CP #5 - Paige Dabney

Date/Time: 11 February 2016, 1-1:50pm (Cultural Workshop)
Location: CIES Lounge
1) What did you learn and share with your conversation partner(s)?
Today I partnered with students from Saudi Arabia and China to prepare for our final presentation next week. We each chose one major stereotype to discuss for next week.

2) How did the CP session inform your awareness of other cultures?
Listening to the Saudi student discuss the Abaya (type of Saudi clothing) with Chinese student was the most interesting piece for me. The Chinese student wanted the Saudi student to do the topic "Why do Muslim women choose to wear different styles of coverings?" The Saudi student was quite frustrated with figuring out how to explain this without offending the other Saudi women. I realized how complex it is for them to talk about it with others, because a certain level of judgement may be required in some people's perspective (basically, she was saying that for her, the amount of covering signified a greater degree of religiousness- this can come across quite poorly to others, even condescending). She also made me realize that many Saudi women who "dress down" in the U.S. do not do this in Saudi Arabia. They dress much more conservatively.

3) How did the CP session inform your awareness of your culture?
I thought it was quite amusing to discuss independence with the Chinese student. She found it hard not to believe that U.S. students are quite as caring for their families when they move so far away from them. Yet, it's interesting that she chose to go to another country for school, while my parents would be horrified by the idea. I spent much time evaluating the social factors that cause families to disperse more within in the U.S.

4) How could you apply what you learned to your teaching practice?
Topics such as religion, morality, and ethics must be addressed with great caution in class. It is probably best to speak with open-minded individuals first to determine the appropriateness of a subject if I am not sure.