Ideology deconstruction Middle Eastern in US culture
Abdlaz2
finalinterculturalgrowthportfolioexample_1.pdf
Table of contents Objective EVIDENCE EVIDENCE
FOUND ON PAGE(S) #
Ways in which cultural and other background factors affect perceptions and feelings and the expression of these qualities including teaching and learning.
Current Event (#2), Article 1 (#3), Article 2 (#4), Final Entry (#10)
4-‐5, 6-‐7, 8-‐10, 19-‐21
How an individuals’ race, gender, social class, religion, or nationality impact his or her experiences and how others experience them.
Current Event (#1), Current Event (#2), Article 1 (#3), Final Entry (#10)
3-‐4, 4-‐5, 6-‐7, 19-‐21
Identify and appreciate the beliefs, values, and norms of their own culture, and recognize and articulate differences and commonalities in other cultural patterns
Parent Interview (#5), IDI (#8) 10-‐12, 16-‐18
How different teaching and learning styles are shaped by cultural influences.
Article 1 (#3), Parent Interview (#5) 6-‐7, 10-‐12
Ways in which technology may be used to integrate course concepts in addressing a current and practical cultural issue
CIQ Reflection (#7), Critical Moment (#9) 14-‐15, 18-‐19
Demonstrate increasing ability to communicate and engage with non-native speakers, as well as persons who exhibit a different worldview, value system and communicative style
IPS Tutoring (#6) 12-‐14,
Competency Name EVIDENCE Open Attitude • Receptive to cross cultural learning • Maintains an open and productive attitude • Avoids quick judgments • Tolerates ambiguity and complexity in cross-‐cultural situations • Remains patient with others
Current Event (#2), Final Entry (#10) 4-‐5, 19-‐21
Self-‐Awareness • Is aware about one’s own cultural background • Can articulate one’s own cultural values, beliefs and attitudes. • Can identify how differences in cultures can lead to
misunderstandings
Current Event (#1), CIQ Reflection (#7), IDI (#8) 3-‐4, 14-‐15, 16-‐ 18
Other-‐Awareness • Recognizes the cultural values, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors of
others in order to develop new cross-‐cultural skills. • Observes and articulates areas of shared of shared cultural
perspectives to find common ground. • Identifies ways to build stronger cross-‐cultural relationships.
Current Event (#1), Article 2 (#4) 3-‐4, 8-‐10,
Cultural Knowledge • Has acquired, or can acquire a comprehensive knowledge of other
cultures. • Correctly identifies the general knowledge needed about a culture. • Knows where to get the necessary information and builds networks
to learn about other cultures.
Article 1 (#3), Critical Moment (#9) 3-‐4, 18-‐19
Cross Cultural Skills • Has the necessary skill to teach and work effectively across cultures. • Continues to refine and improve one’s skills. • Adapts one’s own thinking and behavior to be effective in
multicultural situations.
IPS Tutoring (#6), IDI (#8) 12-‐14, 16-‐18
1. Current Event Reflection
Proficiency Statement
I am submitting this artifact as mastery of self-awareness and other awareness, and contributing to my proficiency in objective two
(How an individuals’ race, gender, social class, religion, or nationality impact his or her experiences and how others experience them). This artifact
illustrates how my cultural competency journey began, and how my thinking about the importance of culture began to shift. Before this class I was
relatively oblivious to the impact aspects of culture can have in a person’s life, whether this was in regards to race, ethnicity, gender, social class, religion
or nationality. I was not aware of the importance these ideas hold for myself or the people around me. After attending this current event, my thinking in
these areas began to change. This shift in thinking served me well throughout the course of the semester and really allowed me to gain a better
understanding of cultural competence and why it is so important. As you read the reflection below, you will see how my attendance of this event also
helped me to be able to have open discussions about the different areas of culture, which is imperative to becoming culturally competent. In this reflection
I will discuss how attending this event was imperative to my journey of intercultural competence.
Current Event #1
I attended the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day event celebration during the second week of the semester. At this point in the class we
had barely touched on the basics of what we would be learning for the semester. Looking back, I can pinpoint this celebration event as the
starting point of my intercultural competency development. This was an amazing event hosted on our campus with a fascinating presentation
by civic leader Rozelle Boyd and memorable demonstrations that honored the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the difference he made in
the course of African American history. It was during this event that I began to understand what the competencies of self-awareness and other
awareness were going to mean in this class. I can look back on this event as an eye-opening experience. I had attended the celebration in my
previous years at UIndy, but this was the first time I actually went thinking about how this was going to apply to my education. While
watching the performances and Rozelle Boyd’s passionate speech I was amazed to see the significant meaning it had for everyone on stage, as
well as the members of the audience. This event really made me aware of how much racial identity meant to this group of people, as well as
how my racial identity did not have significant meaning for me. This event was critical in helping me recognize some of the values of this
culture, as well as the lack of knowledge I had about my own cultural background, particularly race. A unique aspect of this event was at the
end when everyone in the audience was invited to hold hands and sing with the members on stage. I thought this was an intriguing way to
honor African American culture, while at the same time embrace both our differences and similarities. This event showed me that it is alright
to acknowledge our differences, as they play an important part in our cultural identity. I think this event was crucial in helping me to break
away from the minimization mindset I started with at the beginning of the semester, and an excellent way to jump-start my understanding of
cultural competence, even if I did not know it at the time.
2. Current Event #2 Reflection
Proficiency Statement
I am submitting this artifact as evidence of mastery of objective one (Ways in which cultural and other background factors affect perceptions
and feelings and the expression of these qualities including teaching and learning), objective two (How an individuals’ race, gender, social class, religion,
or nationality impact his or her experiences and how others experience them), and the open attitude competency. Before this class and listening to
this lecture, I did not understand why it was important to acknowledge and appreciate our differences and the ways in which these differences
can impact teaching, learning, and other areas of life. I had always considered myself an open person, but before this class I never put this
open attitude to good use or really stretched the limits of my attitude. This current event really changed the way I think about my perceptions
and preconceived notions. After attending this event I was better able to better understand how cultural qualities, especially gender, can affect
so many areas of our lives, as well as how people view us. I left this event feeling that I had expanded my definition of an open attitude for
the better. In this reflection I will discuss my experience and how this current event re-shaped my thinking and has helped me develop a more
open attitude. The reflection will discuss my experience and reaction to the event and how my thinking was changed because of it, leading me
to be more culturally competent in objectives one and two and have a more open attitude.
Current Event
In my psychology of gender class we had a guest speaker who was a transgender boy. For confidentiality purposes I will refer to him
as “Alex.” Alex was born a female, but knew from an early age that he was a boy and not a girl. Alex made the transition from female to male
when he was in third grade, and since then has led his life as a male, seeking support from his two mothers and younger sister. I remember
going in to class that night with a lot of expectations about what Alex would be like. When I got to class, not only would I have never been
able to tell that he was not genetically male, but I was really made aware of my own preconceived notions about what it means to be
transgender. I have always considered myself a very open minded person, but this experience really helped me on my journey to intercultural
competence and to having a more developed open mind. Alex discussed the battles he has had to fight in the school setting and in the medical
and legal areas. Some of his stories were heartbreaking and they really showed me how important it is to understand someone else’s culture
and point of view. It was amazing how much learning about his cultural background was able to help me understand his perceptions and
feelings in a way I never had before. Alex’s gender has had a huge impact on his life in a way most of us take for granted. After his
presentation I was better able to understand the significance of his gender for him, as well as for how others perceive him. I left class that
night a much more open minded person thanks to Alex and his brave choice to tell his story and advocate for this population.
3. Article Summary #1 Reflection
Proficiency Statement
I am submitting this article summary as evidence of mastery of objectives one (Ways in which cultural and other background factors affect
perceptions and feelings and the expression of these qualities including teaching and learning) and four (How different teaching and learning styles are
shaped by cultural influences) and the cultural knowledge competency. This article had a strong focus on the school setting. As a social work
major in an education class I have tried to take advantage of the times we talk about the classroom setting as this is not something we often
discuss in my core classes. I think this article was helpful in getting me to think about how I can apply what I have learned in class to both a
school setting and a social work setting. Before reading this article I had some struggles with the class objectives that applied to education.
After reading this article I felt more secure in my ability to understand the differences and similarities in cultural competency as it applies to
education and social work, and I feel I also gained some important cultural knowledge. The reflection below will provide a summary of the
article as well as an explanation for how it was helpful in my development of objectives one and four.
Article Summary #1
In the article The Effect of Negative School Climate on Academic Outcomes for LGBT Youth and the Role of In-School Supports, the
authors discuss a study conducted in 2012 to better understand how the school environment, including supportive adults, inclusive curriculum,
and the presence of gay-straight alliances (GSAs), can have an effect on the overall health of LGBT students. The sample consisted of 5,730
LGBT students from across the fifty states of the U.S. between the ages of thirteen and twenty-one. It was found that the presence of
supportive adults who were educated on LGBT issues is directly associated with decreased incidences of victimization, greater self-esteem,
and fewer absences, which led to better academic achievement (Kosciw et al., 2012). The study further questioned the effect of school policy
on LGBT issues as well as the inclusion of LGBT-related topics into course materials and discussions in a positive way. The study found that
schools with anti-bullying or harassment policies led to lower levels of reported victimization for LGBT students and higher levels of positive
self-esteem. Schools with LGBT inclusive course materials and positive discussions also led to reports of greater feelings of safety in school
for LGBT students and lower incidences of anti-LGBT or derogatory remarks and victimization. Inclusive curriculum decreased victimization
because youth were given access to positive representations of LGBT people and history (Kosciw et al., 2012). The outcome showed that the
presence of GSAs for LGBT students was directly linked to improved mental health and educational outcomes, as well as decreased
victimization. The GSAs were also reported to buffer the effect of victimization against LGBT students, so in instances when there was
victimization, students felt they had more support from their peers and school (Kosciw et al., 2012). These results show the positive impact
school environment can have on the health of LGBT students. This article was very helpful to me in understanding objectives one and four.
After reading this article I feel like I am better able to understand how background factors can affect feelings and perceptions, and the part this
plays in the school setting. I also see how factors of culture can influence the school environment. It is so important to understand learning
styles and how different cultural aspects can play such a big part in our education process. The article was also helpful in developing my
cultural awareness and I am confident I will be better able to apply this awareness to other areas of culture.
Kosciw, J. G., Palmer, N. A., Kull, R. M., & Greytak, E. A. (2013). The Effect of Negative School Climate on Academic Outcomes for LGBT
Youth and the Role of In-School Supports. Journal Of School Violence, 12(1), 45-63. doi:10.1080/15388220.2012.732546
4. Article #2 Summary Reflection
Proficiency Statement
I am submitting this article summary as evidence of contributing to mastery of objective two (How an individuals’ race, gender, social
class, religion, or nationality impact his or her experiences and how others experience them) and the other awareness competency. I was inspired to
read this article after our discussion of skin bleaching in class. Our discussion in class focused on skin bleaching as a beauty tradition, while
this article focused more on how a history of white supremacy and colonization has played a huge part. Before reading this article I was more
oblivious to issues of race than I realized, as well as how big a part of our lives race is. I was also less aware of matters of race and how much
of an effect they have in other people’s lives. After reading this article and having discussions in class I have become more aware of a cultural
belief and practice that carries significant meaning and has a drastic effect for the people who take part in it. Reading this article made me
more aware of why it is important to understand the beliefs and practices of people from cultures different from my own. In the reflection
below I will provide a summary of the article, as well as evidence as to why this was helpful to me in understanding objective two and the
other awareness competency. The reflection will discuss how I found the article to be both engaging and enlightening in areas of cultural
competence.
Article Summary #2
After watching a video and reading articles for class about the process of skin bleaching in some cultures I was curious to study the
topic further. In Yaba Amgborale Blay’s article Skin Bleaching and Global White Supremacy: By Way of Introduction she discusses some of
the reasoning behind skin bleaching for people of color, and how it can be traced back to white supremacy and colonialism. In her article,
Blay defines skin bleaching as the “cosmetic use of chemical agents to lighten the complexion of one’s skin, (Blay, 2011, pg. 4)” and
discusses how this dangerous process to attain a certain level of “beauty” and power has become a global phenomenon. For many people, skin
bleaching has become a natural way of life, and is viewed as an ordinary act in some cultures. Blay asserts that people who have been
historically subjected to white domination, colonialism, or enslavement have been taught to think that the basis of their inferior condition in
society is their skin color based on the negative reinforcement of the dominant white race (Blay, 2011). Historically, many countries have
developed with a system of White Supremacy put in place by whites. Whether it has been through colonialism, enslavement, or other forms of
white dominance, systems of power, wealth, and privilege have all been created by whites for the benefit of whites. Racial categories are
purely a social construction, yet wield enormous power in our societies. Blay’s interpretation of the reasoning behind skin bleaching
addresses the idea of asserting the power and control, usually reserved for the dominant white society. Blay discusses that in some cultures,
skin bleaching is seen as the “logical” method through which to attain the “white ideal,” and can even be used as a way to empower oneself
(Blay, 2011). Skin bleaching, according to Blay, can be seen as a representation of an attempt to become a part of the “white ideal” and gain
access to the powers and social status historically reserved for Whites and denied to other races (Blay, 2011).
I thought this article was fascinating interpretation of the motivation behind the skin bleaching process. In class we discussed at length
how skin bleaching was done by many women as a way of enhancing their beauty, yet this article approached the topic from a view of
asserting the power usually reserved for the dominant white society. During our time in class, my ideas of racial ideologies have continued to
grow and change. Through reading about the process of skin bleaching, or watching the movie Skin, I have been amazed to understand how
much social significance goes behind race, a socially constructed concept with no biological basis. I think this article helped me further
understand the different motivations behind skin bleaching, as well as how ideas like white privilege are perpetuated in our society. This
semester has been very eye-opening in my understandings of racial issues, as well as my ability to engage in open discussions of race. Race
carries so much significance in our society, and it is vitally important to be able to acknowledge that significance and how it plays a part in our
lives.
Amgborale Blay, Y. (2011). Skin Bleaching and Global White Supremacy: By Way of Introduction. Journal Of Pan African Studies, 4(4), 4-
46.
5. Parent Interview Reflection
Proficiency Statement
I am submitting this reflection as evidence of mastery of objectives three (Identify and appreciate the beliefs, values, and norms of their own
culture, and recognize and articulate differences and commonalities in other cultural patterns) and four (How different teaching and learning styles are
shaped by cultural influences). My interview with my mom about our cultural differences was very eye-opening for me. Before our interview I was not
aware of the differences and similarities in our cultural beliefs. Our beliefs have been separated by forty-one years, so it was interesting to see what we
agreed and disagreed on. Before my interview with my mom I was unable to see the differences and commonalities in our cultural beliefs, and just made
assumptions. Since our interview I am better able to appreciate the differences and commonalities of how we were brought up, and how this has impacted
our beliefs, especially in our learning process. I believe that having done this interview with my mom will help me be open to understanding differences in
other cultural areas, particularly learning, and allow me to be a more competent social worker with my clients. The reflection below will discuss our
interview and demonstrate how my thinking has changed because of it. The reflection shows how our different experiences and ways we were
brought up impacted our individual cultural competency journeys.
Parent Interview
For my interview, I sat down with my mother and discussed our ideologies about two aspects of cultural diversity: race and social
class. I was surprised to see that while some of our viewpoints differed, in a lot of ways we are on a similar journey of intercultural
development. My mother is sixty-two years old, and as such she refers to herself as a “child of the sixties and seventies.” Her father was a
sociologist and her mother was well-educated, which provided a very liberal environment growing up. I too have been brought up in a similar
environment with liberal parents. In discussing our ideologies about race, I was amazed to see the similar journeys to intercultural competence
we are on. Until about ten years ago, my mother said her ideology was to be color blind and to treat everyone the same. This was a value she
taught my sisters and myself from a young age, stressing the importance of equality. Ten years ago my mom started a new job working for
IPS, and since then she has had a dramatic shift in her ideology. In her new job she was suddenly exposed to much more diversity than ever
before, and she realized that treating everyone as being the same doesn’t always mean equality. She began to understand that by overlooking
differences, you have the potential to offend someone, appear like you don’t care, or look like you are not paying attention. Working in a
diverse environment, specifically with African American and Hispanic populations, my mom has become much more open to topics of race
and more interculturally competent.
When I compare this to my journey, I see similarities in that we both started out with more of a minimization mindset. I honestly did
not start to change this ideology until my teaching in a diverse society class. I have come to realize that my mom can be an asset to me in
discussions of race and ethnicity and I can continue to learn with her after this class has ended. I don’t think I really realized how much my
mom would be willing to talk about when it comes to matters of race. For the most part I assumed that race would be more of a taboo topic,
like it usually is in our greater society. After taking teaching in a diverse society, I am much more open to discussions of race, and I see that
my mom has been open to these ideas for much longer than I thought she had.
We also discussed issues of social class, and I found that we both have roots of the American ideology, “if you work hard, you can
succeed,” but our personal ideologies have developed differently. My mom understands that this ideology cannot be applied to everyone.
Working in her IPS school she sees many social problems on a daily basis that have affected her ideology. Based on her personal experience,
she still maintains that if you work hard, you can succeed, but you also need to educate yourself and have a system of support. From her
experience, she says that the kids who succeed in her school are the ones who try hard and have a supportive family. She agrees that many
people are put at an unfair disadvantage, but she believes in the success stories she has seen. For myself, I used to believe in the American
ideology 100%. It was only when I started working at my internship that this ideology changed. I believe that working hard, education, and a
support system can lead to success, but even then there are so many other variables to account for that can put people at a disadvantage. The
ideology that I have developed for social class is that there is no universal solution for success; it is dependent on the social circumstances of
each individual. My discussion with my mom was helpful in understanding differing viewpoints as well as how our family backgrounds
shaped our ideologies and learning styles.
6. IPS Tutoring Experience
Proficiency Statement
I am submitting this reflection as evidence of mastery of objective six (Demonstrate increasing ability to communicate and engage with non-
native speakers, as well as persons who exhibit a different worldview, value system and communicative style) and the cross-cultural skills competency.
This reflection discusses my time as an academic tutor at an IPS elementary school and how my thinking and skill-set shifted due to my
experiences there. This experience was imperative to helping me develop my ability to interact with people who are different from me. In this
case I worked with people who were of a different age, race, and gender than me over the course of my tutoring. Before my tutoring
experience my cross-cultural skills were not very good, but after this tutoring experience I am better able to relate to individuals who are
different from me on many cultural levels. In this reflection I will discuss my experience as an IPS tutor and how working with these kids in a
school setting has helped me in my ability to work with and communicate with those who are different from me, and how my thinking had to
change to adapt to their different learning styles.
IPS Academic Tutoring
Over the course of my tutoring I worked with a few different kids. I worked with kids of different ages, genders, races, and
socioeconomic statuses than mine. Even though I am not an education major, I have tutored in the past and I wanted more experience working
with youth in preparation for my career as a social worker, so this tutoring opportunity seemed ideal. In our tutor training, our instructor
stressed to us that while the academic aspect was important, it was more important to show these kids that we care about them and be
something stable they could rely on. I tried to carry this idea into my tutoring. I mostly worked on reading with the kids, but I also made sure
to show interest in their lives and make sure they knew that I genuinely cared about their futures and helping them with their reading skills. I
feel that working with these children over the course of our tutoring sessions helped me to better understand how to interact with people who
are culturally different from me. I was able to understand that I wasn’t working well with these kids in spite of our differences, but that our
differences instead added a rich layer to our interactions and tutoring sessions.
All of the kids I worked with had different world views as a result of different experiences, so instead of minimizing our potential for
intercultural growth, I tried to appreciate our differences and take note of how we could work together cross-culturally. The kids I worked
with made me laugh every day and provided me with a positive experience in the education field, which I hope to carry over into social work.
Working in this school setting was helpful in showing me that I don’t have to be familiar with all situations to be successful. Every day I
tutored was a little bit different, and sometimes I had to adjust to new situations quickly. For example, one day I was given four kids to tutor
instead of just one, and another day one of the other tutors didn’t show up. I think these changing dynamics of the tutoring sessions helped me
to feel comfortable in different situations. Every kid I worked with had a different learning style as a result of their personal and academic
background, and over the course of tutoring I learned to accept and adapt to the differences instead of just trying to do the same thing with
each student. I didn’t know what to expect from working with these kids, but now, looking back over the semester, I can see that I have
gained valuable experience in the education setting, and with working with those who are different from me. These kids definitely had a
different world view and communication style than me, yet through our time together we were still able to effectively work together. I had so
much fun doing the tutoring, and I was able to learn more about myself and the kids I got to work with.
7. CIQs Reflection
Proficiency Statement
I am submitting this reflection as evidence of mastery of objective five (Ways in which technology may be used to integrate course concepts
in addressing a current and practical cultural issue) and the self-awareness competency. Upon my reflection of my responses to the critical
incident questionnaires from the semester I was surprised to see the patterns that emerged. Reflecting on the CIQs was helpful because it
showed me my patterns of learning in the class, and aspects of the class that either worked well or didn’t work at all for my learning style.
Before examining my CIQs I was unsure of whether or not I could expand my learning style outside of my usual comfort zone. After
reflecting on the CIQs I am better able to understand how I was able to work in the education 290 learning environment coming ftom my
learning background, and how my style of learning has shifted due to my time in this class. In the reflection below I will discuss my reactions
to the CIQs and how this has helped me in mastering the self-awareness competency in regards to my learning style. I will also discuss how
the different activities in class, many of which incorporated technology to stress the cultural issues in question, helped me in my learning
process. Reflecting on the different activities and media we used gave me insight into my learning abilities and how this relates to objective
five.
CIQs Reflection
Before examining all of my critical incident questionnaires, I wasn’t sure what, if any, patterns I would find in my learning style within
the classroom. This class is different from many of the classes I have taken at UIndy. Over the course of my three years at UIndy I have been
in social work classes with many of the same students. As a result we have formed tight knit friendships and open discussions are usually the
format our classes take. In contrast to this my general education classes are usually a little more reserved. There is a heavier focus on note-
taking and testing, and there is not as much discussion, and when there is there is a heavy focus on the professor’s interpretation. While I am
not complaining because these methods have served me well in the past, the methods in Teaching in a Diverse Society took some getting used
to. Looking at my CIQs I can see that the times I was most engaged during the class were during the different activities and the discussions
that followed. These activities such as the “Lunch Date” video, the trash bag activity, or the Barnga game were fascinating in that they got
everyone in the class involved, and usually led to some very interesting discussions. I also found that my participation in the forums was
heavily represented in my CIQs and that this form of technology was useful to create group cohesion and bond with the other members of the
class. This use of technology was important because it gave us an outlet to express our ideas about current topics and it gave us easy access to
supplemental information about the modules. I also found that a common theme in my CIQs is that I would become more comfortable
discussing these topics as we progressed through the module. I believe this was true for a lot of us in the class. The more we began to talk
about the topic, the more open we felt in engaging in open discussions. Reading over my previous response showed me how my learning style
changed as a result of being in this class. I was very happy with the level of engagement I saw in the class from myself and my classmates.
Understanding my learning style in the class was important in my mastery of the self-awareness competency. I gained a better understanding
of myself in a learning environment and how I can adapt to new situations. I feel this will serve me well in future social work practice.
8. IDI Reflection
Proficiency Statement
I am submitting this IDI reflection as evidence of mastery of objective three (Identify and appreciate the beliefs, values, and norms of their
own culture, and recognize and articulate differences and commonalities in other cultural patterns) and the self-awareness and cross cultural skills
competencies. I have a very different mindset from when I took the pre-test for the IDI in January and when I took the post-test in April.
Upon reflection of the difference in my scores from then and now I experienced a range of emotions. I did not improve as much as I hoped I
would, but at the same time I am proud that I improved in my cultural competence. I have a lot of respect for what the IDI is able to assess in
regards to my mindset and appreciate that I can use this assessment as a way to gage the areas of my life I continue to work on. Before my
assessment of the IDI I was unsure of what areas of my mindset had been affected by my time in the class. After my assessment I am more
aware of the affect the class has had on me, as well as what areas I will continue to focus on in my competence development. In the reflection
below I will discuss my scores on the IDI and how I feel this has affected my mastery of course concepts.
IDI Reflection
I began the semester with a defense/polarization development orientation with a score of 77.58 while my perceived orientation was on
the cusp of acceptance with a score of 114.43. Clearly there was a huge gap between where I thought I was and where I actually was. I
remember taking the test and assuming I would be much more culturally competent than I turned out to be. I remember feeling frustrated with
this score and irritated that I was supposed to rely on this test to tell me about my life. Looking back I can see I was very defensive, which
makes sense for where I was in my development. I found that over the course of the semester I again found myself becoming confident about
what my score would be when I took the post-test. I thought for sure that I would have made a substantial difference in my scores due to the
academic and emotional effort I put into my time in the class. Upon taking the post-test, I found that my score did increase and I moved up
along the continuum, but again there was a difference between my developmental orientation and my perceived orientation and I was not as
far along as I thought I would be. My post-test showed that I moved from a defense development orientation to minimization with a score of
108.19 and my perceived orientation moved further into acceptance with a score of 128.44. While at first I struggled with my score because it
is still not where I want it to be, I am very glad to say that my score increased thirty points, and I am much close to acceptance than I was at
the beginning of the semester. I also went from an orientation gap of forty points to twenty points, and I hope to continue to shrink this gap
over time. Twenty points is definitely a meaningful difference, but I am glad I cut that difference in half. I am proud that I did improve this
much, even if I’m not where I want to be quite yet. A minimization ideology has always been hard for me to deconstruct. I grew up with the
idea of treating everyone the same, and I think this has been one of the hardest things for me to overcome in my time in the class. I think
deconstructing ideologies has to be a conscious effort until you get to the place where it comes naturally. I know in the past I have had the
tendency to highlight commonality instead of embracing differences, but I committed to continue working on this until this is not my mindset.
Considering this test is something we did on our own, I think the biggest area it has had an effect on me is my self-awareness. As a result of
my time in the class, I have realized how important it is to have self-awareness, not only for yourself but also for the people around you. In
order to help people as a social worker I need to understand myself. This plays into objective two and the cross-cultural skills competency. In
order to help people across cultures and appreciate our differences I need to understand myself and how my mind works in relating to
differences. My time in the class showed me the importance of embracing yourself as well as others. The IDI has helped me see where I am,
where I was, and where I want to be in regards to helping myself and other people. I have a great amount of respect for what the IDI has
shown me, as well as how it was able to show us our progress as a class. The fact that no one had a denial orientation made me so happy and
proud of the work we did this semester together. I know that I need to keep working, but I see the end of this semester only as the end of a
class, not the end of my work for intercultural competence. Again I am grateful for what the IDI was able to show me, but at the same time
the IDI is not able to measure everything. I know that I have dedication and a newfound passion for what we did in class that I can take with
me in the future. Part of the IDI is knowing yourself, and I know that is not where my journey ends. I want to take what I have learned this
semester about myself and the world around me into my future professional and personal life. I want to continue to grow and change as a
person for the better, and I am grateful that the IDI could show me that I am at least on the right track for accomplishing my goals.
9. Critical Moment Reflection
Proficiency Statement
I am submitting this critical moment reflection as evidence of mastery of objective six (Ways in which technology may be used to integrate
course concepts in addressing a current and practical cultural issue) and the cultural knowledge competency. I was very moved by the presentation given by
Maurice Young to our class a few weeks ago. I became more informed about the issues the homeless face in Indianapolis as well as Maurice’s personal
story through the short documentary we watched. Before his presentation I was lacking in knowledge about this specific population in Indianapolis, but
after his presentation I felt more aware and motivated to help this population. I was also impressed by the power the documentary had to really get me
thinking about this population. In the reflection below I will discuss how Maurice’s presentation had an effect on my mastery of objective six in his use of
technology, as well as how my cultural knowledge benefitted.
Maurice Young Presentation
In my time as a social work major I have learned about homelessness and volunteered at shelters, but Maurice Young’s presentation
put everything into a whole new perspective for me. He provided the class with a view of homelessness from the perspective of someone who
experiences it every day, and knows exactly what it is like to be homeless and on the streets of Indianapolis. I was shocked to hear what he
told us about the criminalization of homelessness and the rights they are being denied. I think that our class discussion with Maurice gave us
all an inside look and cultural knowledge about homelessness in Indianapolis. I think I can speak for most of the class when I say it was an
eye-opening experience. This was a critical moment for me because although I had been exposed to this population through my internship and
volunteering, I had never heard their story from a first-hand point of view. When Maurice began a discussion about what the homeless in
Indianapolis truly need, it got me thinking about how I could use my social work degree in the future with this population, as well as what I
could do while I was still in school. It got me thinking about service learning, letter writing, Social Work Association events, and practicum
opportunities I had not really thought of before. I think that this first-hand account has had a dramatic impact on my cultural knowledge of
this population. Listening to what he had to say and gaining a better cultural knowledge about this population will help me in understanding
cultural knowledge for other populations. I feel I can apply my thought process from this day in class in future situations. I was also very
impressed with the documentary we were shown about Maurice’s journey and message. I think this was an excellent use of media and
technology to highlight a specific cultural issue. I think this was a great example of how media can be used to reach a larger audience and get
the message out on a bigger scale. My group members and I were very impressed with what we saw and this only made us more passionate
about out advocacy project. Maurice’s story and presentation was very fascinating and it is not a story that I am likely to forget any time soon.
10. Final Entry
Proficiency Statement
I am submitting this final entry reflection as evidence of mastery of objectives one (Ways in which cultural and other background factors
affect perceptions and feelings and the expression of these qualities including teaching and learning) and two (How an individuals’ race, gender, social
class, religion, or nationality impact his or her experiences and how others experience them), and the open attitude competency. My overall
experience in the Teaching in a Diverse Society has been different from any other class at the University of Indianapolis. As I worked on my
reflection I tried to remember different activities and discussions from over the course of the semester to figure out which competencies were
directly impacted by my time in the class. For this final reflection I feel like I should mention every competency and objective, yet I am
limiting myself to three. Before taking this class I was not very culturally competent. After taking this course I am still not as culturally
competent as I want to be, but I am dedicated to continue working and not give up on my cultural competence journey. In the final reflection
below I will reflect on my time in the class and how my thinking has changed in multiple areas of my life due to the experience.
Teaching in a Diverse Society Reflection
My time in Teaching in a Diverse Society was not always an easy road. This class was a requirement for my major that I had heard a
lot about before taking it. I had heard about the heavy workload and the open discussions, but I was not prepared for the experience I would
have in the class. The class challenged me academically and mentally every day. The assignments were hard and thought provoking and over
the course of the semester I got used to feelings of stress and frustration. Having said that, this class has had an enormous impact on how I
view myself and the world around me. This class challenged me to gain a better understanding of who I am in order to be a better person and
social worker. Looking back, the areas that have most been affected for me are my perceptions of myself and my culture and how I embrace
the differences in other cultures. Through our activities and open discussions my attitude has become much more open to new ideas,
experiences, and ways of thinking. I think an open attitude is the most important aspect of the class I will be taking away with me and
carrying on into my life as a social worker. Another area that was affected for me was my ability to appreciate my own culture and the culture
of others. As I stated I my IDI reflection, I am continuing to work on my cultural development, but I feel that my time in class was
instrumental to jump-starting my changed thought processes and learning to appreciate differences instead of overlooking them. I know that I
am better able to understand cultural differences and how this will affect me in my career as a result of my time in class.
I think part of my successes in my cultural competency journey was watching my classmates do the same thing. The openness of the
class really allowed me to feel comfortable sharing my ideas and voicing my opinions. In class we never overlooked the nitty-gritty or
sensitive aspects of culture. I feel I have become more informed in many areas of culture and I have developed a better ability to address
multicultural ideas. I feel that through the course of the class I became more confident in voicing my opinion and less scared to talk about
topics that society judges as taboo. I feel more passionate about being able to work with people who are culturally different from me and to be
open to new experiences. I also feel that I have made connections with people in the class that are going to last beyond the end of the semester.
This class was a unique experience and I look forward to carrying what I have learned with me for the rest of my life.
Greyhounds Against Poverty Reflection
My group advocacy project was an amazing experience for me, and one that I am very proud. From the beginning my group’s goal
was to get people interested and involved in making a difference when it comes to poverty in the Indianapolis area. No, we did not save the
world or even just our city, but I was so pleased with what our group was able to do and how the UIndy community came together to make a
difference, no matter how small. My group worked very well together, and I can’t picture myself working with anyone besides Meredith,
Scott, and Emily. We had so much fun and I think I speak for all of us when I say the experience had an impact on our lives. The project had
two overall goals in regards to poverty in Indianapolis, and they were to get people informed and to get people involved. And to do this we
used a combination of hands-on and multimedia interventions.
The project began with the idea of doing something to help the people living in poverty in Indianapolis. We were inspired by
discussions and activities we had done in class as part of our social class module. We felt that poverty is an issue that is often overlooked, yet
is so prevalent in our community. Getting people informed about what was going on was a big part of what we wanted to do, but another
aspect of our project was to get people to care and make a difference. We really wanted to see if we could get the students and faculty to get
together and make a difference. We also wanted to get people thinking about the issue and embrace many of the competencies we strived to
learn about in our class, like an open attitude, self-awareness, and other awareness. I think sometimes we forget about the issues that are so
close to us when we are in our college bubble. The university really came together in our efforts to collect basic needs for donations for those
less fortunate in the Indianapolis area, and the response from the students and faculty was really inspiring. Altogether we collected over 400
items from the people on campus which were then donated to three charities. In order for this to be a success we had to use a few different
forms of media.
One of our most successful aspects of the project was our facebook page, which we kept up to date with information about the
donations as well as videos, news articles and websites where people could learn more about this issue. In the end we had approximately 350
group members on the page. We handed out information at our table in Schwitzer all week and spread a lot about our issues through word of
mouth. I think one of the most beneficial aspects of the project was the meaningful conversations we had with people throughout the course of
the week who were interested in learning more about what we were doing and why we were doing it. After we made our donations we made a
video to continue to motivate people and thank everyone who participated. The video showed the success of our project and showed the
people who participated where everything they donated was going, and why their efforts mattered. We blasted the video on twitter and
uploaded it to faceboook to so we could maximize the number of people who would have access to it. The last aspect of our project was to
present our research and what we had done to the class.
Overall my group learned a lot about the issue, our campus, and ourselves throughout our participation in this project. We really began
to appreciate how media could be used to spread awareness about the issue and what we were doing. We also saw how we were able to use
the skills we had learned in class about working with others to spread awareness and get people involved in our project. We had meaningful
discussions with so many people on campus who had different opinions and histories in regards to the issue we were presenting. I was really
amazed to see the open attitudes of the people on campus and how so many of them were willing to take the time to become more aware and
competent in regards to this issue. I think the project played a large part in my own self-awareness and my feelings about this issue as well as
how I could make other people aware of what was going on through our media campaign and basic needs drive. My communication skills
really benefitted from my involvement in this project, a skill I am very grateful for. I think a lot of credit for developing my own skills must
be given to my group members. I knew I was able to rely on each of my group members and we all gave our best effort to this project. We all
had a lot of passion for what we were doing, which I think played a large part in our success. We worked extremely well together, and now
we know how effective we can be should we choose to do this project again. A few of us have bounced around the idea of doing the project
again next semester, and as such we have talked about what we would do differently. A group consensus is that we would want to advertise
more for our drive and get an earlier start. We would also want to use more media outlets like twitter and tumblr, and maybe even make our
own website. This idea is just in the planning stages right now, but I feel confident that with my group members, we could turn this plan for
doing the campaign again next year into a reality.
CULTURAL COMPETENCY PORTFOLIO RUBRIC NAME______________________ Professor: Dr. Terrence Harewood
CATEGORY 36—40 Points 32—34 Points 22—31 Points 1—21 Points Contents Includes Minimum of 20 Entries.
Entries Have Required Word Length and clear statements about which competency it meets.
Includes 15 to 19 Entries. Entries Have Required Word Length and fairly clear statements about which competency it meets.
Includes 10 to 14 Entries. Entries Have Required Word Length but may not include a statement about which competency it meets.
Includes less that 10 Entries. Entries do not have the required Word Length or statements about which competency it meets.
Critical Moments/Cultural Conflicts
Includes Minimum of five Critical Incidents. Include more than four comments on what was going on, your feelings, lessons learned and how you might apply. Comments illustrate excellent and deep reflection on the incidents.
Includes 3-‐4 Critical Incidents. Include at least three on what was going on, your feelings, lessons learned and how you might apply. Comments illustrate good reflection on the incidents.
Includes 2 Critical Incidents. Include 1 to 2 comments on what was going on, your feelings, lessons learned and how you might apply. Comments illustrate fairly good reflection on the incidents.
Includes less than 2 Critical Incidents. Does not include commentary on what was going on, your feelings, lessons learned and how you might apply. Or Comments illustrate weak or poor reflection on the incidents.
Current Events Includes Minimum of 2 Current Events, more than four comments on source of conflict, your feelings, lessons learned, and how you might apply. Comments illustrate excellent and deep reflection on the incidents
Includes Minimum of 2 Current Events at least three comments on source of conflict, your feelings, lessons learned and how you might apply. Comments illustrate good reflection on the incidents.
Includes Less than 2 Current Events or 1 to 2 comments on the source of conflict, your feelings, lessons learned, and how you might apply. Comments illustrate fairly good reflection on the incidents.
Does not include current events or comments on source of conflict, reactions, lessons learned and implications. Comments illustrate poor reflection on the incidents.
Critical Interview Includes Critical Parent/Guardian Interview. Reflection includes four or more statements comparing student ideology to parents’ ideology.
Includes Critical Parent /Guardian Interview. Reflection includes at least 3 statements comparing student ideology to parents’ ideology.
Includes Critical Parent Interview. Reflection includes 1 to 2 statements comparing student ideology to parents’ ideology.
Does not include Critical Parent Interview or does not include statements comparing student/parent ideology.
Final Entry Includes the final entry. Reflection includes at least four statements on activities, or events experienced in class, your feelings, lessons learned and how you might apply.
Includes the final entry. Reflection includes at least three statements on activities, or events experienced in class, your feelings, lessons learned and how you might apply.
Includes the final entry. Reflection includes 1 to 2 statements on activities, or events experienced in class, your feelings, lessons learned and how you might apply.
Does not include the final entry or reflection does not include statements on activities, or events experienced in class, your feelings, lessons learned and how you might apply.
