Assignment: Diversity

Instructions: Find someone from a culture different from your own to interview (preferably someone outside your immediate and known peer group). Try to choose someone you think will have different attitudes, opinions, and experiences than you have. Choose some questions from the list that follows, or develop some of your own. Before you interview the person, answer the questions for yourself. For each of the questions, follow up with "Why?" in order to explore underlying values and reasons for peoples` behavior or beliefs. Take notes of the responses. Discuss the questions and the "why" with the other person until you have found at least five major areas where there are clear differences between your answer and the other person`s. Also be sure to identify five major areas where you are in agreement with one another. Prepare a short paper (2 pages) or presentation that summarizes your findings.

I. What people in your life are the most important to obey? Why?

II. Who makes final decisions in your life at home and school? Why?

III. Who do you think determines your fate-the individual, the family, or God? Why?

IV. Whom should you respect? How do you show respect? Why?

V. Who should help determine your identity? Why?

VI. What does it mean to be successful in life? Why?

VII. Whom should you trust? Why?

VIII. What are the signs of success? Why?

IX. What provides "security" in your life? Why?

X. Who should your friends be? Who decides? Why?

XI. Where, and with whom, should you live? Why?

XII. Whom should you marry? At about what age? Who decides? Why?

XIII. What is expected of children when they are young? Why?

XIV. What should you depend on others for? Why?

XV. When should you be self-sufficient, if ever? Why?

XVI. What should you expose to others, and what should be kept private? Why?

XVII. How should you plan for your future? Why?

XVIII. What should be remembered from your heritage? Why?

XIX. What was better when you were younger or during your parents` youth? Why?

XX. What do you wish for your children that you could not have? Why?

Prepare short paper answering this.

I. What did you learn about the other person that is significantly different from you? How might this knowledge affect the interviewee as a learner? You as a teacher?

II. What did you learn about the other person that is similar to you? Were you surprised by this? How might this knowledge affect you as a teacher?