4. Cultural Background Paper

Each student will complete a 5-7 page cultural background paper (not including title page or references – abstract not required) describing the background of their parents/primary caregivers in regards to family culture. In addition to looking at some of the research describing people from your background, interviews with parents/significant family members are a useful source of information. Areas to include in your paper are listed below:

a. Personal racial/ethnic/cultural background and identity (your background may include a single heritage or multiple heritages (e.g., multiracial, multiethnic); you may choose to include information about one or all; include the ones that have had the most influence if not all). (The term “cultural background” which includes racial/ethnic/nationality etc. will be used from here forward in this section.)

b. When did you first become aware of your cultural background (e.g., your specific group(s) and its impact on you of this awareness of being part of a specific or multiple groups)

c. Aspects of your cultural background that are important to you and your family; what features (food, humor, family relations, communication patterns etc.) contribute to your way of thinking; the strengths you see of your cultural background

d. Impact of your cultural background on your family of origin/extended family members (e.g., parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles)

e. Role your background has played in your marriage (if appropriate), social/leisure interests, educational and vocational pursuits

f. Effect of your background on your spiritual journey

g. Your gender and how gender roles and gender differences function within your cultural background

h. Social norms/rules from your cultural background on your family of origin and how they impact you today

i. Information about your family’s cultural background not previously known

j. Any other information you feel that is pertinent in your cultural background

k. How you were impacted by the information you researched? (For some cultural background may not play into current circumstances/traditions; write your reaction to this.)

The paper should be posted only as an MS Word document in Times New Roman 12 pt and emailed at the appropriate due date.