Developing Cultural Sensitivity

This week in class we discussed the topic of cultural sensitivity. It was Jenna and Cory's turn to lead the class this week and I think they both did an exceptional job. The question at the beginning of the class asked about what strategies we use to show sensitivity toward culturally diverse people. One main strategy of mine was to show respect. Showing respect can have a great influence on someone the first instant you meet that person. Treat someone the way you would like to be treated. As a person I always try to put myself in that person's footsteps and try to see where they have come from and who they really are. I make sure not to judge someone without really knowing who they are first. As my mom once told me as a little kid, never judge a book by it's cover. Being judgmental can prevent you from learning more about someone without giving that person a chance. I always have an open mind and are always ready to learn more about someone. The activity that we participated in during class was very interactive. It really had me thinking about my personal perspective towards some differences along with some of the other student's perspectives about a particular difference.
That activity that we partook in after Cory and Jenna were finished involved our personal dimensions. Their was more than one dimension that I thought was very important to me. The first dimension involved being a student. In my family, my brother and I were the first to attend an actual college. I was not only proud of that but in my time here I have recieved numerous scholarships through academics that I am also extremely proud of. One other dimension that I am really proud of was being a country boy. Living on a farm my whole life has really given me not only a hard work ethic but to have fun at the same time. Working on a farm with all my three brothers and parents is really fun. We joke around and still get the job done. The relationship we develop as a family only gets better.
I shared many of the same dimensions in the class with other students including that fact that some of us have come from a more rural background that were very proud of. Everyone in the class had their own answers that somewhat centered around the fact that we really respect where we have come from and what it has done to us as a person. In the future, I plan to think about other cultures and the amount of diversity that is out there in the world today. Coming from a small town in northeast Iowa I didn't see much diversity as Cory said in class. When you move to a larger school it really hits you to see how different things really are. I realize now in the past years here at school that their are many differnces in the world and not everyone is the same. I have respected these differences more than ever and will continue to do so.