Personal Culture

HMSV 346 – Diversity Issues in Human Services / Spring 2021

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Personal Culture Paper This assignment focuses on the first dimension of cultural competence, i.e. self-awareness.

Students are required to reflect upon their own identities and in terms of their ethnicity/race,

SES, ability, religion/spirituality, gender, ideological orientation, and level of identity

development. In addition, students will also reflect upon one of the following: Age, body image,

or sexuality, sexual preferences, and relationships. Submissions must also address their biases,

areas of needed continual development, and ways you plan to engage in this ongoing

development.

For the questions on privilege and marginalization, it is expected that students will do some very

objective and out-of-the-box reflection about how their group may experience both privileges

(advantages) and marginalization (challenges). For example, as someone who is physically very

fit, you may enjoy many advantages/privileges as compared to both those with and without

physical disabilities. Yet, you (or those with similar abilities) may have experienced some level

of hostility, unpleasantness, or discrimination from some who may not have the same physical

ability as you.

The following guidelines must be addressed while writing your paper:

1. Race/Ethnicity (Ethnicity can be substituted by national origin)

A. State your own racial and/or ethnic group of origin.

B. Describe two aspects of your group’s customs, values, beliefs, or behaviors that you

have adopted or feel good about. Explain why.

C. Describe two aspects of your group’s customs, values, beliefs, or behaviors that that you

don’t like or have not adopted. Explain why.

D. Share aspects of privilege (advantages) and marginalization (challenges) associated with

being a member of this group.

E. Share any negative feelings that you currently have about those from a different race or

ethnicity/national origin. How did these negative feelings arise?

2. Socioeconomic status

Note: You do not have to disclose your income or that of your family in this section.

A. Describe your current socioeconomic status (SES) or that of your family as may be

applicable.

B. Is your current SES different from your SES while you were growing up?

i. If yes, then what were the reasons for this change?

ii. If no, then would you prefer that it be different? Elaborate upon this.

C. Share aspects of privilege (advantages) and marginalization (challenges) associated with

your current SES.

D. Share any negative feelings that you currently have about those whose SES is different

(so either higher or lower) than yours. How did these negative feelings arise?

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3. Ability (physical, intellectual, and/or mental)

A. Describe your current ability status. Note: If you have a disability, then you are not

required to name or disclose your disability.

B. Is your current ability status different from while you were growing up?

i. If yes, then what were the reasons for this change?

ii. If no, then would you prefer that it be different? Elaborate upon this.

C. Share aspects of privilege (advantages) and marginalization (challenges) associated with your current ability status.

D. Share any negative feelings that you currently have about those with those with different

(so either greater or lesser) abilities than yours. How did these negative feelings arise?

4. Religion/spirituality

A. Describe your current association (or lack of) with religion and/or spirituality.

B. Is your current association or affiliation (or lack of) with religion/spirituality different from

while you were growing up?

i. If yes, then what were the reasons for this change?

ii. If no, then have you ever embraced or contemplated embracing a different religion or

form of spirituality? If yes, then elaborate upon this.

C. Share aspects of privilege (advantages) and marginalization (challenges) associated with

your current membership in this group.

D. Share any negative feelings that you currently have about those with a different

perspective about religion/spirituality. How did these negative feelings arise?

5. Gender

Note: You may discuss gender identity & expression in this section, but not sexual

orientation, which is one of the options under #7.

A. Share aspect(s) of beliefs, ideas, or values about gender (e.g., gender roles, gendered

expectations for behavior, gender identity & expression) that were passed on to you by

family/ caregivers, relatives, role-models, etc. while you were growing up that you have

continued to embrace or agree with? What are your reasons for agreeing?

B. Share aspect(s) of beliefs, ideas, or values about gender passed on to you that you don’t

agree with. What are your reasons for disagreeing?

C. Share aspects of privilege (advantages) and marginalization (challenges) associated with

your current gender status/identity.

D. Share any negative feelings that you currently have about those who may disagree with your current beliefs, ideas, etc. about gender. How did these negative feelings arise?

6. Ideological Orientation (Political Ideology)

Note: Ideological orientation is not the same as identifying as a Democrat, Republican, etc.

See (A) below for clarity.

A. Describe your current ideological orientation or political ideology, i.e., do you currently

identify as a conservative, moderate, liberal, or as something else?

B. Is your ideological orientation different from before?

HMSV 346 – Diversity Issues in Human Services / Spring 2021

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i. If yes, then share the reasons for this change?

ii. If no, then have you ever embraced or contemplated embracing a different ideological

orientation? If yes, then elaborate upon this.

C. Share aspects of privilege (advantages) and marginalization (challenges) associated with your current ideological orientation.

D. Share and elaborate upon any negative feelings that you currently have about those with a different ideological orientation. How did these negative feelings arise?

7. Choose one of the following: Age, body image, or sexuality/sexual relationships.

A. Age

i. Share aspect(s) of beliefs, ideas, or values about age (e.g., attire/dress, aging

process, behavior, being responsible, wisdom, ability, etc.) that were passed on to

you by family/ caregivers, relatives, role-models, etc., while you were growing up that

you have continued to embrace. What are the reasons for this?

ii. Share aspect(s) of beliefs, ideas, or values about age that were passed on to you that

you don’t agree with anymore. What are the reasons for this change?

iii. Share aspects of privilege (advantages) and marginalization (challenges) associated

with your current age. Note: You do not have to disclose your actual age.

iv. Share and elaborate upon any negative feelings that you currently have about those

with different perspectives about age. How did these negative feelings arise?

B. Sexuality, sexual preferences, and relationships

i. Share aspect(s) of beliefs, ideas, or values about sexuality, sexual preferences, and

relationships [e.g., purpose (procreation v/s enjoyment vs asexual), abstinence,

orientation, monogamy, consanguinity, partner violence, pornography, etc.] that were

passed on to you by family/ caregivers, relatives, role-models, etc., while you were

growing up that you have continued to embrace. What are the reasons for this?

ii. Share aspect(s) of beliefs, ideas, or values about sexuality, sexual preferences, and relationships that were passed on to you that you don’t agree with anymore. What are the reasons for this change?

iii. Share aspects of privilege (advantages) and marginalization (challenges) associated

with your own (current) sexuality, sexual preferences, and relationships.

iv. Share any negative feelings that you currently have about those with a different

perspective on sexuality, sexual preferences, and relationships. What are some of the

reasons for feeling negatively about these people?

C. Body image/shape/form

i. Share aspect(s) of beliefs, ideas, etc., about body image/form that were passed on to you by family/ caregivers, relatives, role-models, etc., while you were growing up that you have continued to embrace. What are the reasons for accepting these even today?

ii. Share aspect(s) of beliefs, ideas, etc., about body image/form that were passed on to you that you don’t agree with anymore. What are the reasons for this change?

HMSV 346 – Diversity Issues in Human Services / Spring 2021

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iii. Share aspects of privilege (advantages) and marginalization (challenges) associated

with your current body image/form. Note: Disclosure of actual body shape/form is not

required.

iv. Share any negative feelings that you currently have about those with a different body

image/form. What are the reasons for feeling negatively about these people?

8. Critical Analysis

Keeping in mind:

i. The negative feelings, disagreements, likes, and dislikes about others or even groups

that you belong to, which you have mentioned in this paper; and

ii. The fact that others may strongly disagree with your responses to items/questions 3, 4,

5, 7, 12, 16, 19, 20, 21, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, and 30 in the Personal Values survey (Pick

and discuss any 5 from these 15 items/questions in this section)

1) Do you believe that these differences, negative feelings, etc., could adversely impact

your ability to work with specific clients?

a) If yes, then what steps will you take to ensure that you work respectfully and effectively

with such clients? How challenging would this be?

b) If no, then provide specific examples of how you have managed to live/work

harmoniously in the past (short interactions, such as taking orders at a restaurant or

working at a front desk, etc., do not count) with whom you had substantial differences

with (or harbored negative feelings). How challenging was this?

2) Reflect upon if these negative feelings, dislikes, etc. have generally developed because

of what you experienced or witnessed. Then reflect upon why it may be essential to

critique the source of your negative feelings about others in your quest to become more

self-aware. (This question may be used to answer question (1a) in this section. If (1a)

does not apply to you, then answer this question (2) anyway).

Paper length

The paper should have distinct cover and reference pages. Excluding the cover and reference

pages, your paper should be between 5 to 7 double spaced pages in length.

Formatting & Style

Assure that you adhere to APA format and are structurally and grammatically correct. For

information about APA formatting, please visit the Purdue Owl APA website at

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_style_introduction.html

Grading is as follows:

50 points total

• 35 points for sections 1-7, i.e., 5 points each for section

• 9 points for section 8.

• 3 points for APA adherence

• 3 points for page length adherence.