Portfolio

Section #5:  Project Implicit

Go to implicit.harvard.edu/implicit

This online project is associated with fascinating research about attitudes toward various aspects of nondominant cultures.  It is well known that people don’t always “speak their minds” and it is suspected that people don’t always “know their minds.”  Understanding such divergences is important to scientific psychology and for our purposes concerning cross-cultural perspectives.  The Project Implicit web site presents a method that demonstrates the conscious-unconscious divergences much more convincingly than has been possible with previous methods.  Research using this new method has been conducted at the University of Washington, University of Virginia, Harvard, and Yale. 

On the Project Implicit web site you will find a Demonstration Site and a Research Site.  Choose the Demonstration Site.  There you will find preliminary information and an “important disclaimer.”  Read over this material carefully before you proceed, knowing there is a possibility of encountering interpretations of your test performances with which you may not agree.  If you opt not to proceed please talk with me about an alternative assignment.  (Over the past five years, not a single student has opted out!)

As you continue you can choose from about 15 possible tests that interpret your responses to various aspects of nondominant perspectives, cultures, views and traditions (such as Asian-European American, African-European American, Arab Muslim-Other People, and Native-White American). 

Choose any five of the tests (of the 15 or so, the categories vary over time) and complete them.  In other words, you can choose the tests according to your personal reasons. 

Copy the results of your tests to be included in the Portfolio as explained for this section under the menu item “Online Work.”  With reference to the results from the tests, analyze your findings.  You must provide a copy (screen shot) of your results. The copies of test results should follow your discussion of these questions:

Interpretation of Results

1) Explain to what extent you agree or disagree with the interpretations provided.  

Relevance to Cultural Diversity

2) What does this entire assignment have to do with a general education course with the “cultural diversity” distinction? 

Relevance to Cross-Cultural Perspectives of Tourism

3) What does this assignment have to do with cross-cultural perspectives of tourism?

Length:  Three 

     section 6

Go to voluntourism.org

Review the home page to understand the resources available on this web site and to get a feeling for what VolunTourism is.  On the menu (left screen) under “Who Are You?” click on “Traveler.”  Read this page on VolunTourism for Travelers.

The Difficult Questions

1.  Click on “Getting Started” and read.  Complete the following exercise in this section:  The Difficult Questions.  Start by answering “Where do I want to go?”  Then complete Questions #1-10.  Add to your Portfolio.

Insights about Trip Preparation

2.  Under “Quick Links” click on “Trip Preparation” and read.  (Note that we skipped the section on “Trip Selection.”)  After carefully reading the material, list three important insights you gained about trip preparation.  Add to your Portfolio.

Processing Experiences

3.  Under “Quick Links” click on “Processing Experiences” and read.  What is your response to this section?  In other words, what do you think of the advice given about Processing Experiences?  Present at least three insights you gained.  Add to your Portfolio.

Post-Trip

4.  Under “Quick Links” click on Post-Trip and read. What is your response to this section?  In other words, what do you think of the advice given about Post-Trip?  Present at least three insights you gained.  Add to your Portfolio.

Summary of Articles

5.  Next, read the five articles that are posted on our Blackboard course management site for this assignment (click on “Online Work”) and summarize each of the articles (two to three paragraphs for each). Add to your portfolio.

1- http://www.voluntourism.org/news-soyouknow54.htm

2- http://www.voluntourism.org/news-soyouknow64.htm

3- http://www.voluntourism.org/news-wisdom64.htm

4- http://www.voluntourism.org/news-feature272.htm

5- http://www.voluntourism.org/news-feature143.htm

VolunTourism for You?

6.  Finally, is VolunTourism something you would consider in future travel plans?  Why or why not?  Add to your Portfolio.

Length:  Six pages