Assignment: Being a Minority

The purpose of this assignment is to provide you with an experience where you are in the minority, preferably going further where you are the only one of your "kind" in a given situation. This assignment requires pre-planning on your part.

First your task is to go to a place you are not familiar with and engage with those you do not know well. Select an environment where you will be different in some clear way. You may go with someone you know if needed, but remember that your goal is to experience it alone. You might feel uncomfortable, as minorities often feel.

Be creative in where you might experience this. Remember to choose a setting where you feel you can learn, remembering to respect the rules of any organization or business you might select to attend or shop at.

In a 2-3 page paper provide the following:

Briefly describe the experience which you had and the setting where it took place.
How did it feel? How did you act differently?
Did you feel any reaction within yourself or from others? Explain how.
From this experience, what did you learn about being different in an environment?
How might being a minority influence your behavior at work?