Assignment: Immersion Project—Identify a Culture

This is the first Assignment of many in the coming weeks that will help you complete your Immersion Project. For this Assignment, you will identify a culture to focus on for your project. Keep in mind that the term “culture” is not limited to a particular race or ethnicity but is much broader and includes gender, age, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, physical ability, religion, political affiliations, immigration status, military membership, etc. It would be wise to select a culture that you know little about, one that you anticipate encountering often in your work as an advanced human services professional practitioner, and one that you are able to access through planned activities in your community (e.g., religious service, festival, exhibit, etc.).

To Prepare

• Select a culture to focus on for your Immersion Project that is different from the culture(s) with which you identify. You may select a culture that is discussed in this week’s Learning Resources or one that is not.
• Find an activity of the culture that you could observe before Day 7 of Week 4.
• Consider how the culture you select is different from the culture(s) with which you identify.
• Reflect on your current perceptions of the culture you selected.

Submit a 1- to 2-page paper that addresses the following:

• Identify the culture you will focus on for your Immersion Project and the activity of the culture you plan on observing (e.g., attend a religious service; take a tour of the group’s community; or attend a gathering, festival, culture-themed play, tour, or exhibit). Explain how this culture is different from the culture(s) with which you identify. Differences should include both the obvious (visible differences, etc.) and the not so obvious (religious beliefs, sexual orientation, etc.).
• Explain your current perceptions of this culture. Your perceptions should include what you were told about this culture as you were growing up (if anything), what your sources of information about this culture have been in the past, and why you have an interest in this culture.