Emily

During my time in HR-261 Multiculturalism, I have gained much insight on the experiences and lives of others who are a part of diverse groups and how our human experience connects us. Through our guest lectures ranging on several topics and our LICC group time, I was able to engage in a plethora of delightful and insightful conversations, enriching not only my learning experience, but my life experience. We had group members ranging from Canadian, Korean, Ukrainian, to Pakistani and it was such an eye-opening experience.

This experience allowed me to learn about a wide variety of matters, however, the most impactful to myself was learning about cultural norms and societal standards that differ from culture to culture. We had delightful and fulfilling conversations about the way individuals act, what is seen as rude versus acceptable, what is deemed appropriate versus inappropriate, educational differences, political differences, and what is acceptable versus taboo in our differing cultural backgrounds. These conversations hit me as I thought about cultural/societal norms and standards I have never thought of before. For example, as a First Nations individual, I understand certain etiquettes and mannerisms that are expected to be displayed within certain ceremonial celebrations, such as powwows, but these are not known to everyone. As someone who is not a part of Korean, Ukrainian, and/or Pakistani culture, I am not aware of what mannerisms are considered rude, unacceptable, ignorant, or generally frowned upon. Through our LICC conversations, we were able to enlighten one another on the various topics of family, societal etiquette, norms, politics, and the differences we noticed between our cultures. Everyone was eager to learn, participate in conversation, continued asking each other many questions, and were invested in what one another had to say. I gained much knowledge through these conversations.

This experience was unique and quite special. Taking the lectures and applying them to our LICC group time allowed for understanding and application in real time. Taking this experience and moving forward, I am confident that I will be able to apply these concepts I have learned and keep them in mind when approaching other cultures and getting to know people who have different backgrounds than I do. Patience, human understanding and kindness, eagerness to learn and listen, and active participation in the lives of those around you is extremely beneficial in the expansion of human experience and learning. This is a huge concept I have learned in HR-261 through the lectures and LICC group times and will carry on beyond the walls of our classroom.

Emily Griffioen, HR 261, Human Rights & Human Diversity, Brantford