Module 4 Journal

Comfort in Social Situations Worksheet

Instructions: Read the following statements and rate what you think your comfort level would be in each situation using the scale below. There are no right or wrong answers. Simply be honest with yourself and do not over-think the situations. However, the way you answer the questions may be different depending on your own social group membership, such as your race/ethnicity, gender, age, weight, or ability status. In some cases, you may not think a situation is personally applicable; if so, mark “N/A” in the space provided. After you have completed all sections, follow the instructions to create a total score for each section.

1 2 3 4 5 Very Comfortable Neutral Uncomfortable Very Comfortable Uncomfortable

Section A: _________ Your best friend starts dating a Latino-American. _________ You go into a Japanese restaurant where all the patrons and employees are Asian. _________ You realize you are the only person of your race when you visit a community. _________ A Saudi Arabian sits down next to you on a crowded bus. _________ Your new doctor went to medical school in India. Total: _________ Section B: _________ You find out a family friend is choosing to be a stay-at-home dad. _________ You greet someone but can’t determine the person’s gender. _________ You take your car in for repairs and the head mechanic is a woman. _________ You see a little boy playing with a princess Barbie. _________ You see a businessman getting a manicure. Total: _________

Section C: _________ You see two men holding hands. _________ A person of the same sex is flirting with you. _________ You move in next door to a same sex couple who have two children. _________ You go on a date with someone who used to date someone of the same sex. _________ You see two females kiss lovingly in public. Total: _________

Section D: _________ You don’t know whether to open a door for someone in a wheelchair. _________ You watch someone who does not have a visible disability park in a handicap spot. _________ You walk by a mentally disabled person who is talking loudly in the grocery store. _________ Your friend is dating someone with Aspergers Syndrome (high functioning autism). _________ You are standing in line behind a deaf person at a fast food restaurant. Total: _________ Section E: _________ A heavily obese person is working out in the gym next to you. _________ You are sitting next to an obese woman on a plane. _________You notice a coworker who is obese is holding up the cafeteria line because she/he

wants to fill the tray. _________ You watch an obese man get stuck trying to sit in a desk in a classroom. _________You friend sees an overweight person and makes a joke about him/her. Total: _________

Section F: _________There is a 30 year age difference between you and your lab partner. _________Your internship coordinator assigns you to an assisted care facility. _________Your senior citizen landlord wears a hearing aid and often has difficulty

understanding you. _________Your grandmother often asks you for help with her computer. _________Your 70-year-old next door neighbor can never remember your name. Total: _________ Results: Compute your total for each section by adding up the numbers from your responses. If you marked an item “N/A,” score it as a “3” before computing your total score for that section. Higher numbers indicate greater discomfort with social situations in that section. _________ Section A: Race _________ Section B: Gender _________ Section C: Sexuality _________ Section D: Disability _________ Section E: Weight _________ Section F: Age