Part A: Self Interview
Using the questions listed in this week''s Cholfa''s "Power, Privilege and Prejudice. Self-Reflection Instrument.
Read and respond to the following (15) questions: Be authentic and reflective and answer with as much detail and clarity as possible.
1. What is your experience with homelessness? Have you or anyone you know ever been homeless? (If you do not have a personal experience with someone homeless, describe a specific experience with any anonymous person). Have you ever crossed paths with someone who you assumed was homeless? How did you feel when you saw the person? What thought came to mind?
2. If you could choose between being twenty-years old or seventy-years old, which would you choose and why?
3. Have you ever made non-work related social plans with co-workers (peers)? Your employees> (if you are a supervisor). Your manager or supervisor? What was your level of comfort with these different groups? Explain. What social dynamics that you have experienced or perceived, explain your comfort or lack of comfort?
4. Describe your interactions with people who provide service such a bus boy cleaning the table, a maid cleaning a hotel, the janitorial service.
5. Have you ever been driving and became angry or extremely impatient towards other driver? If so, what were you thinking about the other driver (s)? At the peak of your anger, what were the worst thing you were thinking? Did you make a correlation between the person''s driving and one of their perceived cultural identities.
6. Have you ever been to a restaurant and were unhappy with you service or food? How did you handle it? Have you ever been in a situation like this and did not handle it well? What happened and why did it occur?
7. If you were responsible for creating an immigration policy, what would be included in your policy and why? Would you vote for a bill that prevents immigrants from other countries from entering the country? Would you vote for a bill that allows anyone who wants to become a citizen with citizenship? Explain.
8. When you see someone who is physically differently-abled, such as someone who uses a wheelchair, or walks with crutches, what do you think? Do you avoid eye-contact? Do you act in ways that are different than how you interact with other people? What might your body language or eye contact (or lack therof) communication to them or others?
9. How have you responded to people who are disfigured from birth or due to an accident? What visceral responses have you had and how might your internal thoughts communicate to others?
10. Have you ever punished a child, whether yours or one in your care, because you were angry or in a bad mood? What happened? What enabled you to have power over the child?
11. Do you have any co-worker,or community members who are bisexual gay, lesbian or transgender? How do you know them? What kinds of things, if any, have you done socially with them?
12. What were, if any, of the rules or messages in your family or origin about clothes and dressing? Did you dress up for certain occasions? Today, how do you think of a categorize others. By their style of dress?
13. How were you disciplined as a child> How do you discipline your own children? Children in your care?
14. Throughout your career, have you felt more comfortable communicating with co-workers or managers about uncomfortable or possibly personal topic? Why?
15. Do your close friends represent a variety of religion or spiritual beliefs? Are there individuals in your close circles who are Muslim, Atheist, Agnostic, or Wiccan.
Part B: Written Reflection.
Write a reflection paper in response to the following questions.
What did you learn about yourself from this self-interview? Did any of your answers surprise you? Is so, which ones and why? If not, why not?
What patterns emerged about your own learned biases or potential areas of discomfort from this self-interview and last week''s application assignment?
What one learned bias stands out as one you should focus on during this course? Why did this area stand out for you?
In what ways does it related to the ism or ism''s you wrote about in last week''s application assignment?
In what ways have you been socialized to feel the way you do with regard to this bias?
In what ways do your body language, verbal interactions, and/or other actions communicate your bias in convert or overt ways?