. I parked my scooter horizontally so the front of my scooter would not face the front of the temple, where the statues are located. I am not sure if I needed to park that way, but I was worried about appearing rude. The service proceeded just as I had imagined, it was a very relaxing, informal, soft-spoken service. The service consisted of the offering of incense where candles were lit, mantras were spoken, then they had a 15 minute silent meditation period, followed by a healing mantra, a prayer chosen by the leader, a speaker (sermon), and the closing mantra. Throughout the service at the end of the mantras everyone would bow and the leader would ring a bell three times. During the speaking of the mantra one of the men softly thumped a drum. After the experience, I was much calmer and found the experience fascinating. I noticed a slight similarity between Buddhism and other religions. The service emphasized not judging others, but instead treating them with respect and engaging in introspection of yourself. I was somewhat glad the experience was over, because of all the apprehension I felt due to not knowing what to expect. I must say that now, I would not be nervous to go to a Buddhist temple after having such a nice experience and a new understanding of the Buddhist faith.
4)How this experience enhances your ability to practice at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels?
This experience enhances my ability to practice at the micro level by helping me to understand how the client might feel vulnerable, nervous, and maybe reserved during the initial worker-client meeting. This experience stressed how important it is to use warmth, empathy, genuiness, and conversation at the beginning of an interview to help ease the client's anxiety. Also, I learned that people may have differences or unique qualities, but that as a professional I should appreciate each individual's uniqueness. The uniqueness also could be a source of strength to the client. Out of this uncomfortable experience, I feel that I developed a strength of learning how to handle an uncomfortable situation where I am the minority. When I felt out of place, by not knowing what to expect, the folders that contain the service program/steps made me feel more comfortable. I was able to understand the order of the service and to participate. This could be applied to the worker-client setting by letting clients' know what to expect during current and future sessions to help them feel more relaxed. I also noticed how environmental factors affected my perceptions and experiences. When I first arrived the fence and house with bars made me uncomfortable, but as I sat in the temple I began to feel more comfortable due to the soft sounds and the candles. The environment really influenced my experience. This indicates to me that a worker should try to make their office or space as comfortable as possible because the setting could impact the client's interactions and feelings. At the mezzo level, I gained an understanding of what it feels like to not be a member of a group. By communicating with a client about what to expect in sessions and encouraging the client to share the feelings and ideas could help the client feel included in the intervention process. At the temple I felt very welcomed because they welcomed the visitors and told the group about upcoming events, but no one came up and talked with me. The atmosphere is much quieter and reserved compared to the churches I am familiar with attending. I feel that in the worker-client relationship it would be important to visit with the client and respect their ways of communicating. Some clients may take longer to discuss issues, due to different backgrounds and personal qualities. Also, having a schedule lined out would help each member to feel included, similar to the temple handing out a program schedule for visitors. At the macro level, I can see a huge need for advocacy on behalf of minority clients. During the process of trying to pick a plunge experience, I noticed that not many places exist that encourage or promote one's own ethnic culture. There is only one Buddhist temple that I could find, one Greek Orthodox, and one Hindu church. In my opinion, people's ethic culture is a source of strength that needs to be supported and taken seriously. I could understand how a person who is new to the United States could feel so uncomfortable; they probably feel just like I felt today. In my opinion, it would be a stressful life living as a minority which would require a great deal of adaptation to adjust to the majority culture.
5) Any other insights?
This experience really reinforced the fact that education about other cultures
is important to reduce stereotypes and to help us gain a new perspective.
I learned that the Buddhist faith has many strengths, and is a source of community
and support to the members.
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My cultural plunge was to go to a local bar that is homosexua in order to
see if they acted different when they were among their peers. I apologize
in advance if I do not use the politically correct wording in the following
description. It is hard to know who will take offense to what terminology.
I use the term homosexual as I went to two different bars which I called gay
bars and found the gay community uses the term lesbian bars for the female
and gay bars for the male.
I chose to take this cultural plunge because it is difficult for me to see
the differences in gays and heteros except in their sexual preference. I wanted
to see if their social life was any different and how I would respond to what
I saw. Would there be a more outward display of affection in a bar that was
of their peers
First off my comfort level was jeopardized as I do not do the "bar scene"
in my own life. My initial thoughts about what I would encounter is that I
would walk in and it would be wall to wall females and they would all turn
and stare and know I was an outsider. For support I took my son's fiance,
Jordan, with me who is petite, long blond hair and so cute. If anyone was
to get hit on it would be her and I could observe.
I went Friday night to T&T's which is a lesbian bar. Upon entering it
was like any other small bar. Smokey, music playing and no one on the dance
floor. I was uncomfortable when entering and to compensate for that we chose
to go sit by the pool tables and observe rather than sit at a table close
to the dance floor. Upon observation I found the most surprising thing about
the bar is that there were a number of male and female couples there as well
as gay guys. I thought it would be strictly a female bar. We watched a couple
play a game of pool and then were asked to join which we did. They were open
and shared some about the culture. They picked out who they thought were visitors
and who is homosexual. They pointed to a table of four women and picked out
the one who they felt was lesbian and stated the other three were probably
her straight friends and were there for support. They said there are a lot
of "clicks" in the bar and these people stick together. If clientel
changes it is hard to fit in for awhile. When questioned why male/female couples
would come to a lesbian bar they said it could be to pick up someone for a
threesome or maybe they just liked the small bar atmosphere. A gay man approached
Jordan and asked her to dance. He told her not to be afraid as he was gay.
He was also very drunk. She declined. This couple told us about a gay bar,
Stars, that is larger and has more going on after 10 PM so we took their suggestion
and decided to explore further. Stars was definitely louder, smokier, and
a different clientel. There did not appear to be as many male/female couples
and fewer female couples then the lesbian bar. My first shocker of the evening
was when I had to use the bathroom. When I went in there were two doors but
both led to the same bathroom. There was a guy coming out and he said "I
left the lid up but you can put it down." What a weird feeling after
coming from segregated bathrooms. There was more activity on the dance floor
at the larger bar and it was quite fun to watch the guys dance. You do not
have to have a partner to be on the floor and most do not. There were never
any slow songs played. There was one guy who approached us and just stood
by Jordan and stared. He waited until we initiated a conversation. It turned
out he had more in common with a couple next to us. The time went by fast
and at 12 o'clock we decided to leave.
I chose going to a bar because I thought I would see more interaction between
homosexuals that would appear different. I did not find this.
My thoughts after the experience is I did not feel uncomfortable watching
same sex dance together or even be there as couples. However, I did not see
any kissing of same sex or outward display of affection and that might have
been uncomfortable. There were older men and some men hugging the dancer that
was on a platform but mostly it was drinking and visiting with one another.
In my experience at heterosexual bars there is definitely more interaction
as far as flirting, kissing, touching and trying to pick someone up. I thought
the same would be going on at a gay/lesbian bar. I may not have been at the
right bar.
In my practice how would I handle a situation involving a homosexual. I would
handle it the way I would with the any culture. In the mezzo and macro level
I will attempt to advocate for changes in the agency and political arena in
situations that would discriminate against someone due to their sexual preference.
This experience in no way allowed me to see what a person goes through when
they are shunned or disowned by their own family and friends due to their
sexuality. I do not know what one could do to feel what it is like to be homosexual
and the lifestyle or freedom of expression they are not allowed to show in
public. I think like so many things we encounter in life you don't really
know what it is like until you personally experience it.