Group Encounter

You will attend and actively participate in 2 events related to your selected cultural group. These events can be activities such as church services, Bible/religious studies, community organization meetings, volunteer work at homeless shelters or food kitchens, attendance at support group meetings, fund-raising events, school-related meetings or activities, etc. The key thing is that these activities are sponsored by or provided for your particular cultural group.

It is encouraged that you pray before attending and participating in these events, especially if you are considering attending a religious service outside of your faith tradition. You must spend at least 4 hours totalengaged in these 2 events (approximately 2 hours per event). If you attend another cultural group's church service, do not be surprised if the service is longer than you anticipated and if you are invited to a meal afterwards. Be aware that it may insult some cultural groups if you do not eat with them following the service. The entire event (church service plus meal) counts as 1 activity.

With any activity, it is important that you interact with members of the cultural group to develop an understanding of the event and the motivations of individuals in participating in them. Consider some of these factors:

· What are the purposes of the activity/event?

· What are the cultural underpinnings?

· What are the associated religious beliefs or values?

· What are the social beliefs or values?

· What are the political beliefs or values?

· What are the economic beliefs or values?

You will answer the questions listed below. First person may be used in your answers. This assignment may also be in outline form instead of formatted as a traditional paper; however, you must observe correct and current APA style. The paper must have a correct title page, and you must use a reference page (no abstract is needed). A word estimate is beside each question; however, the quality of your answer is more important than the word count. You may expand further, but you do not have to do so.

1. What events did you attend? What happened?

2. How did your experience of actual cultural events compare with the expectations you had developed from the readings and Internet/media explorations you did in Cultural Immersion Project - Part 1? 

3. How did participation in these immersion events impact you emotionally? In other words, what was it like to be a minority in this group?

4. As you consider your own cultural background, why do you think you responded the way you did? 

5. What are some key things that you have learned about this culture through these events? 

Note that the research you do for Parts 1 and 2 is necessary for the completion of Part 3. Organize all the notes and resources you have gathered thus far to enable you to easily accomplish the final part of this project.