Rebecca

My most important takeaway from the Laurier International Cultural Conversation (LICC) and from the course in general is the significance and influence culture has on society and why this makes multiculturalism necessary. Prior to taking this course and participating in the LICC discussions, I thought of culture in terms of language, traditions, religion, and superficial things such as dress, food, and mannerisms. Throughout the course, both the guest speakers and discussions with the international student volunteer, have all made me expand on my understanding of culture to include how deep cultural values influence most aspects of life.

Yet this influence is most often seen in more subtle ways. When we eat, how we greet people, and our relationships with family, all are small or subtle ways we express culture and our greater overall values. Making it important we do not dismiss these differences even if they seem trivial such as best time to eat dinner, or else we fall into the trap of perpetuating characteristics of white supremacy and the idea that there is only one current way of doing things and functioning in society.

If I take away one thing from the Multiculturalism course as a whole, it is the multicultural mindset that reminds us that while often we want to dismiss new ways of doing and thinking instinctively, we need to fight past this to fully consider different ideas. Thinking critically about our own ways of doing and thinking help us to function in a diverse society such as Canada. Where we may still struggle with equality and inclusiveness, yet we also have partially centered our identities around being multicultural and have taken large legal and societal steps to address these inequities.

Overall, this course and the LICC discussions have helped me not only expand my understanding of culture and multiculturalism but has emphasized the need for inclusiveness in every aspect of society.

Rebecca Hulet, HR 261, Humanities with Leadership Foundations, Brantford