Who you are and what has influenced your development influences every communication that you take part in on a daily basis.
Start thinking about culture by thinking first about your own cultural background. Some of you may fall into categories that are clearly marked as ethnic by the larger culture. Whatever your cultural background, this is a chance to explore it a little bit. In this Assignment, you will consider your ethnic, religious, socioeconomic, and educational background. For Assignment purposes, you will break down each of these four categories into three sections: statement, practices, and expectations. You shall look at ethnicity as an example of how to set up the four sections. Each section must include a statement, practices, and expectations.
Statement
In this section, explain how you define your ethnic heritage. Ethnicity (the condition of belonging to a specific ethnic group) goes beyond being a member of a specific race. That would make it just a biological fact. Ethnicity is made up of a complex set of cultural qualities, some of which may have a root in biology; most, however, are sets of actions or practices that a group comes to see as its own. Your ethnicity encompasses your heritage, meaning both where your extended family came from and what kind of weight the past places on you. If you are African American, the history of the last 400 years might radically determine who you think and feel you are; if you are Jewish, the relevant history might stretch thousands of years. Some of this is basic and factual, such as having all of your family live in the Midwest, for example, while other parts may be very complex.
Practices
In this section, explain how your ethnicity can be seen in your life. Does your family speak English at home? If so, what sort of English? Is there any regional slang? Do you have dishes that you eat that are special to your family? What do you do that defines you?
Expectations
In this section, explain what expectations accompany your ethnic heritage. What does society expect you to do or be because of who you are? What does your family expect? How do these expectations manifest themselves? In some periods of history, these expectations were very clear. Signs that said “No Irish allowed” were common on the East Coast where the more cultured inhabitants did not want any of the “uncouth” Irish coming in. On the West Coast in the same period, the signs would have said “No Chinese.” Are you expected to be part of a community? To marry the person your family chooses? To attend college? To pursue or avoid a particular line of work?
Your goal here is to examine your own context. You might think about your background while you were growing up; you might decide to talk to your parents, grandparents or other family members about this.
Assignment Guidelines:
The paper must:
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Adhere to APA style
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Include a cover page, running head, and reference page
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Be 700-800 words in length
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Be double-spaced and use a 12-point font.
Paper Outline
While you do not need to use this outline form, please refer to it for the required components of the Unit 2 assignment. Each section is required, so use this list to ensure you have met all the categories and sections.
Topic I. Ethnicity (French Canadian Haitian)
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Statement
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Practices
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Expectations
Topic II. Religion (Christian)
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Statement
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Practices
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Expectations
Topic III. Socioeconomics
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Statement
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Practices
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Expectations
Topic IV. Educational Background
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Statement
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Practices
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Expectations
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Summary
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