08 Jun Cultural Awareness Exercise
The purpose of this exercise is to help you understand your own culture and how it might influence your interactions with older people of other cultures.
1. Write a one- to three-page description of your own culture. Focus on your own culture’s meanings, customs, rules of communication, conception of time, spirituality, traditions, understanding of healing, and collectivism versus individualism. Include your culture’s view of older people (status, roles, expectations, respect) and the kinds of things that happen to older people that might be unique to your culture. 2. Consider how these aspects of your culture might, in some ways, influence your response to, and understanding of, older people of another culture. 3. List strategies that you can use to help you become more aware of your own culture and of the cultures of the older consumers you will likely serve. 4. If you have the opportunity, discuss the results of this activity with fellow counselors, friends, family, or people from other cultures.
**Background about me**
I identify as an African American middle-class man from the Southern United States. My culture is strongly influenced by family, faith, community, and respect for others. Growing up in the South, I learned the importance of hospitality, strong family connections, and treating elders with respect. Family gatherings, church involvement, shared meals, and community support are common parts of my cultural experience. Communication in my culture is often warm, expressive, and relationship-focused. Storytelling, humor, and personal connections are valued.
