Criteria for Self-Reflective Cultural Autobiography
Learning objective: Students will demonstrate an understanding of their past and present as it relates to themselves and others within society.
Grading: Based on grammar, spelling, essay structure; quality of presentation and expression of thoughts; inclusion of microculture elements.
A cultural autobiography is a reflective, self-analytic story of your past and present.
In this assignment you are going to examine some of your own experiences. Your essay will focus on your life and how that has shaped you. You may include typical and/or exceptional events from your childhood, religious life, family life, memorable experiences. This might include a family vacation, a mission trip or a sporting event.
You do not have to answer all the questions posed in this assignment. They are given to prompt your thinking about the topic.
Consider starting off by describing an artifact that reflects your cultural practices, values, history, or beliefs.
You need to describe your experiences in detail. Use whatever description, scenes, dialogues and so on that you wish. You may write the essay in the first person. For dialogue be as true to the speaker’s actual words as you can recall.
Note, a cultural autobiography is more merely narrating events from your life. It reveals your assumptions and seeks to bring out preconceived notions in relation to the micro-cultures and subgroups that make up identity and your role. In a multicultural world, understanding your own cultural identity as well as being more open to others is extremely important in society. Consider the culture as described in the Bookseller of Kabul. Recall the relationship restrictions between men and women, between the family and the Afghan society.
According to Dr. Marybeth Peebles, an associate professor at Marietta College, there are nine micro-cultures: socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, religion, gender/sexual orientation, language, exceptionality (mentally or physically disabled or gifted), age and geography.
What cultural groups do you identify with? Discuss your birth and family of origin. Who are your family members? Talk about the cultural history of your parents, grandparents, and if significant, your great-grandparents. Where are they from? What is the primary language, race, religion, culture of your origin? Describe your upbringing. What do you remember about the neighborhood(s) in which you lived? What ethnic groups resided therein? Was there a predominant group? What do your recall about your neighborhood: focus in particular regarding attitudes about those who were “different” from you? What was the talk at the dinner table? Were there any teachings that may influence how you feel about any group outside your own?
Examine the subgroups (posted on Blackboard under this week’s folder) and your roles within them, in relation to each micro-culture. The subgroups, are where you fall in the micro-culture.
Consider how your experiences within the cultural subgroups that you inhabit have shaped your personality and identity in relation to others in your life who may fall into different cultural subgroups. For example, the only twins experience life differently than non-multiples.
Discuss your family culture in terms of values, beliefs, and goals about life success/failure that you have learned. What are some verbal and non-verbal communication skills you have learned from your family? How has your cultural background affected your present beliefs about yourself and others? Talk about how your cultural background has shaped your views about race, class, gender, ability, and sexuality? What messages did you receive about these topics growing up, and what are your current beliefs? How has your culture helped or hindered you in your schooling/teaching?
Conclude with a summary of your cultural identity based on experiences that you have discussed. Wrap up the discussion neatly and succinctly.
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