Cultural Identity Exercise

Before we arrive in Uganda, we're being asked to take a look at our own personal and cultural identity.

We need to consider the weight various aspects of our lives have carried and the perception of these from the society around us. How important is this identity to you? How highly regarded is this identity by society as a whole? These two questions struck me the most. While we may consider these factors to be of great importance to us, each one isn’t easily perceivable to new people.

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Family: This one can be a powerful presence from the beginning for many people. As for me, I come from a large family with 5 brothers and 4 sisters. I can't remember a time as I was growing up that my mother's house wasn't full of siblings and their friends. Through this, I came to value listening. With so many people speaking at one time, it is often best to just hear what others are saying rather than adding to the chatter.

Family is one of the most important things to me, like for many other people. But it’s impossible to know about the dynamics of any family before they open up to tell you about it themselves.

Language: Learning a new language is hard. And learning that language well enough to accurately express yourself comfortably is an admirable feat- one that I have never achieved, nor am likely to. Therefore, I instantly count being an English speaker as a major influence in my life. So much is open to me that would otherwise go completely unknown- places and people. It has helped me to be more expressive than I was before and to be a more intuitive listener. It can be so hard for some people to fully convey their meaning, because of a language barrier, speaking disability, or just plain shyness. I am continuously learning the value of being a patient conversation partner.

Religion & Education: These two go together for me since the bulk of my education was primarily done at Catholic institutions. Mass every Sunday and twice again during the week at school. We took religion classes to apply the Church's teachings to controversies and news stories of the day. This is now such an integral part of my approach to difficult concepts. Over the years, I've gone back and forth with how much priority I placed on my Catholic upbringing. Nowadays, I would say it is an important factor but not an overriding, dogmatic presence. My religious education has allowed me to empathize with people of other beliefs, which is something I value when those around me criticize various faiths.

After high school, I went through the typical unfocused college student phase. I changed majors more times than I care to admit, though I try not to think of this as a complete waste of time. It’s given me an ability to look at things from several different perspectives and at times combine them. Economics and Geography can both be an influence on a current event. History and Literature build on each other to give a deeper understanding of each. I try to make these kinds of connections when I can to develop more appreciation for the things in our lives.

Occupation: I cannot emphasize enough just how much my working experience has changed my approach to interacting with others. I've had a wide range of jobs such as working for theaters, kitchens, and a university. This came from the fact that for a long time, I was interested in everything but nothing in particular.

The first major change came as I started in an extensive care nursing facility. I did a few jobs there eventually ending up as a nurse's assistant. This involved the personal care of a diverse group of people whose only commonality was a need for help in several private matters of daily living. I had to consider a resident’s background and personality in order to give the best level of care. For some, only close family should help with showers, getting dressed, or even brushing hair, while for others showering with family is completely inappropriate.

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So, these things are important to my personal viewpoints and have the most influence over what I do and how I think. Thanks for reading!