Module 1
Student Learning

Module 1

Module 1

Starting Out – What is cultural self-study?

Cultural self-study is an approach to understanding culture and its impact on how we engage with diverse others, that begins with a process of self-reflection, in order to:

  • Think about our own roots and the groups we belong to
  • Explore how our background and group memberships have shaped our values and beliefs, and the lens through which we see the world
  • Identify the ways in which we have been socialized that shape how we interact with diverse others
  • The positive and negative impacts of our culture in shaping our beliefs
  • The ways in which we do / do not reproduce the cultural norms in which we have been acculturated (and why)

By gaining a deeper understanding of our own cultural identities, we open the door to greater understanding and empathy for others. Understanding and empathy are key attributes needed when engaging in study abroad / international exchanges, not only to get the most from those experiences for ourselves but also to ensure that we do no harm.

Required Activities

Read
Reflect
  • Reflect on which introspective practices you would like to use throughout this module (you can use as few or as many as you prefer) – see this example.

Optional Activities

Read
Reflect
  • What do you know of your own story? How do you usually introduce yourself? What information do you usually share? Choose your preferred method of self-reflection to keep record of your thoughts / ideas.

Engagement

Asynchronous Engagement
  • Introduce yourself to others, using the discussion board. Feel free to add pictures or audio files if you wish
  • From reading the introductions of others, choose ONE person you feel you have something in common with and ONE person you think is very different from you. Ask each person one follow-up question about their introduction, related to one thing you’d like to know more about
  • Reflection (not for sharing): in your preferred medium (written, recorded, visual representation etc.), think about your interactions with your two peers. What surprised you? What assumptions did you make? Were any correct / incorrect?
Synchronous Engagement
  • Post your introduction to the discussion board
  • Live session:
    •  Your instructor will place you into breakout rooms based on similarities / differences in your introductions, with guided prompts to get the ‘conversation started’ in each group
    • whole class discussion – what interesting things did you find out about your peers? What do you have in common? What are some differences?
  • Reflection (not for sharing): in your preferred medium (written, recorded, visual representation etc.), think about your interactions with your peers. What surprised you? What assumptions did you make? Were any correct / incorrect?

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