7/29/2019 Cultural Autobiography From Okun

1/2

William Rodick

Cultural Autobiography Adapted from Okuns Research*________________________________________________________________________

Exercise 1.5 Cultural Influences

The purpose of this exercise is to help you become aware of the diverse cultural groups to

which you belong and that influence who you are. Use the following four questions toguide your reflection.

1. Think back to the time you began to attend school, or earlier if you can, and try toremember all the different cultural influences in your life. Think about your ownethnic heritage from one or both sets of grandparents. Think about your gender,

your religion, your race, your class, your family, and groups that may have beenrepresented in your neighborhood or town. List the cultures that you believe had

some influence on your own development and, thus, your view of the world.2. Think about the first time you realized that something about your own upbringing

was different from someone elses. What was the difference? How did you feelwhen you realized the difference? Did you do anything about it? If so, what?

3. Identify the two, or three, cultures from question 1 that you think had thestrongest influence on you as you were growing up. Now look at the table below.For each topic listed in the left hand column, write down the messages eachculture gave you as you were growing up.

Transient Culture /

Rural Culture

Divorced Family Military

Life messages,

that is, whatto expect from

life

Change is a

necessity, whichmight now be a

problem for me

That connections might

not last

To live with values,

responsibility, anddedication

Family

relations

Family is important,

but bonds are weak

Not to become too

committed

Responsibilities

outweighcomplications

Gender roles Misogyny isconnected to

ignorance, but isalso evident

everywhere

When my parentsremarried, both fell into

traditional gender rolesof male breadwinner

and female homemaker

The man works andthe woman takes care

of the home andchildren

Education A necessary step,

but without muchpurpose

My way out Not possible for

everyone

Work valuesand behavior

The area to findpurpose and stability

is through oneswork

Not sure An incrediblystringent work ethic

4. Are the values conveyed to you by Culture 1 consistent with the values conveyedby Culture 2? Are there elements in your life now that are uncomfortable orconfusing because you received conflicting messages from the different cultures?

7/29/2019 Cultural Autobiography From Okun

2/2

*Okun, B., Fried, J., & Okun, M. (1999). Understanding diversity: A learning-as-practice primer. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.

1.

a) Military culture as a very young child, while my father was in the Air Force. Ilived on base for a few years. My grandfather was also a paratrooper.

b) Ethnic culture is simply white American. There arent prominent connections toother nationalities.

c) Culture of the northeast. My grandparents on both sides are from the northeast one set from Maine and one set from Pennsylvania.

d) Culture of lower middle class. My parents were kids when they had me, and wedidnt have much. For a while, we were probably closer to poor than lower middle

class.e) Secular culture. Although my parents and grandparents will say that they are

religious, religion was never present in our lives, except among friends in the veryChristian community where we lived.

f)

Child of divorce. Although I was too young to have a conscious comparison oflife before and after the divorce, it certainly was a part of our family culture.

g) Rural culture. Through middle and high school, I lived in a very rural area devoidof diversity.

h) Filipino culture. One of the most important people of my youth was mybabysitter, the wife of my dads friend, and although I was too young to

remember much, I know my experiences with her and her daughter were pivotal.i) Transient culture. Not just because I traveled between my fathers and mothers

often, but I also moved a lot as a child. From pre-school to 4th

grade, I movedalmost every year or two.

2. I always knew that having divorced parents and moving frequently was different thanwhat many other kids experienced, but it didnt become a clearly defined difference untilI moved to the rural community that I lived in from 4 th grade through the remainder of

school. In this community, even if some kids had parents who divorced, their family unitswere still something divided, but in many ways, intact differently than mine their

parents still communicated, still lived near each other, interacted at social events, etc. Theidea that this new place was a community, where everyone knew each other, knew each

others past experiences, participated regularly in the present experiences, was notsomething that I could feel comfortable in. Being new to a community and to a school

didnt really impact me as vividly before moving to this community, because before this,I hadnt been a stranger among social groups that had been forming bonds for years, and

through their families, for generations. I dont think I ever felt like I belonged.

4. Culture 1 and 2 actually have many consistencies, but the experiences themselves ofthose cultures certainly impacted me and make my life now uncomfortable. This certainly

opens my eyes to some drive that Ive had for traveling around the world, never living ina set place for too long, never maintaining relationships for very long, and remaining

somewhat distant and uncomfortable around family.