"... Living in an Amish, Aboriginal and Muslim paradise."

Last week we had the opportunity to hear three more presentations on different cultures from around the World. The first presentation happened to be my group’s presentation, and we researched Amish Canadians for our assignment. I felt that our presentation went very well, and that we covered a great deal about the Amish culture. We discussed information regarding their spiritual beliefs, gender roles within the family, beliefs on education, and what Child and Youth Workers need to know. In developing our assignment, I really felt like we were ahead of the game. We had the PowerPoint constructed in more than enough time to be ready for the presentation, but we unfortunately missed a crucial part of our assignment and needed to rush to get it finished it at the last minute. Just before our presentation, we realized that we had not put our references on our slides and that this was an expectation for our assignment. We attempted to quickly locate all our references from our emailed work that we had been exchanging in completing the PowerPoint, and attempted to through them all together onto a slide. For future assignments, I will personally ensure that every aspect of the assignment (especially the reference page!) is included to prevent being rushed and making careless mistakes that are unacceptable at this level of education. On a positive note, one of the things that I found very interesting in our presentation was in the baptism of married couples. In researching our topic, I discovered that Amish people do not believe in the baptism of babies, as baptism is meant to clear the worshipper of sin, and the Amish people do not believe that babies have any sins to be rid of. This is why they wait until marriage to be baptised.  

The second presentation that we heard was on Canadian Aboriginal Communities. In reading their handout, I feel like I have a better understanding of First Nations members and what I need to know while working with them in the field. The group covered traditional family roles, ceremonies, social and economic issues within some Aboriginal communities, and guidelines for counsellors to consider when working with Aboriginal members. The group also spent a significant amount of time on residential schools, and I could not believe that the British had actually tried to push their “Superior way of life” onto the Aboriginal people in the 1840s. Some of the stories that I have heard about these residential school are absolutely appalling. Educators attempted to strip Aboriginal people of their cultural language and heritage, and wanted them to all become English speaking Christians and farmers. The thought of pushing one cultural belief onto that of another cultural group seems to me like a form of discrimination and prejudice and is absolutely unacceptable.

The third presentation that we heard was on Muslin Canadians, and what an amazing handout they provided the class with! The group discussed the seven elements that form Islamic Worldview (Humankind is innately good, mortality is absolute, unitary belief in one God, one lives in a community of the faithful, woman are the source of civilization, God is the center of the world, and all wisdom comes from Allah and peace can only be achieved by submission to him), the norms and values of Muslim Canadians, some of the challenges that counsellors may experience when working with them in the field, and also things for Child and Youth Workers to remember. In listening to this presentation, I liked how they addressed the stereotype that some people believe which is that all Muslims are terrorists. Every since September 11^th, I know that there has been a great deal of stigma surrounding Muslims, and although unfair, I think that a selected few tarnished the religions good name by making poor decisions. With this thought in mind, I wanted to research a little bit about Guantanamo Bay after hearing this group’s presentation. Guantanamo Bay was a detainment facility that belonged to the United States and was in Cuba. Opened in 2002, the facility was used to house detainees from the war in Afghanistan and Iraq. Some of the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay alleged that they were tortured and sexual degraded while in custody. It took testimonies like these among other complaints about the misconduct going on within the facility to eventually result in Barrack Obama working to have an alternative prison built so that Guantanamo Bay could be closed.  

"Another Day, Four More Cultures..."

Last week we had the opportunity to hear four presentations on different cultures from around the World. The first presentation that we had was on Hispanic Canadians, and the presentation was very well delivered. The group told us about Hispanic family relationships, the ways that they deal with death, grief and loss, and about their gender roles and hierarchy. One of the things that I found interesting about the presentation was in the way that Hispanic Canadians care for the dead. According to the presentation, when someone in the family passes away, a loved one usually stays with the body to sure that they get the treatment that they deserve. This fascinates me, as I am not sure that I could do something like that when a loved one of mine passed away. I have also been to Mexico on vacation on two separate occasions, so I found the presentation very informative. I always wondered why the staff at the resorts would always be very close in proximity to both their co-workers and my family when communicating, but after this presentation, I discovered that this is normal part of their communication. Another aspect of Hispanic celebration that I really enjoyed hearing briefly about was Day of the Dead. Day of the Dead is a holiday celebrated by many Hispanics around the world (including in Canada), and focuses on the gathering of friends and family to remember those who have passed away. I have always loved the artwork involved in this celebration, and actually want to have a Mexican Skull tattooed on me one day. I love the idea of having such a dark image like a skull decorated in bright designs and flower patterns that contrast. One day my followers …….. One day.

The second presentation that we heard was on Biracial Canadians, and my brother was a group member in this group. In reading their handout, I found out a lot of useful information that will help while working with clients from different parts of the world. I learned that cultural activities (both educational and recreational) are very effective strategies to use when working with Biracial Canadians, because this is a great way for them to continue practicing their culture, while giving you (as the counsellor) as opportunity to learn more about them. With so many language barriers and cultural differences in Canada, I can see why a number of Biracial Canadian children display so many “problematic behaviours” according to the group’s presentation. The group commented on the fact that biracial children often have poor academic achievement, poor social skills, negative attitudes towards adults, issues with social isolation, and aggressive behaviours towards peers. With so many stigmas around people from different countries, I can see why some of these children may have as many issues as the group said that they do. I know that if I was still a young child and a new student came to our school that was a different ethnicity from that of my own, I may have been cruel or teased them. Whether it be the result of the possible language barriers or just “fear of the unknown,” I may have been prejudice because of my lack of knowledge at that age. This is why educating young people on cultural diversity and teaching them about the importance of respect is so crucial in today’s society.

The third presentation that we heard was on African Canadians. The group did a very good job at presenting information on some of the history behind African History, some of their traditions and celebrations, the importance of art, music and dance, and some of the racism that they face regularly. When it came to the section on art, music, and dance, I related to one of the major annual celebrations that African Canadians have in Toronto every summer, and it is now clear to me that music and dance is definitely a major part of African culture. Caribana this year was sponsored by Scotia Bank, and ran from July 14^th till August 2^nd. Caribana offers a variety of Caribbean music, dance and cuisine, and this summer’s celebration was the 43^rd year that Caribana has shut down the streets of Toronto. I was at this year’s celebration, and my favourite parts of Caribana are the cuisine, and live shows. I have always loved spicy food, so Jerk Chicken and Jamaican Patties were a huge hit for me this summer.

The fourth and final presentation that we heard was on new Canadians, and this presentation amazed me. The group started the presentation off by talking about The Canadian Citizens Test, and had a sample test for the class to attempt at completing that really added to their presentation. The group asked us a couple of questions that were on the actually citizenship test, and I could not believe how hard they were to answer. I was born and raised in Canada, and I answered three of the six questions correctly, which is rather ridiculous. What is even more ridiculous to me is the fact that we are supposed to be such a free and accepting country for immigrant families, and yet we write a test that immigrants need to pass that is full of useless historical Canadian trivia. So what happens if a new Canadian does not know when the Canadian Pacific Railway was finished? Some of them probably weren’t even alive in the time that the railway was finished, so knowing this useless piece of trivia should not have any pull on whether or not they are Canadian. I think it would be interesting to have born and raised Canadians complete the test and see how they scored. These scores would just be out of curiosity sakes of course, as what are they going to do, deport us for not passing the “Canadian Citizens Test”? Yah right. But we can deny a new Canadian citizenship to our beautiful country unless they can? Give your heads a shake people. Stop placing so much cultural importance on the score of a test.         

"When in China or Greece, do as they do...."

Last week we had the opportunity to hear two presentations on different cultures from around the World. The first presentation that we had was on China and South East Asia, and I think that the presentation was very informative and well researched. The group told us about the religious views of China, some of their traditions, some of the challenges that their culture faces, their values, and forms of education. The group also touched on verbal communication, nonverbal communication, and some of the taboos of China and other South Eastern cultures. For my Cultural Awareness Assignment, I went to “China Town” in Scarborough and I found that this presentation helped to reinforce a great deal of the learning that I gained while on that trip. While eating lunch in “China Town,” I noticed a few things while observing some the Chinese people interacting while eating. It did not take long to notice that no one was thanking their servers at the restaurant. Along with not thanking their servers, I also noticed that eye contact was hardly ever made between those who were eating and those who were serving the food. I found this very interesting, and then after hearing this group’s presentation, I learned that eye contact is not respected by many Chinese cultures, and that thanking a server, or even a friend, is also a sign of disrespect. I learned that it is custom that the person being served something tap the table three (3) times as a way of saying “Thank You” for the food or service, and that this is one of the oldest traditions in China. I researched this tradition and discovered that the noble people of China in the past used to never thank their servants, but would simply knock on the table three times to show thanks. I also enjoyed learning that being thankful towards a friend is a cultural standard, and that you would actually offend a friend if you thanked them for anything. The Chinese believe that if someone is really their friend then it is an expectation that they would help you, and that they do not need to be thanked for their services.

The second presentation that we had was on Mediterranean cultures, and the group focused their project on Greece specifically. The group educated the class on traditional family relationships, gender roles, the ways that they resolve conflict, their religion, and some of the festivals that they have. One of the points that I found interesting in terms of the group’s assignment was on how some Greek people resolve conflicts with their children. I found it rather ridiculous that some of the children who misbehave would receive “The strap,” and also have to complete double the work around the house. Studying in Child and Youth Worker program here at Loyalist, I see so many wrong doings in any kind of physical punishment towards children that the thought of this makes me sick. I understand that some cultures deal with punishment and consequences in their own unique way, but child abuse is child abuse. On a more positive note, I found this presentation very informative and exciting and when I got home, I decided to research a bit about Greek Mythology. The idea of worshiping a different kind of “God or Goddess” than most of us are accustomed too was interesting to me. In researching, I read that modern Greek scholars look to the myths and study them in the hopes of learning more about religious and political institutions of Ancient Greece. In researching some of the Gods that the Greek people worship, I found out that Apollo was the God of music, healing, plague and poetry, among other things. Apollo is the son of Zeus, who was known as the “Father of Gods and men,” and ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus. I also researched a bit about Ares, who was the God of war, bloodlust, violence, and civil order. Ares was also a son of Zeus, and is thought to have been a warrior dressed in battle gear who carried a spear. Eros was another God that interested me, as he was the God of love, sexual intercourse, desire and pleasure. He was the son of the goddess Aphrodite, who was the goodness of love, and oddly enough the wife of Ares (the God of war). There are a variety of different Gods and Goddesses worshipped by the Greek people, and I love the idea of a World where these superior entities could have once controlled Greece and its people.