This week’s class brought up some ideas that I hadn’t thought of before, as I never really took the time to define the distinctions between different types of cultural communications and studies. Additionally, the reading held a perspective that I feel I haven’t heard in that way before. Since it is new for me, I still feel like I am thinking over what was written and working to connect it with other ideas regarding culture that I have previously discussed.
It is also a very complex topic, and I think that sometimes I avoid making definitive statements on topics that I don’t feel as set in my understanding of. However, a goal of cultural competence is the ability to form an understanding of many very difficult ideas, and so in this course I am trying to challenge myself to go beyond what is easiest.
I was also very interested in the conversation we started with our co-facilitator, and I look forward to having more guests visit and share about different topics of interest. I enjoyed hearing personal stories from my classmates and learning more about their lives and perspectives, and I think that act of sharing opened up our conversation to a place of more vulnerability and willingness to be present in the space with one another
I am really looking forward to our conversation with the students at the American University in Cairo, to hear their stories, and I feel that the meeting will add greatly to our understanding of some of the class topics. Individual experiences cannot define a culture or alone provide cultural understanding, but I also believe that cultural understanding wouldn’t be complete without that personal aspect.
