ÖzÜ Connect Module - Self-Reflection

Choose two of the following questions and write a self-reflection of at least 400 words using the awareness and
knowledge you have gained in the intercultural awareness workshop to answer the questions.

(Total Word Count: 400)

1. What are some important social skills or abilities that you think are related to understanding different
cultures? Can you share any personal experiences that made you realise the importance of these skills?
2. Could you explain what "ethno-relative" means in simple terms when it comes to how we interact with others
from different backgrounds? Can you remember a time when you applied this idea in your own interactions with
people from diverse backgrounds and/ or cultures? Explain.
3. Could you tell a story from your life where you believe prejudice played a role? How did it affect you or the
people involved?
4. Have you ever noticed instances in your own life where bias might have influenced a situation or decision?
How did you become aware of it, and what did you learn from that experience?
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1) I think the most important social skill in order to understand different cultures is empathy. When we
empathize with different people from different cultures, not only we get how things could be difficult for them
especially if they are in a place where they get hate for their culture, but also we are able to understand their
inner world better, which led us to see the world from a different perspective. I honestly was not able to
empathize much when I was younger until one of my friends move to Canada from Turkey. She was in fact
mostly okay with her new life and friends but of course there were bullies as well and those kids bullied my
friend just because she was from Turkey, a different culture. She would tell me how bad she felt and that
way I learnt to emphasize with people who feel stranger to new places because they were from a different
culture.