Wednesday, June 8, 2011

It's All About Your Culture, Baby!

I attended a training today on cultural diversity. I have been to trainings before on this subject and was expecting a rerun of what I had already heard. This speaker, however, presented the information in a new way. She really got me thinking about how our culture affects us in our work and relationships. At the end of the presentation she asked for volunteers to share their background and cultural "beginnings". It sort of reminded me of the adage, "Everyone has a story to tell." What is your story? What is your culture and how was it formed? I would love to hear from you. I will give you just a preview of what mine is:
Middle child from a middle income family raised in a conservative home that valued education highly. Did I add that I was raised in the Midwest? If I was writing an essay on my cultural background, I think that is how I would start it. Of course I would have to add that I have Catholic roots, am Caucasian, suffer from the Irish coloring of my ancestors (blond, not red hair), and value family over all other things.
How do you view your culture? Remember, it is not just about the food you eat, the color of your skin or the land of your origin. Please Share!

3 comments:

  1. It's also apparently all about the heading... ;)

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  2. Huh? You must have stumbled on this before I was finished with it. You know me, write, rewrite, change, edit, publish, find mistake, try again.

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  3. Hahaha!! Well, I am from a middle-class family raised in the Midwest. I, too, suffer with the skin curse of my Irish ancestry (fair skin with reddish, blonde hair) with a German bone structure. Raised in a Christian home where education was highly valued. Stay-at-home mother for the formative years and a hard-working papa.

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