Rasmussen 1 Rachel Rasmussen Biculturalism Dr. Arnold 5/1/12 Personal Growth Summary Biculturalism started out as a requirement.

I signed up for the class while applying for the HNGR program, because it is part of the curriculum. At times in life, growth plagues me like a weed, and I am constantly challenged and changed. Other times, growth is a sloth, moving me a millimeter at a time, so I do not even feel anything. But, growth is always a part of life. Never am I stagnant, nor do I ever wish to be. Each experience I have becomes a part of me, changing who I am. Thanks to Biculturalism and various life circumstances, this semester has been a time of weed-like growth in my life. Challenging and adjusting my worldview, exploring new aspects of faith, and receiving practical information for cross-cultural communication and adaptation were the different ways I learned in this class. In the first week of class, my identity as an American was exposed lucidly as a set of values to which I had never given a second thought, much less critically evaluated. At first, this discovery catalyzed an identity crisis, as I realized I was a product of culture and considered the implications that held for my life. Being able to view myself as a product of cultural assumptions was difficult at first. But it eventually handed me a new lens with which to look at people from other cultures. Instead of making immediate judgments, I have realized the need to evaluate customs and people from other cultures from the perspective of their culture and the Bible, instead of my personal culturally driven worldview. I see that total impartiality is not achievable,

Rasmussen 2 but recognizing my cultural values can help me be fairer in my evaluations and interactions. Spending time evaluating my embrace of American culture is something I need to do more thoroughly, but even from short ponderings encouraged by Biculturalism, I have ascertained that there are certain American values that I definitely do not want to foster in my life. Some of these very values have been modeled to me from a young age by my wonderful parents. Throughout my childhood, while living and being schooled at home, my parents were the primary influence on my thoughts and beliefs. Now that I am more on my own, I am learning to think independently. This class has been influential in becoming independent from my family, as this semester I have fully realized that I am a person separate from my family, and that I can no longer make my decisions based only on what they want. Of course, I will continue to love and respect my family and my parents wisdom, as that is a Biblical value. But I must evaluate my beliefs and actions critically and not blindly accept what I have been taught in the past. I know that my beliefs will continually be challenged, and because of this class I am better equipped to critically evaluate challenges and adjust accordingly. Critically evaluating my beliefs this semester led me to a time of doubt in my spiritual life this semester, and for a time I tried to establish in my mind who I was separate from God, culture, and my past. This impossible goal brought on much confusion and a whirlwind of emotions. But eventually, God drew me back to him, and I realized that I cannot find my identity apart from Him, and that is okay. As this class challenged my beliefs, my view of God has expanded. Through all the questions and exploration, it is clear to me that God is much greater

Rasmussen 3 than I think He is. People as products of cultural assumptions seemed an impossible belief to reconcile with Gods goodness, until I realized that God created culture. Exploring other cultures, especially those that are very different from American culture expands my view of God, and anthropology is an excellent way to explore other cultures. I feel better equipped to travel overseas now, with a basic framework in place to promote the best experience possible. Various methods of research, from participant observation to informant interviews, were overviewed. Culture shock was explained, as well as how to best adjust to a new culture. Kinship was emphasized. Even some of the ambiguity of other cultures was provided with simulation exercises. Cross-cultural communication was explored, with emphasis on the correct way to adapt the gospel to a different culture. All of these practical aspects of the course inspired excitement for the next time I will be traveling abroad, which will probably be my HNGR internship in the summer of 2013. Biculturalism began as a requirement, and through the semester it became more of a requirement, but not negatively. It has taught me lessons that everyone should learn at some point in their life, especially if they plan to travel or live abroad. Academically, I have gained anthropological knowledge. Spiritually, I have grown in my understanding of God. And, personally, I have become more culturally aware and critical in my thinking. Thank you, Dr. Arnold.