Microaggressions - Everyday life!

This week as I conducted my normal routine I found myself noticing microaggressions everywhere.  One that sticks out most from the week was a comment made by a coworker.  One of the ladies I work closely with is about twenty six and recently has been talking about going back to get her master’s degree.  Another colleague walked in the other day and said, “So, are you going to get your Master’s?” She said, “No. I decided to not do it right now because I want to stay home when I have children.”  At this time he started to say things that seemed were gender bias.  He would ask why are woman so set on staying home.  Then, he said, “It must be nice to stay at home.” This comment really made me feel like he viewed being home as a negative thing.  I then felt compelled to give reasons why this is an important time in a child’s life.  I felt myself getting very upset with him for not understanding the benefits of having a mother be with her child during those early years of life.  I also realized I have learned to deal with microaggression by trying to laugh things off.  I had then said to him in a joking way, “I will be calling your girlfriend and giving her advice.”  I guess humor is a way to cope rather than anger, nevertheless I hope to find a way to talk about these microaggressions in a way that can be positive for everyone involved in the conversation. 

Culture/ Diversity

After studying diversity in my course the similarities of culture that match my course were the fact that a culture can represent a group of people that are grouped together with a commonality.   

 Diversity was viewed as variety.  One person gave the example of the environment and how there are different plants and animals growing and thriving together.  I liked this example of diversity.  The diversity profile that was express by the group of people polled was similar in the fact that expressed how diversity was the willingness to accept people with different behaviors and beliefs.

The things that were omitted from the answers I received were the facts that deep culture was not represented in the answers.  One person answered that culture was a group of people that had the same ideas and thoughts.  This struck me as surface culture rather than deep culture.  Just because someone is part of a culture does not mean they have the same thoughts and ideas as someone else that is considered part of the same culture. 

After thinking about how others view culture and diversity it has influenced me to be cautious of the words I use to describe culture.  Culture is such a broad topic and in order to be diverse and accepting I need to be mindful of the words I use.  One feeling I have about diversity after completing this assignment is the fact that diversity is an attitude and a choice.  People who accepting of others are making the choice to do so and are conscious of the way they interact with others. Talking about diversity and keeping it at the forefront of your thoughts help you to be cautious of your own behavior.

 

A major catastrophe has almost completely devastated the infrastructure of your country. The emergency government has decided that the surviving citizens will be best served if they are evacuated to other countries willing to take refugees. You and your immediate family are among the survivors of this catastrophic event. However, you have absolutely no input into the final destination or in any other evacuation details. You are told that your host country’s culture is completely different from your own, and that you might have to stay there permanently. You are further told that, in addition to one change of clothes, you can only take 3 small items with you. You decide to take three items that you hold dear and that represent your family culture.

• A description of the three items you would choose
• The three items I would bring with me are:
  I would bring is a picture of me and my family sitting on the front porch.
  An old family recipe of chili
  My daughter’s saxophone
  I would bring the picture of the front porch because it represents many different things.  The rocking chair in the picture is one that I received as a mother’s day gift and I enjoy drinking coffee in it in the mornings and evenings.  Kids gather and eat ice cream on the porch stair, and we gather on the porch some nights to tell stories. This is meaningful in our culture – to connect in a world full of electronics.
  I would bring my old family recipe of chili and I would explain to others that this is a recipe we enjoy many times in the cold months of Ohio.
  I would also bring my daughters saxophone. This is my daughters most prized possession and I would bring this because I would want to hear her play. It would also be a testament to what children may be like in the United States. Her enthusiasm and love for the music would show who she is and a window into what we like as a family.  
  • Your feelings if, upon arrival, you were told that you could only keep one personal item and have to give up the other two items you brought with you
  • Any insights you gained about yourself, your family culture, diversity, and/or cultural differences in general, as a result of this exercise,
  If I had to give up two items and keep only one, I would keep my daughters saxophone.  This would be something that would help us to live in the moment by listening to her play and by making new memories with her saxophone. It would tell a lot about our family and who we are. This exercise has made me think about how important the family itself is.  Things can always be replaced as long as the ones you love are with you. This means everything!  I would only hope to find people in the new country to be open to our culture and traditions.  I realize after this exercise how important it is for us to welcome people who are new to our culture and how being welcoming and open to new ideas and thoughts is important. 
  
  
   
  
  

Education