This week we were given a handout about Exploring Cultural Identity, the aim of which is to help us become aware of our cultural identity. They are in a different order than asked on the sheet to make them fit on the pages better.
Who am I?
I am Iain, I am me.
I am a person, a man.
I am a Dad, a father.
I am a husband, a lover, a friend.
I am a brother, a son, an uncle.
I am an introvert, a thinker, a dreamer.
I am big, warm and strong.
But I can be sensitive, cold and weak.
I am sometimes a doormat, and often bite my tongue.
I am someone who helps and encourages others, an agent of empowerment.
I am the universe trying to understand itself, existing as a human for a little while.
What is the meaning of “home” for me?
Home is sitting on the chair next to the cot, watching my beautiful boy sleeping peacefully.
Home is laying in bed, nice and cosy, my wife’s warm naked bottom touching my back.
Home is listening to the music that transports me, takes me away from my daily worries.
Home is watching someone draw a caricature, sensing their next brush-stroke.
Home is entering the world of a story that beguiles and intrigues, surprises and enthrals.
Home is sitting with my legs curled up under me, my elbow resting on the arm of the sofa.
Home is cheese on toast on a cold wet night, watching back-to-back episodes of TV shows.
Home is the place I go inside myself when I get too sad or too angry or too overwhelmed.
My Cultural Lifeline
From birth I have been in a white, male culture. Living in a first-world country, there are certain things I have always taken for granted, such as having clean running water and a weekly rubbish collection. School has been the only other cultural institution that I have been a part of, and that was pretty much the same as my upbringing: A white, working class, male culture. All of my jobs have been working class as well. I am trying to expand my horizons by reading books and watching documentaries about minority groups and people who are not white or from privileged backgrounds.
We were asked two questions this week. The first was: Why do we judge? I explored this as an aside in my Reflective Diary a couple of weeks ago, just as a quick initial idea that I wanted to record for future reference, and I was excited to explore it further. The second question was: What do we judge? This was an interesting question because I looked forward to having a good think about it and I wondered how deep I could dig down into it.
We also did a roleplay this week, concentrating on differences. The client had to present some kind of difference or prejudice, and the counsellor had to deal with it in a fair way. In our group we didn’t have enough time for all the rotations, so I only got to play a cocky loudmouthed client that hit a woman whilst out drinking a few nights ago. I enjoy acting, so this was a fun opportunity for me. I channelled my inner-asshole, and acted as if I was being forced to come to counselling, and treated my counsellor with contempt and disgust. I admit that I felt bad for being less than helpful in responding to her questions, but I was really trying to push her into displaying some kind of emotion like anger, frustration or annoyance at my character. To her credit, she did not, she was very even and calm with me. I would have liked to have tried to push harder and been more aggressive, but I don’t think any of us students are ready to be made to feel anxious or frightened in a roleplay.
