Powerpoint

INSTRUCTIONS: This assignment asks you to apply the humanizing skills from last week

and humanization as a concept in general. You will create a presentation that humanizes any

group, person, or community that you choose for the class. You will post your presentation

to a shared discussion for the class. Your project should introduce us to the

person/community in a way that shows how human they are or in a way that really

foregrounds their humanity. There are many approaches that you can use to humanize

someone/a group; some approaches include:

• Use the humanizing skills we have worked on so far in class; I am attaching a

complete list of the skills for you below.

• Show us real life photos

• Tell us real stories

• Contrast assumptions with realities

• Tell us what people don't know/don't see

• Help us imagine that we are this person or group and how we might feel in their

shoes

• Bring us into "A Day in the Life" of the person/people

• Focus on what makes them human or similar to us (similar desires, needs, dreams,

conditions, etc.)

• Find and show us the common ground we share with this person/group

You can use any media you want; it would great to incorporate videos, photos, spoken

word, etc.

You goal is to make what seems far feel close and to humanize what is unknown,

unfamiliar or dehumanized.

Some examples of possible groups to get you brainstorming include: sex workers, people

who get lots of tattoos, sanitation workers, wealthy people/the 1%, homeless folks,

indigenous peoples, politicians, people with disabilities, soldiers, immigrants, refugees,

African American males, Muslims, working class folks, people living in poverty, drug

dealers, people in prison, religious extremists, atheists, CEOs, transgendered folks, people

who speak English as a second language, older people, customs agents, domestic workers,

overweight folks, etc.

Humanizing Skill Set

1) Tune into your thinking 2) Pay attention to your assumptions 3) Assumptions generally tell you more about yourself than other people or the situation 4) There are always multiple interpretations of the same event or situation. See knowledge as situated. Realize that “knowledge” depends on your eyes, your point of view, your conceptions and your approaches. 5) Know yourself culturally US American Culture -independent -individualistic vs. communal -freedom -equality -choice -democracy -progress -achievement oriented -capitalist -education -personal info -direct -religion and politics are taboo, conflict is avoided 6) Make a practice of suspending judgment 7) Be curious instead of certain. Inquire. Ask abundant questions. 8) Practice openness Consciously decide to be receptive. 9) Differences are constructed. They vary by culture and context and thus are NOT inherent or innate.

10) Difference and sameness: Normal Abnormal Same Different Familiar Unfamiliar Known Unknown Comfortable Uncomfortable Close Far Used to Foreign Norm Deviation Pay careful attention to these binaries and their manifestations in your life and make sure that normal, familiar, similar, etc. DOES NOT mean ‘good’ to you while difference is ‘bad.’ Many people say “That’s weird, strange, crazy, etc.” when we really simply mean “That’s different.” 11) Start to see friction as an opportunity to learn. Replace fear or dangerous connotations with one of possibility. Learn conflict resolution. 12) Learn emotional literacy Self-awareness is empowerment 13) Learn to recognize and embrace uncomfortability. Begin to see uncomfortability as your signal for potential growth. Try not to avoid or shun it. It is often only unfamiliarity, insecurity or vulnerability that is behind these feelings. 14) Empathy and Humanization Thinking of other people as fundamentally and as fully human as you see and feel yourself. 15) Perception greatly impacts reality. What you focus on is where you will go. 16) Believe in change.

17) Take action. Do something. 18) Avoid ethnocentrism by seeking emic perspectives and understandings of the meaning of a certain practice, norm or behavior within a culture. 19) Build relationships and interactions around EXCHANGE

20) Respect for and recognition of the dignity of all humans

21) Push yourself to move beyond your current thinking and ways of being

22) You create culture.