PSY 110 Case (Thinking about Race, Ethnicity, and Culture) and Case (Keeping Your Mouth Shut)

PSY 110 Case (Thinking about Race, Ethnicity, and Culture) and Case (Keeping Your Mouth Shut) Recent

Thinking about Race, Ethnicity, and Culture

1. Were race and ethnicity discussed in your family as you were growing up? In what ways?

2. Do you demonstrate—through your behavior, attitudes, and/or beliefs—your own ethnic background? How?

3. Are there cultural differences between you and members of other races or ethnicities? What are they?

4. Are you proud of your ethnicity? Why?

5. Think what it would be like to be a member of a racial group or ethnicity other than your own. In what ways would your childhood and adolescence have been different? How would you view the world differently?

In 150 word for each question please review the following. This does not need to be in APAformat.

The Case of …

Keeping Your Mouth Shut

Jorge Azar had immigrated with his parents to the United States from the Dominican Republic when he was 11 years old. Although Jorge had become fluent in English, he still spoke with an accent. Jorge had never felt self-conscious about it before. He’d lived most of his life in America in New York City, surrounded by dozens of different accents.

Now, though, Jorge had relocated with his wife out of New York. He’d enrolled in college to earn his degree in software engineering, and he was sitting in a classroom in which he was the only Hispanic. Jorge suddenly felt nervous to open his mouth. He was sure that no matter what he said, his fellow classmates would disregard it because of his accent. Despite graduating from high school in the top of his class, Jorge was struck dumb at the idea of answering the questions his instructors asked.

One day, Jorge couldn’t avoid the problem anymore. In one of his programming classes, his instructor called on him by name to explain a technical term. Jorge knew what the term meant and how to explain it … but he was afraid that as soon as he spoke, he’d be laughed at. As the moments ticked by and the class waited for Jorge’s response, he started to wonder why he’d enrolled in college in the first place.

1. Can you identify with Jorge’s situation? Are there aspects of yourself that you feel self-conscious about?

2. What assumptions does Jorge fear his classmates will make?

3. What assumptions about his classmates is Jorge making?

4. What advice would you give Jorge to help him feel more comfortable, not just speaking in class, but in college in general?

5. Have you ever judged someone based not on what they say, but how they say it? What did you learn from this incident, and how could you avoid it in the future?