Cultural Exploration Project Ideas
November 2, 2011 11:47 AM Subscribe
My girlfriend has to do a "cultural exploration" project as part of her coursework for a BA in Elementary Education. Need some suggestions.
This is a pretty small project, all things considered; she just needs to get in twenty four hours of doing something or visiting somewhere that puts her out of her comfort zone or allows her to gain some perspective on a different culture/way of life.
We live in the Bible Belt and many of her classmates are religious. A lot of them are planning on attending a service at a church they do not attend. However, my girlfriend is not religious and has no interest in doing this.
Some of her professors have suggested spending a day with one of her students, but this seems like an awful idea. For one, she is an intern right now, meaning that she only spends two days a week with the kids. Of course, she also obviously worries that it would make the kid she chooses, and his/her family, feel uncomfortable if she singled them out as "the other." And of course, she's concerned that the students she didn't pick would feel left out.
We thought about her working at a soup kitchen or something like that, but, in addition to school, she works two jobs, so time is limited.
Any suggestions for activities she could do would be awesome.
This is a pretty small project, all things considered; she just needs to get in twenty four hours of doing something or visiting somewhere that puts her out of her comfort zone or allows her to gain some perspective on a different culture/way of life.
We live in the Bible Belt and many of her classmates are religious. A lot of them are planning on attending a service at a church they do not attend. However, my girlfriend is not religious and has no interest in doing this.
Some of her professors have suggested spending a day with one of her students, but this seems like an awful idea. For one, she is an intern right now, meaning that she only spends two days a week with the kids. Of course, she also obviously worries that it would make the kid she chooses, and his/her family, feel uncomfortable if she singled them out as "the other." And of course, she's concerned that the students she didn't pick would feel left out.
We thought about her working at a soup kitchen or something like that, but, in addition to school, she works two jobs, so time is limited.
Any suggestions for activities she could do would be awesome.
Without disrespecting or minimizing your gf's unwillingness to involve religion in the project, or automatically assuming that a BA in ed automatically equals eventually teaching...
If her longer-term plans involve teaching in the apparently very religious area in which you currently reside I suggest it would be a very useful experience to attend some sort of religious function and speak with the people there. If she's going to be teaching these folks' kids, it will probably be helpful to have some more insight into such an apparently important component of their lives.
...but if she hates that idea here are some others:
-If she's not super athletic, join a pick-up football/softball/indoor soccer/whatever game.
-If she's a Facebook addict/always online try a full 24 hours without net access, or even without using a computer.
-Read the major daily newspapers for one day from somewhere she's never been? See here for a list.
posted by Wretch729 at 12:10 PM on November 2, 2011
If her longer-term plans involve teaching in the apparently very religious area in which you currently reside I suggest it would be a very useful experience to attend some sort of religious function and speak with the people there. If she's going to be teaching these folks' kids, it will probably be helpful to have some more insight into such an apparently important component of their lives.
...but if she hates that idea here are some others:
-If she's not super athletic, join a pick-up football/softball/indoor soccer/whatever game.
-If she's a Facebook addict/always online try a full 24 hours without net access, or even without using a computer.
-Read the major daily newspapers for one day from somewhere she's never been? See here for a list.
posted by Wretch729 at 12:10 PM on November 2, 2011
I think religion is a great idea for your gf, precisely because she isn't religious and the assignment is to get out of her comfort zone. I think "going to services at a different church" is a lame idea for someone who is already religious, so her classmates are missing the point.
Any small nonprofit in your area would love to have 24 hours of help from a healthy undergrad. This time of year she could get involved behind the scenes with holiday-season coordination for any thrift shop/food bank/adopt-a-family-for-Christmas charity.
posted by headnsouth at 12:24 PM on November 2, 2011
Any small nonprofit in your area would love to have 24 hours of help from a healthy undergrad. This time of year she could get involved behind the scenes with holiday-season coordination for any thrift shop/food bank/adopt-a-family-for-Christmas charity.
posted by headnsouth at 12:24 PM on November 2, 2011
she also obviously worries that it would make the kid she chooses, and his/her family, feel uncomfortable if she singled them out as "the other."
I don't know, I'd think the opposite. Most people are proud of their heritage and would probably be flattered if someone asked to learn more about it. I would suggest she ask the parents, rather than asking the student who then has to ask his/her parent.
Also, at the risk of sounding overly maternal or pedantic, there's a lot of "yeah, but" in your question. "She could do this/that/other, but..." Part of coming out of your comfort zone is not letting the obstacles you've invented in your head get in your way.
posted by Sweetie Darling at 12:36 PM on November 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
I don't know, I'd think the opposite. Most people are proud of their heritage and would probably be flattered if someone asked to learn more about it. I would suggest she ask the parents, rather than asking the student who then has to ask his/her parent.
Also, at the risk of sounding overly maternal or pedantic, there's a lot of "yeah, but" in your question. "She could do this/that/other, but..." Part of coming out of your comfort zone is not letting the obstacles you've invented in your head get in your way.
posted by Sweetie Darling at 12:36 PM on November 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
She needs to put in 20-odd hours of time whether it's at a soup kitchen or a student's home, so I don't see how the school/job situation is going to factor in to it.
I'd go to some AA or NA meetings. They're available everywhere, all times of day, so it should be able to fit in to a cramped schedule, and drugs freak me the hell out so it'd be out of my comfort zone. If it's something she has no experience with, I think it'd help her gain an understanding of what some kid's parents might be dealing with at home.
posted by tchemgrrl at 2:08 PM on November 2, 2011
I'd go to some AA or NA meetings. They're available everywhere, all times of day, so it should be able to fit in to a cramped schedule, and drugs freak me the hell out so it'd be out of my comfort zone. If it's something she has no experience with, I think it'd help her gain an understanding of what some kid's parents might be dealing with at home.
posted by tchemgrrl at 2:08 PM on November 2, 2011
Best answer: Maybe she could put in some volunteer hours with an advocacy group for an ethnicity other than her own, or with an LGBT type organization (assuming one exists in your area)?
posted by AMSBoethius at 4:58 PM on November 2, 2011
posted by AMSBoethius at 4:58 PM on November 2, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by heathergirl at 12:04 PM on November 2, 2011