Since this is a learning experience that should take the student into an unknown situation, students must choose a visit to a place that is different from their cultural background and unfamiliar to themselves. Though I’m sure it doesn’t need reminding, this assignment should not be approached from a perspective of viewing the location, customs, people, etc as “exotic” or “foreign,” but rather should be approached with cultural humility, oppeness, and curiosity, as a means of learnign more about a group of people with whom you may one day work as a therapist. The visit should contribute to your thinking about the cultural needs of people in counseling. The following are suggestions: Go to a market in an ethnic neighborhood and ask the store personnel about the different foods that are available, and how to prepare them. Pick an unfamiliar item and ask a customer or customers about ways it might be used.Go to a pharmacy or a location where complementary medicines are sold (i.e., not a pharmacy that offers Western medicine like Walgreens, etc.); this can include a Hispanic Botanica or an herbal store focusing on Chinese Medicine. Ask the store owner or a worker who is knowledgeable, about the various medicines and herbs that are sold. Which ones are most commonly purchased and for what conditions? Attend art exhibit or museum that focuses on the lives/experiences of a culture or group of people different from your own. This can include (but is not limited to) an exhibit of culture-specific art (e.g., Appalachian art, Quaker quilts, Indigenous pottery, etc.), a cultural museum (e.g., Chinese American Museum), or an exhibition of an artist that focused on their specific cultural identity (e.g., LGBTQ+, Muslim, African-American, etc.). Ask the artists, curator, docent, etc. who is knowlegeable about the inspiration behind the art or the exhibit, what story is meant to be conveyed, and they they want the general public to know about the specific group of people through the art. Write a paper briefly introducing the culture that you visited, describing in detail your visit, and discussing and reflecting on your experience. Some questions to consider: What was your mindset/expectation prior to the visit? What was it like to be in the place you chose and interact with the people/art/items there? How were you viewed/approached by the owners/artists/clergy, etc. & why do you think they interacted with you the way that they did? What stimulus value do you represent in that space? What did you learn about this group of people? How does this experience contribute to your understanding of the cultural considerations necessary in counseling people from this culture? How, if at all, has your view of working with this population changed as a result of your experience? In discussing the experience and the questions above, students should rely on the cultural information provided in the textbook as well as any information learned from the visit. The paper must include the following: (a) an Introduction paragraph, where the student outlines what he or she hopes to accomplish in the paper, (b) a section describing which option they selected and where they completed this assignment, (c) a section utilizing at least two peer reviewed sources describing the culture or cultural components of the place you visited, (d) a detailed description of your experience (ie., expectations prior to completion, feelings during assignment, reactions from others, ethnic make-up of surrounding individuals, language barriers if any, etc.), and (e) a Conclusion section where the student reflects on any insights or awareness gained from this experience.
