Cultural and racial differences are inevitable in daily interaction. This is because people identify with different backgrounds, life experiences and goals. Therefore, it is crucial that people take time to learn about each other and embrace the unique nature of their families, colleagues or friends. In most cases, a simple discussion with people from a different race or culture is informative and has great influence on how we live and the perceptions we carry ( Knapp, Vangelisti, & Caughlin, 2014) . Notably, open communication helps to eliminate myths and creates an opportunity to learn from each other. This essay is a reflection of three conversations that embrace an individual from a different socio-economic status, sexual orientation and gender identity in order to understand what variety thy offer in life.
Synopsis
The first conversation I had was with Mercy Cravats. She is a 29 year old lady who runs three hair-salons in her local community. Not only is she popular among the locals, she is also wealthy and can afford to maintain an apartment in the suburbs and a luxurious car. We are obviously in different socio-economic backgrounds because I am a mere student who supports myself through a part-time job at a fast-food restaurant. This socio-economic difference is evident with the designer clothing that Miss Cravats arrives in which makes her standout among the other guests in the restaurant.
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During our discussion, we talked about our hopes and dreams. She explained that he main goal was to see her business grow and expand her clientele. Additionally, Mercy expressed the desire to start her family now that she was more financially stable. Surprisingly, she was quick to add that after growing up in a poor background, it was her goal to establish herself before she even embraced the idea of a husband and children. She urged me to do the same, despite the social pressure that demands everybody to invest their energy in relationships and family life before they understand who they are and what they want for their lives.
The second conversation was with George Harrison. This was particularly interesting conversation because Mr. Harrison who is 27 years old identifies as a gay man. For me, having a conversation with him was particularly interesting because we explored a conversation that I would have previously shied away from. Nevertheless, he was open to discuss his sexual orientation and we broadly addressed the issues that face the LGBTQ community today and how the deal with such issues.
George Harrison spoke from a personal perspective. The problems he stated were from a personal perspective. He cited homophobia as a recurring issue that many people pretend it is not occur. Notably, this issue has transformed from the open gay bashing to social structures such as schools where teenage girls and boys who identify with a different sexual orientation are excluded from activities. Mr. Harrison was passionate about the fact that the community still needs education on LGBTQ issues and that the process of creating awareness will take a shorter time if people are willing to listen.
During the conversation, I learnt that Mr. Harrison is an active member of the community in this regard. He is a local and community counselor who deals with teenagers dealing with LGBTQ issues. His role in the community centers and various high schools is to provide information and support to teenagers in emotional and social turmoil due to their sexual orientation. He admits that some cases affect him on a personal level because he went through these hardships as a young man. However, he chooses to remain strong for the children and young adults that need him.
The third conversation was with Paul Woods who is a student within campus and a basketball player as well. He is well known for his unrivalled skills on the basketball court as well as his exemplary performance in the philosophy department. Paul agreed to meet with me so that we could discuss a number of gender issue. Therefore, during the discussion we started by exploring issues that faced the girls child. They were endless including, lack of equality, lack of education, social expectations and pressures that prompted them to change themselves to please the world. My colleague agreed with this analysis and even suggested that if more men rallied behind the women it would help eradicate some of these issues.
Paul was very partial in the discussion on gender issues. He spoke up for his gender and some of the challenges they faced as well. Paul argued that all men had to deal with the extreme pressure on them to stand as the provider, to never complain or be seen as weak. These issues are often dismissed but have contributed to the increased number of suicide cases among the men ( Koppelman, 2016) . His conclusion was that no gender will fully understand the challenges of the other but we can support each other in pushing for better lives.
Paul is more than a debater in these matters. He showed me photos of various marches that he attended for both genders. This includes the most recent women’s march. He also introduced me to new social media platforms that catered to women and men needs. He was very informed on the government’s role in bridging the gender gap and urged me to look out for petitions that held them accountable to this regard. By the end of our discussion, I had a new appreciation for the role of both men and women in the fight for gender equality.
Reflection
I chose to reflect on the last conversation with Paul Woods. Personally, I felt it was the most appropriate selection because Paul Woods was most forthcoming with information about the struggle between gender roles and his thoughts on it. Through this discussion, I learnt more about Paul than the other two participants. He made a deliberate effort to share his views and I felt that the thoughts he shared were important to understand who he is and what he stood for. Consequently, Paul’s conversation volunteered information that would assist me in the analysis of the gender identity concept.
Paul is a college athlete and therefore I had established some assumptions and expectations prior to the meeting. Initially, I expected him to argue in support of the gender boundaries that society has set for both men and women. In respect to his young age and the fact that he stood as the epitome of a successful male athlete, I thought he would not be as informed on the gender issues that faced many men and women. Also, I expected him to attack the feminist agenda with the idea that the world is set as it should be and nothing can change the social misconceptions about being male or female.
The main physiological influence in this case was age. Paul Woods is a nineteen year old who is still getting used to the campus life. Therefore, I did not expect him to be as self-aware as he presented himself. Typically, at the age of nineteen, young men tend to be self-absorbed and with other passions in their life such as sports or socializing ( Adler, Rodman & Cropley, 2006) . Even on appearance, Paul seems like a young jock oblivious to the social issues around him. However, he definitely proved me wrong.
Paul has low uncertainty avoidance. He had no problem communicating with me even though we had only talked a few times before. In fact, he created a relaxed mood with his use of informal language and since he took time to listen and answer my questions to the best of his ability. His conversation approach was honest. This trait also reflected in his body language because he nodded to indicate active listening and communicated with hand gestures to elaborate his points as well. These were all signs that encouraged the conversation to go on.
It is clear that Paul is not ethnocentric. He does not believe that his gender is superior to the other. On the contrary, he stands for the idea that each individual should be judged for their merit because their gender does not determine what they can or cannot do. In his ideal world, each person would have the chance to determine who they were instead of being classified in societal gender groupings. He repeatedly expressed that instilling gender boundaries limits the goals and dreams that the younger generations can achieve. Therefore, every individual should start by embracing themselves despite what the world expects.
Conclusion
In conclusion, assumptions and expectations are inevitable in this world. However, each individual should be open-minded to the reality that is around them. Staying oblivious to people’s true character limits the opportunity to learn ( Watzlawick, Bavelas & Jackson, 2017) . It leads to plenty of argument and discord that is evident in the world today. Personally, this assignment has challenged me to interact with more people and learn about their ideas. Also, it has led me to evaluate myself and understand the misconceptions that people around me might draw. At the end of the day no book should be judged by the cover.
References
Adler, R. B., Rodman, G. R., & Cropley, C. (2006). Understanding human communication (Vol. 10). New York NY: Oxford University Press.
Watzlawick, P., Bavelas, J. B., & Jackson, D. D. (2017). Pragmatics of human communication: A study of interactional patterns, pathologies and paradoxes . WW Norton & Company.
Koppelman, K. L. (2016). Understanding human differences: Multicultural education for a diverse America . Pearson.
Knapp, M. L., Vangelisti, A. L., & Caughlin, J. P. (2014). Interpersonal communication and human relationships . Pearson Higher Ed.
